Nathan likes to take pictures with my camera -- here's a photo of --you guessed it -- the RAIN! I think it's a pretty cool photo!

We went from Underwear Boy to Cowboy drummer!!

"Look Mommy, no hands!!" those were his actual words! Owen doesn't like to go under the water. We're working on that. So he was pretty proud of himself, when he let go of the sides while on his knees. It's progress!

This week is VBS at our church, so we'll be pretty busy with that in the morning and the pool in the afternoon. So I probably won't be posting much, if at all, next week. Since I won't let Owen in the pool without my close supervision (I watch the other 2 from the back porch), I've been sitting down by the pool alot. I haven't had this great a tan in years!! When I usually sit outside with them (less often these days as they get older) I sit on the back porch under the sun umbrella. So being in the sun alot has been great! Did you know that our nation is sun-deprived?!! Did you know that the sunlight can prevent 17 different kinds of cancers?! The lack of sunshine can trigger deadly cancers, depression, bone loss, heart disease and more. In a nation riddled with depression, it's no wonder. We're taught that the sun is bad for us!! Many doctors are finding the research to show that since we’ve been avoiding the sun over the last 30 years, the death rate from skin cancer has risen 400%... want to know more? Click here.

We're going to my sister's house for the afternoon for a big picnic/barbecue, so I have to get going. I'll write more next week, hopefully.

blessings, joie

JULY 11th

Here are a few photos from the past week. On the side of our house are a few black raspberry bushes. The boys have had fun picking them a few times. I told them next time they pick them, they should wear a work glove on their left hand to move the prickly branches. So Owen disappeared in the house and returned wearing.... see next photo!

I was sitting down by the pool, with my camera, of course, and saw this brave robin. They're pretty nervey when we're outside. I saw from a distance that he was gathering worms, but I didn't see how many until I downloaded them on the computer. Isn't this
incredible?! There were some happy birds in a nest yesterday afternoon!

When the boys got out of the pool one afternoon, Owen wanted to stay in. He had so much fun playing alone. Here are two frisbees suctioned together by the water. He loved throwing it up in the air and letting it drop in the pool. I loved capturing the image! He spent time spinning the frisbees and just doing quiet things that he can't do with two 'dolphins' in the pool constantly splashing and making waves!!

For some reason, I could only download 4 photos at a time from Picasa to Blogger, so I'll post a couple times.

until next time,
blessings, joie

Here are the two pictures that I accidentally deleted from the last post. I love this picture of Jim playing on the trampoline with Owen.

Underwear boy playing on the drum practice kit! No, he's not sitting on the rocking horse's head. It's in the foreground. He's sitting on a drum stool! He's not bad for a 4-year old drummer! I'd love to have a real set, but we don't have the room! Oh well, someday.

blessings, joie

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

I can be SO dense! I just figured out a much easier way to get my photos to my blog. I was doing it the long way, which was taking SO long!

Check out this picture of a fireworks display that we saw last night -- yep, we watched fireworks on the FIFTH of July! We have a local park that has a summerfest every year. This year they tied it in the weekend of the 4th, so they had fireworks a couple/few days. Friends of ours invited us to watch the fireworks from their back porch. It was like a front row seat! And LOUD! Of course, the boys loved them. I'd like to say that this photo was a result of brilliant photography, but it's not! It was purely accidental! Love it!

This page is a tribute to my grandmother who has been gone since January 1996. At first I was just going to say "this is Grammy..." and have a little fun with it, but I got this idea from another scrapbooker. I thought it was much more touching this way. She never knew my boys, so this page will help them to see just a few of the things that I miss about my grandmother.

new pool

Owen loves to look things up in the dictionary -- things like "experiments". It's so cute to hear him describe the things he finds!

True Confession: Owen is almost 4, and up until yesterday naptime, he's had a binky (at sleept times only). After I told him that it looked goofy -- like his goofy (fake, bucked) teeth, he said, "Oh-kay, I'll thwow them away". I asked, "are you sure you're ready for that?" He said he was. We talked it up yesterday afternoon, and I prayed with him last night about it. At the last minute, he was NOT happy about it, nor two other times during the night. Old habits die hard, they say! We're far from through this. He was pretty grumpy about it at naptime today too! I know I should've taken it away sooner...

I had another picture to post, but I accidentally deleted it. I'll have to show it next time. Sorry everything is centered. I can't get it off in the screen I'm in. Off to make dinner. Jim's outside with the boys in our new pool!

blessings, joie

HE'S A HOOT!

I'm having so much fun jotting down the things Owen says -- that I think sound much older than he is (2 months + 1 week short of 4)

O: Mommy, when can I take my shower?

Before I could answer (we're going to my sister's house today for a birthday party)

O: I don't want to smell "offensive" to my cousins!


Did another page this morning! I found this list in my bedstand a couple weeks ago (never go through it, obviously), and I just knew I had to do a page about it.! This is my favorite picture of Owen as a newborn.

again, much brighter than the picture shows

blessings, joie

SCRAPBOOK SUPPLIES

One of the things I'd like to do for fellow scrapbookers is to list some of the supplies I use on my pages. If you look back at the last post, I've revised it, so that you can see where the page is. Hope this helps.

blessings, joie

TWO DAYS IN A ROW!

Here are the pages that I had to finish up with the journaling. Went to the airport this morning -- earlier than usual -- to see if we could get there during "rush hour". We still didn't see that many planes. I'm ready to give up! It's so disappointing. When the boys ask if we can leave, then I know it isn't too exciting! I bring along a magazine, so I don't mind sitting there for a while

Stopped at Michael's and picked up an American flag. We hadn't had a pole in a couple years, so we haven't displayed one on the front of the house. We had the flags, just no poles. We were the only house in 5 or 6 that didn't have a flag! Walmart had them for $24 -- too much for me! Michael's had them for $12.99, and I had a 50% off coupon! We're good to go! It's a good thing -- Owen just learned to say the Pledge of Allegiance. Actually, we've had one hanging on our livingroom wall for a couple years!

We're in the market for a pool WITH some kind of filter - just don't know where to put it. Our backyard is a parking lot, and down the hill it's only level in one spot -- THAT's where the trampoline is! I think Jim's picking up a 10 footer on his way home from work. It's a good thing. We'll figure something out. WE NEED MORE ROOM!

**Change of plans. I'm going to Big Lots right now, so I can't check my spelling and grammar!!
** UPDATE 6:20pm Friday -- we bought the 12' pool, plus a cover, skimmer/vacuum, and extra filters.

Enjoy the pages!

Isn't this vintage paper cool!
Forgot what it is; I bought it from someone on Ebay!
Patterned paper: Daisy D's; date numbers cut from Sizzlit Girls are Weird alphabet dies; stars cut from Cuttlebug die; "list" stamp: Inque Boutiqe; Metal "precious" label: Making Memories; pen: American Crafts.

Patterned paper: ?; letter & number typewriter stickers: Rebecca Sower Designs Nostalgiques by Sticko;
"NOTES" stamp: Fontwerks; stocking cut from Sizzix die using the inside of red
sweatpants material!; pen: American Crafts; various ribbon.
To make red scalloped edge, I used EK Success small corner rounder. You take off guide,
and carefully line up to make scallops (one at a time) It takes a while, but it's SO COOL!

My niece, Rebecca
Patterned paper: DCWV; "PLAY" metal letters: Making Memories Mailbox Alphabet;
grid stamp: Fontwerks, "ball" stickers: Provo Craft AlphaBiggies; font: downloaded from internet

My bad attitude little boy!
Patterned paper: DCWV; Cardstock: ?; "Attitude" letters made from red craft foam, cut from QuicKutz Blossom alphabet dies; black letters cut from Sizzix Sizzlits Girls Are Weird alphabet dies. Fonts: downloaded from internet

blessings, joie