Caught Up in the Holiday Rush!

Ryan came home from U of A on the 15th! We are all sooo excited!

Here are 45 (Self-realization), 48 (Ideas), 49 (Time Flies), and 50 ( Best Gift).

Working and playing daily on "Journal My Christmas", will post pictures at some point soon...I hope!

Went walking 3 times last week and loved the Alaskan scenery each and every time!

Happy Holidays!

#47 YOUR HAPPY PLACE

MY Happy Place is anywhere there is water! Get me near a pool, a beach, a lake, hot-tub, ok , so you get the picture, and then there is a great chance that I am happy! I was raised on Mullett Lake and surrounded by all the Great Lakes. 2 of my kids were born with the Cheboygan River in view, my youngest was born within spitting distance of the Mississippi River. All of my kids and my mom are A1 swimmers. When we go on vacation, please be sure it includes a beach, a lake, or at least a pool. I love to swim, shower, listen to the rain, and smell the sea. I love water! This card is layers of ripped blue and green papers, with blue, green, and white watercolor crayons and blue ice twinkle H2O.

#43, #44, and #46

Playing catch up again!

43---SCAREY

44--- Home (as a child I thought the perfect home would be full of cats and love!)

46---10 ways I rejuve!

Still working on 45 which is "self-realization"? Don't really know what that means to me.

Spent a great weekend in Fairbanks, Alaska, and it was just a wee bit chilly! Mike, the girls, and I went up to watch some of the "Top of the North" college basketball tournie.

Kelli and I found some Spartans, but they were from North Carolina not Michigan!

Fun watching college basketball up close and the the stadium food was fabulous! Ate apples with caramel, sourdough bread bowls full of clam chowder, and fudge from the Fudge Pot! Yummy!

# 41

This prompt was "Where would you ride your magic carpet to?" or something like that. I was more excited about my idea to make a mini folder in a matchbox then the actual prompt. If you know me at all you would know that I would go anywhere, anytime!!! Soooo, I covered the matchbox and found a tag of matching paper and then tried to find pictures (of Pictish symbols) to put on the mini. I included pictures from Aberlemno, Edinburgh, Meigle, Dunning Cross, and Brandsbutt. It is my own wee treasure box of prevous magic carpet rides!

Number 40

This is challenge # 40 for emily falconbridge's art journal "Deck of Me". This is such an amazing worldwide art connection. I am thrilled to be part of it!

Please check it out... http://www.embers.typepad.com/

# 39

After much deliberation, chose Debbie to be my SPECH! Sorry it is a terrible picture! Journaling reads "YOU be my spech, Debbie! Just by being yourself, you give so much! So glad I know ya!"

#37 and #38

During all of the unpacking, rearranging, cleaning, organizing, and nail breaking, I just am so thankful that *e*'s Deck of Me pulled me away to do paper therapy! Just had to take a break to play!
Here are #37---DRAW something! I have never liked drawing, but I took a painting class 2 years ago at Balmoral and my wonderful instructor said, "You have to draw, and I will help you!" And she did! And now I love it! This is not much of a card, but it was a fun one! I drew the Pirate Parrot on page 42 of Ed Emberly's Purple Drawing Book.

#38--- I wonder...what Heaven is like. I blobbed paint dots on one card and then squished other cards on to it and pulled them off already decorated! Then stamped the acetate and put alittle silver paint around the edge and then attached it to the card with silver eyelets. Might add ribbon later.

#27 and #36

Really enjoyed doing these two prompts.

#27 Ali's prompt of *using junk mail* not much junk mail, but a lot of scraps , leftovers and bits of newspaper. Started weaving and then sewing, painting, stamping and so on. It was a blast!

#36 Loved all of e's wee pics and found an index sheet of my own. Her prompt was *life is beautiful*. I don't like that the ribbon covers the "life is", but you can still see the "enjoy it"!

#16 & #35

#35 Strength---I was brain dead and so asked my girls what they thought. Chelsi said "GOD" and good ol' "Arnold S.". Kelli replied with "power" and her brother, "Ryan". I came up with the "inner" strength part. Played with this for awhile & wasn't happy with it, but then remembered this sheet of acetate and added it. Now, I like it better.

#16 others contribute--- This took about 5 months to finish. Bonnie and Anna started it in Scotland at a Scrap&Flap and then Kelli and Chelsi finished it last night!

Still have to do Ali's and the goal of the week.

#34

Funny!

Giggles!

Recently saw "...Chuck and Larry" and I thought it was hilarious! I love getting the giggles and usually it is with my mom or my girls. And usually it is when we are supposed to be quiet like in church. I love reading a book that makes you laugh out loud. Janet and her "tee-hee" in her emails. Calvin and Hobbs was always good for a laugh too! And doesn't this cute llama just make you LOL? There is also a funny bus stop story about Ryan announcing he was a psycopath. That had the whole neighborhood laughing for over a week!

#32

Quiet...*mist is quiet*... Aberdeen Beach stamped with Aberlemno Seahorses.

#29

If I could define perfection...hmmm...it would be in nature, a plant, a flower, a rose. And this one is from my front garden!

#30

Just trying to count all of my many, many blessings!

#25

Hey! How can Smokey the Bear not be important to me?
#25 Actually all of those faces in this picture mean something to me. I wish I could help them with the wear and tear of life. My 3 beautiful children...where have they been and where are they going?

#31 & #33

#31---No Regrets about the time I put into Scrapping! I love it! So GOOD for the SOUL!

#33---10 Minutes---What a great prompt!

And only 7 more to go!

23,24,&26

.23. Right Now! I am at U of A and learning to be a Wildcat Mom!(8/8/07)
.24. Remember When? Bumpy, Ryan and I had dinner at P.F. Chang's
.26. Daughters *Chelsi and Kelli Sue*

20, 21, & 22

Three more...

*20*---Change---it seems like lately that is all my life is about. Summer,07

*21*---A redeeming quality---I make great friends! Ya-hoo!

*22*---Learn more about---My New Home***ALASKA

*17*, *18*, & *19*

Here they are...

17-BedRoom-Usually Blue...a place to read, sleep, laugh, cry, and pray.

18- Nature- that is a spider web on the clothes line in my backyard in Milltimber.

19-Surprise- Actually what a prize Elizabeth has turned out to be. Picture at the Aberdeen Beach.

Ryan is 18!

My baby boy turned 18 yesterday!

I can't believe that I got this far behind! Here are #'s 13, 14 &15 for emily falconbridge's challenge art journal! #16 is still being worked on by others.

13--What is on your mind? Knitting is on my mind as therapy for the other things that are actually on my mind!

14--birds I love my pictish birds!

15--parents Thank God for my wonderful wonderful parents!

In the last 4 weeks I have been back to Texas to see Chels, taken my first walk around Dunnottar(thanks Bonnie, Matt, and Cameron), toured Marischal Museum with Elizabeth, and about a million other things to get ready for Ryan's graduation, the end of the school year, and *THE MOVE*!

#12 and away we go!

Here is #12 from emily falconbridge's art journal challenge! Whew!!!!! 12 weeks of continuous creativity! Amazing!

Leaving for Glasgow today---our boy's senior team is in the Scottish Cup Finals!

GO BISON!