Embrace Mini Album

I created this mini album for a challenge in January 2009. I don't even remember where the challenge was from. I found the pictures on one of my husband's thumb drives and so here it is. It represents all the things that I wanted to embrace in 2009. It was sort of my New Year's resolutions in a book.

You can tell that I had gotten my Cricut for my birthday in November because I have diecuts from it throughout the book. Around the edge of the star I wrote each of the things I would embrace. "I will embrace my kids. I will embrace..."


Faith: I wanted to continue do grow in my faith. I was discovering where I belonged in God's plan and where I was going. I was looking for a church home that felt right. I was trying to discover ways that I could show that faith in my daily life to my friends and my family.
"I will pray without ceasing."


My kids: Speaking of family, I wanted to embrace my role as a mother to my 2 kids.
"I will embrace my relationship with my kids, and give them all I have to offer."


My Soul Mate: Kelly, the love of my life, my everything. I wanted to embrace my role as a Proverbs 31 wife for him. I always desire to complete him.


Outdoors: I wanted my family to enjoy the outdoors together. I wanted to work together with the earth, to make our little bit of it beautiful and useful for our family.
"plant seeds, grow flowers, eat our own vegetables, cultivate."


Travel: I love taking my kids to discover new places. I wanted to travel with my family to places that would inspire and fulfill us.
"travel, adventures, new discoveries. I will take my children to new destinations."


Tomorrow: I will embrace the future and all it has to offer myself, my kids, my marriage, and others around me.
"Embrace the pieces of today, and tomorrow they will fit together."

I wish I could remember where I found this quotation. I don't think that I was clever enough to come up with it on my own.

Travel Mini Album Kits on Etsy

I have just created my first in a series of mini album kits. The first is themed Travel. Each kit includes



- one 6x6 cover and six 3x6 travel themed pages, each has 2 pre-punched holes and is ink distressed by hand
- one 3x6 handmade ancient map envelope, also pre-punched
- two tags, one with hand stamped journaling space, both ink distressed by hand
- about 6 yards of fibers in 3 colors from Close to My Heart Sassy Strands
- two circle icons with either an airplane, car, luggage tag, suitcase, or other travel related picture
- small die-cuts: 2 styles of stars, footprints,
- larger die-cuts: arrows, frame, brackets
- 2 complete sets of clear alphabet stickers including extra vowels and numbers
- 2 vintage buttons
- 2 squares, one with hand stamped journaling space
- TODAY journaling spot, hand stamped
- paper license plate from the state of your choice
- 2 binder rings
- hand stamped images from Close to My Heart including a car, a bicycle and "Scenic Route"

Each kit will also include a tips list to create your album. Additional albums can be hooked together on the same binder rings or on new ones. You will be able to add your own pages to your album once it is complete. I hope you all love my new creation. Hop on over to my etsy shop to order.

If you are a follower you can use the coupon code
BLOGFOLLOWER to get 10% off in my shop.

Visit to Pittsburgh

You will keep him in perfect peace, him whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. - Isaiah 26:3

Thank you to my blogging friend at the Regan Family Farm for this reminder. BTW, I have no idea why I am posting in italics today.

I am sitting in my best friend's living room in Pittsburgh, PA. The only sound is the baby swing playing music for sleeping Benjamin. It is peaceful here with the dogs laying quietly nearby. Dave went out to the bakery. I look forward to whatever he brings back. He also makes great coffee.

I stayed last night in the guest room which is on the 3rd floor. I hate to call it the attic because it is more than just an attic. It is nearly finished and, although it is a bit cold like an attic always is, it is homey. The little room has the angles of the roof in the ceiling. There are 2 small windows that are up far enough from the street that I dont care abo0ut people looking in, and bring in beautiful morning light. An electric blanket set on low kept me warm and comfortable all night.

This is before the furniture was in it.

Spend the day with me...

Monday, September 6, 2010
Labor Day


Woke up, got dressed, we planned a family day trip today to Genesee Country Museum.  I haven't bee there in about 5 years.  I pray that the kids like it and we have no behavioral problems.  I checked my email and swaps on swap-bot.

 After breakfast I fixed Kelly's jeans and mine.

Next I helped Timothy build some of the Millenium Falcon with legos.  We tried to build it with the directions on the internet but it requires some unusual pieces that we don't have.  Here is what we have done so far.

Next I made PBJ sandwiches for our lunch.  Everyone likes theirs different of course: Timothy likes grape jelly, Rebekah likes no jelly, Kelly and I like strawberry.  Everyone like peanut butter.  Add an apple. a peach, and goldfish to share and we are set.

We rode the trolley around to the 1780s farm.

Then fed the sheep on the farm.  Their tongues ticked our hands when they ate.  Both kids took 2 turns they liked it so much.  There were also turkeys and geese.

Inside the farm house we ground and sifted corn for corn meal to make johnny cakes.

Timothy tried on the yoke for carrying water from the well.  Even empty it was heavy.

Timothy and I churned butter.  Look at all the wheels of cheese in the background!

Rebekah liked the barrels at the cobbler shop.

The kids made tin ornaments at the tinsmith shop.  Timothy's has a sun and Rebekah's has a starburst.

The we played all sorts of old fashioned games out in the big field. Rebekah got her face painted to.

Maine

My family went to Maine to visit Mom and "Dad" from August 6th til 11th.  Friday we stayed in Chicopee, MA.

We arrived at their house on Saturday afternoon. Here is the marsh at mid-tide as seen from their front yard.  It is all grass so it looks like a real yard instead of a house in the woods.

This is one of the new pine trees out front.  You can see the house in the back ground.

A walk in their woods turned into the battle of Endor for Timothy with his new model of Anakin's Fighter from Star Wars.

We took the short drive to Popham Beach every day we were there.  Here are the castle builders.

Rebekah running from the surf.  Rebekah and Timothy LOVED the beach and the water.  They were both great about not going in too far.  They ran in the water's edge, hunted for shells, built and crashed castles.

Here is my collection of shells from just one trip to the beach.  I found 10 and a half sand dollars.

Northcreek farms is just up the road.  They have wonderful veggies and flowers and a gift shop and a coffee shop.  It was super cute and the kids even liked it.

They pretended to have a little tea party in the gardens.

At Fort Popham

 Maine Lobstah fah dinnah.

France and Rome Layouts

2010 Convention Album Contest Entry