Him + Me + 15 Years = CANCUN!!!!

So these are TOTALLY not in the order but this is the first time I have posted with the new format and I clearly have a bit to learn...

A few weeks back (feels like forever) David and I were blessed to be able to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary in Cancun, Mexico:)

We had such a great time and so much fun stuff to do - and the people were so nice!

Here is the ancient city of Coba and the Mayan Ruins - I made it to the top (120 very steep steps) while David decided to rest it at step #50 :(  I tried hard to get him to continue but his lack of desire and fear of heights were too much to over come.

One of the days we took a ferry to La Isla Las Mujeres - I think that translates to Island of the Women.  It was beautiful and relaxing.  We rented a golf cart and toured pretty much the whole island.  We found a great spot for lunch, some swimming (David even got a little massage on the beach) and then it was off again.

I loved all the old boats with the outboard motors - tried to get the shot without them visible but it was tough.

Here was the view looking up to the top of the ruins - again, not in order but a cool shot none the less.

The total climb - 120 steps

A pleasant dinner by the lagoon - I have a cool photo of an evening before this where a crocodile spends his evenings - assuming he is waiting for handouts - they fed him and he put on quite a show - this would NEVER have happened in America!!

The view of the water - I thought this was a great shot - no bragging just loved the aqua and red in the same shot - it was red flag all week so not alot of swimming here but a great view!

 Here is our happy photo on the evening of our "real" anniversary.  I couldn't have asked for a better fit to spend the rest of my life with.

Hope you have a great week and enjoy this amazing weather - who knew???



I don't have to....

Do what other mothers do....I have to do what is best for this guy! I don't have to do what my mother did... she wasn't the parent to this eleven year old who needs something different. We have to do what makes them thrive.... because he LOVES this....

He loves to chase that ball - he loves to believe he is good at it - he needs to know I am his biggest fan - no matter the day or the trials - He is my heart!


I have to take care of this precious jewel - who is full of spunk, kindness, and such amazing thoughts and ideas.

Because she too.... LOVES to do this! Does it matter that it's not the thing everyone expects us to do... NO. Does it matter that she would give life and limb (and take a beating) to be there?? I think that says something about her passion... I should feed this and not torture us all with things that don't spark that passion.

Because I have more than one amazing child - I have three! How did I become so blessed??? This guy is phenomenal - he loves to learn... just the other day they were learning about the earth's core and all it's order. He came home, went outside, and came back in to inform that he was upset because he couldn't find the shovel to dig to the earth's core.... he takes it all so seriously and that is wonderful.

Because he LOVES this...Karate....he thinks about it constantly and I am proud that he has his own thing...that is important for children... I am learning just how much so...

We have to do what makes our family work...does it work for yours... maybe....will it work for ours...we can try...but when it doesn't, we can't be afraid to stand up for what works at our home. I have been blessed with an amazing husband who loves his Lord, his family and isn't afraid to work hard to keep it all together... when he says "you gotta let it go" ... I have to learn to listen...because family and home are so much more important than the appearances, the bank accounts, or other peoples opinions. Am I totally there yet??? Not on your life, Am I working on it....ABSOLUTELY! We will be changing, transitioning and learning more about ourselves over the next few weeks and months. I pray that in the end, it is all good, but praying even more that the journey to where we are going will be one of bonding and loving and learning.

Praying you have a day full of things that work for you!

Valentine-ish recap and what we are up to...

I amight have said this before but Valentines is one of my fav holidays...it is about love, it requires ALOT of red, and is full of candy... what more could a girl want???

Being that it fell mid-week we didn't do too much as a couple but we shared lots of fun time with the kids, special treats etc. I love being able to spend time with family and here's what takes place when we do - laughs and twirls! The laughter during this should've been recorded - Abbi is dizzy, Taylor is dizzy (aka supergir), but both screaming for more:)
This little party at church took quie a bit of time but was totally worth it. The Lord was faithful and all were "in love" with the results. The cupcake liner pom poms were a HUGE hit! and not terribly expensive. How did styrofoam balls get to be $6 though - like a solar system science project must be worth a fortune these "many" years later.

Braden was the only one to do Valentine's for school - we did the shovels and the wording "I dig you!" on it. Just realized I have no pics of the finished project - how does that happen???

And just for kicks.. my sweet girl..growing so fast. We are anticipating some major changes with middle school on the horizon. I am trying hard to hear the voice of God with where they are supposed to be. School is supposed to be challenging. It is supposed to be about academics. Do I think my chilren will be Nobel Prize Winners - the chances are slim. Do I want them to get into great colleges .... YES! We must take this one day at a time. Do i want to be chained to a dining room table for three hours a night with homework ...NO!!!

But these children are my life... I want the best for them... if that means some changes and inconveniences on us as parents...that should be o.k. with us...Their success is our responsibility. Am I nervous...You better believe it! What if they struggle? Didn't I struggle? Sure! But it is much easier I think to be the one struggling than to watch your loved one struggle - particularly your children. Please Lord, Guide us and give us the ability to follow that guidance!

As I am typing Braden and Abbi come in to ask this "we want to take a picture. I will be in a tux and Abbi wants to wear your wedding dress." They have just spend nearly an hour giving foot massages, and he used the straightener to straighten her hair. Oh how I wish they could play like this all the time. Stay tuned for the wedding picture soon:)

Right Back at ya...

or interpreted means "I love you!" - (in Abbi language) She is a super loving, amazingly kind spirit but it is severly like pulling teeth getting her to say she loves you. One thing I want to remember about her is her heart but yet her "arms length" style. She is not a touchy, feely kinda girl (wonder where she gets that from?) She would rather have an arm chopped off than actually say the words "I love you" Her Aunt Lisa tried to get her to say it back the other day and it was the funniest thing - almost like who could hold out the longest. She doesn't give in easily!

Sometimes I have to remember that this blog is as much for history keeping as it is for sharing craft projects. I know I can look back and remember some great stories that I might've forgotten.

Here's hoping you are having an amazing Valentine's Day - this is the first time I feel like it's an ordinary day but yet very extraordinary - sounds weird, I know. I spent the day at the school with the kiddos doing all sorts of Valentiny stuff. I had their goodies with love notes laid out for them this morning when they woke up. They all loved their stuff and I was surprised when Mason decided to bake me breakfast - unfortunately Daddy got it since we had to bolt early for Valentine's Breakfast at school. He can be sweet when he wants to:)

I wanted to give you guys a look at our family photos we took last month.

This was one of the last shots of the day - and of course Abbi's face tells her disdain for public affection - LOVE it!
A kiss in the park (note: these shots are harder than they look!)

He HANDS DOWN is my most photogenic child - melts my heart everytime!

Eyes are the window to the soul....

Fun stuff, again, NOT easy!

A picture of us girls -

Here's to remembering the reason for this day....loving those dear to you....showing them small pieces of your heart...hope you enjoy your day!

There is snow somewhere!

I found the zip drive of our TreeTrek in Canada and thought you might enjoy seeing our adventure. Here is a shot of how high we climbed to then be sent flying down the wire - it was AMAZING! We have done this before but in a different country with MUCH different weather. The snow added a whole new element:
See...we totally enjoyed ourselves!

Look ma... not hands:)

Hopefully I can be back to a "normal" blogging schedule soon. My to-do list has apparently eaten it's Wheaties because it won't.quite.growing!!

Why I Save SOOOO Much Stuff --

So again I say, Boy layouts are much tougher than girl layouts - at least for me. I want to do fun without crossing the line to girly and now that he is "older" I don't want it too baby-ish either. This layout sorta evolved (you know how that is - no idea really but then it sorta morphs into something good).
I had NO plan for a pocket when I first started (I feel like every school layout has those - enough already) however, when I found this writing of his that coincided with the dates of the photos - I couldn't leave it out. We try to get them to write as often as possible. Mason is excellent at writing and as he gets older it only gets more descriptive. If you read this you see he is very matter of fact on this page about what had happened. Apparently I had been trying to drive home the point of "you are responsible for your own actions" and this is how it translated in his mind - misspelled words and all. I love how matter of fact (logical) he is!

I journaled above and below what he had written instead of where it is visible on the page. Some pages the journaling gets lost.

I still can get away with buttons (I think) so I added one here in the middle of the cardstock sticker for dimension/texture.

Here I used a brad again for texture - orange is NOT a girl color!

It sure is fun finding little treasures like this which is exactly why I save so much stuff - one day I think he will treasure it as much as I do - or at least his wife and children will for sure!

What are you up to today - would sure love to hear it! I am going to try to make a belated gift that will now most likely turn into an early Valentine's present. Decorate for Valentines and some other misc. stuff. Enjoy the new week.

Products: Brad/Buttons - Paper Studio

Paper - Basic Grey

Cardstock stickers/alpha - Echo Park

Winner!!!

Soooo, our winner of the Lisa Bearnson Scrapbook Kit and the Creating Keepsake magazine stash is Bridget!! Thank you Bridget for taking the time to comment and I know you will enjoy your goodies:) I will bring them to you tonight!

I hope to be back tomorrow with more inspiration and some Valentine's Decor.