Jonas singing 50 States Song

Jonas is singing the 50 States song with his Sing Your Way to Knowledge Class. End of year homeschool co-op program. I don't post here much anymore, due to the ease of sharing with Facebook. This is for all of our friends and family who are not on Facebook. : ). If you are viewing, do you mind to leave a comment? I don't mind to continue to post pics, but only if we have friends or family viewing.
Thanks!

Hilton Head Island

On our way to Disney we took a 30-mile detour and stopped on Hilton Head Island, S.C. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Oceanfront. We arrived just before sunset and enjoyed a lovely, albeit chilly, walk along the beach. Our room had a terrific sunrise view. We hit the road the next morning after taking a morning beach stroll and feeding the seagulls (bottom photo).

Disney Vacation Highlights

http://www.photoshopshowcase.com/ViewFlashMedia.aspx?AID=272118&AT=3
Wow, is it difficult to organize, and narrow down 800+ photos for sharing! We had a great vacation, and we did so very much. These photos are just a few of the highlights. We went into this vacation considering it a one-time shot, in the event that money, circumstances, or other vacation choices prevent us from going back...so we made the most out of it.

We stayed at Disney (highly recommend), and got the dining package (also highly recommend). These two factors allowed us to spend even more time at the parks (more fun). We spent the first four Disney days with a full day at each of the four parks (Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot). We opened and closed the parks on those days. On the fifth day, we rested a bit in the morning, swam in the outdoor pool (it happened to be the warmest day of the cold front/arctic belt), and then we repeated Epcot. On the sixth day we repeated Hollywood Studios, and on our final day we ended like we started, with the Magic Kingdom. Animal Kingdom was the only park at which we only spent one day, but we chose to spend the day there with the extra magic hours (available to resort guests), so we got to stay at the park an additional 3 hours after it closed (5p-8p).

I  had planned to make a scrapbook of all the photos, but due to the size of the project, I think I'll end up making a Blurb book, or DVD, and just extra individualized layouts, or 8x8 scrapbooks, for each of the kids (from their perspective, their favorites, etc.).

Try to plan a family vacation in your near future! It was the first time we had spent a entire week  away from home,  just for the pursuit of recreation! Kids grow up so fast, and those memories will be unique and special. Craig and I both expressed a desire to spend a week away every year (in addition to visiting familiy and weekend trips), even if it's just camping 20 miles away! Who can't afford that, right?

My Simple Stories

Okay, so here is the link to this new scrapbooking system by Memory Works.
http://simplestories.typepad.com/

I love it, and did I say I love the price??? I don't really get excited about something unless it's a good value! $16.99 for a kit that will organize an entire year's worth of memories is a great deal!

You can order directly from Memory Works (from link, find Memory Works logo on right side, and click on Memory Works Home), using my consultant # - MW638908. If you live in the Tri-Cities area I can show you the kit, or you can host a crop session for a live, hands-on demo (just think...it would only take one Saturday to document 2009!)

I wll be off-line for a  little while, but be sure to leave a comment if you'd like more info. I look forward to posting my Simple Stories completed months here on the blog. I hope it will inspire you to document YOUR memories in 2010.

Happy New Year, and may God bless you and yours in 2010!

A new, innovative way to simplify scrapbooking!

I joined the company Memory Works as a consultant about a year ago. It was affordable - a great deal for getting discount prices on my favorite brands of scrapbooking supplies. Memory Works has recently revealed their first, exclusively Memory Works, product line - Simple Stories. It is a super-affordable, simplified (and cute!) way to get your memories documented, and I can't wait to get my hands on it! Check it out, and let me know what you think.

Click on the link below for a video preview... more to come tomorrow!
Simple Stories, by Memory Works

Christmas 2004

These Christmas memories remind me that Christmas can be celebrated any time. My in-laws came for a visit between Thanksgiving and Christmas. We stayed at a mountain cabin for a few days. It was the funnest Christmas time! We played games, hiked, and just hung out. The kids loved their pretty ornament night-lights, games, and even flannel sheets that Grandma and Grandpa gave them.

This is just a quick collage I made with Picasa. I had to delete so many good photos just to get it to this point...but it's still too busy for me. Instead of chucking it, I'll just make additional scrap pages for each of the kid's albums. That way I can enlarge some of these  photos on each page. (These pages I made for the holiday album were created before Christmas. Pages I had planned, but didn't get to, will get created next holiday season... when I'm in the mood again.)

I'd love to hear about fun, non-traditional holiday memories you may have!

Moving Forward

I took this photo yesterday after I  packed it all up. I really do cherish Christmas. I know that, with young children, right now the season is as magical, and full, as it gets! As soon as I get the Thanksgiving dishes put away, I have always been eager to decorate and celebrate the Christmas season. Parodoxically, as soon as Christmas is over, I am just as eager to clean up and move forward! No, I don't pack it up with the same glee that accompanies decorating; but the anticipation of a minimalist, clean space motivates me to attack the job quickly! It's been since my kids were babies that I have left the tree and decor up until New Year's Day; and then I was enjoying mothering little ones to much to be too concerned (or maybe all the clutter that came with little ones made it difficult to see, or care about, the Christmas clutter!)

Regardless, I think the more I enjoy the season, the sooner I am ready to say goodbye to another Christmas. Was I busy? YES. Did I do everything I had planned? Absolutely NOT. Does it mattter? Not at all. I shopped, cooked, wrapped, cleaned and worked. I also reminisced, socialized, played (this year we even got to play in real snow!), reflected, prayed, created, and rested. It's ALL good.  This contemplation of celebrating, and living, to the fullest put me in mind of the following quote:

"We only live once, but once is enough if we do it right. Live your life with class, dignity, and style so that an exclamation, rather than a question mark signifies it!”  ~Gary Ryan Blair