Look who is turning {5}

I have been honored to have been a part of JessicaSprague.com for the last couple of years and design for them and I can hardly believe they are turning 5! They have planned a HUGE party to celebrate!!! You will NOT WANT TO MISS THIS...each day brings something new...something FUN!!! ...you can find out more information by clicking {HERE}.

{LOVE} this...

...time to go reach some goals...

...6 months...and I wish I could stop counting...

...they say time heals all wounds...it doesn't feel like this wound will ever heal...and how we have survived the last 6 months is beyond me...I miss my dad more and more every day...this large family portrait hangs in my house and I look at it {every} single day. My dad looks so happy and healthy here...but this portrait marks the beginning of his journey with Glioblastoma.

We decided to hang this photo right in the center of our home...just as you go up our stairs...it would be the best place to see it...coming and going. It looks rather small on this emormous wall but it's quite large (a 23x31 canvas print framed) ...eventually the plan is to have this wall entirely framed with family memories.

I don't look at the last picture I have of my dad very often...but I do every once in awhile...I would much rather remember him this way...but I know that all of my memories of him are an important part of his journey...

...I know that he is with us still and he is watching over us and keeping us safe...cheering us on...yelling at us...and doing all those things that he did while he was still physically here...he continues to be proud and loves us...I know that we all continue to look up to him, love him and make him proud as well. He molded us into the people we've grown up to be and we will continue to honor him until the day we die.

Here are some photos of us starting Memorial Day this year...

The kids are getting ready to put out my dad's flag...

...the flag is raised and I know my dad is happy that we got it up just for him!

Standing at my dad's flag at the cemetery on Memorial Day...Mona and I are both wear our dad's hats. The girls are all wearing hat's just like papas...we are all forcing our smiles...be we are all very honored to be there...with dad in spirit.

 Here's a digital LO I made recently...

Items Used {HERE}

...my HERO...our HERO...gone but not forgotten...

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..PLUS...I know it's something you've always wanted to learn... BONUS!!! 5 days...5 projects...you won't want to miss this!!! Photoshop Top 5 with Jessica Sprague...class begins June 18-23...this will be 1 awesome class you won't want to miss!

 

 

 

May Assignments

...WOW did this month FLY BY!!! Less and less time to do fun things like create scrapbook pages and take pictures...but I did manage to complete my May assignments for JessicaSprague.com right on time...with summer right around the corner my to-do list is growing and I'm really looking forward to crossing some things off of it! Here are my May LOs...this first one I pulled out some Fall Football photos of Ben...one of my favorite things to do is watch my kids play their sports! I doubt that will ever change...I am their Number One Fan!!!

{Items Used HERE}

...for LO #2...Me and my kiddos...Mother's Day this year...I thought Ben would be taller than me by the end of 6th grade...not quite...ALMOST...but that's why I wear 2 inch heels nearly everyday! ...and I have hope that someday...Mason will grow...or maybe Camryn will stop growing...would you ever guess that those two are only 17 months apart!

{Items Used HERE}

...and this one is a tie for my FAVORITE for the month! Camryn and I drove to SPOKANE...ran 3.5 miles and drove back in 6 and a half hours...we were home by noon and in time for Ben's baseball game. I almost fell asleep there...and coming back...but we made it...not to mention running with kidney stones...who would of known surgery was just days away!!!

{Items Used HERE}

...this one is a favorite too...months ago we won a contest...with this photo...and because of this iPhone photo and all of my amazing friends...and even people I didn't even know...my family got to have {PROFESSIONAL} photos taken by the most amazing photographer I have ever seen...and now met...I will share as soon as we get them!

...so before we headed out of town to take our photos we decided to take one last iPhone family photo...we tried and tried to get all our faces in the screen...but still we just really couldn't make them all fit...but no worries...because once we arrived on site...I know that she captured some amazing photos of my family...I am so anxious to see them...

{Items Used HERE}

...hope everyone had an amazing Memorial Day weekend...I will share photos soon...but I really must STOP procrastinating and get going on my report cards...be back soon!

...I really dislike the hospital...

...but like it or not I have had to visit the ER twice now in the last 2 weeks and even had surgery...no longer can I say I haven't ever had a surgery... ...the worst was the amount of pain I was in...the  feeling of IV drugs being administered and having no control over my body...the best was having the pain GONE in a matter of seconds! ...I didn't like having to quickly throw together sub plans, especially since I was on like...5 different IV drugs and I really hope the sub could understand what I typed up for her...but at least the surgery was on Friday and I will be back to school on Monday... This morning I woke and I felt great...but it didn't take long before I didn't feel GREAT anymore...thank goodness for hydrocodone!!! I caved in and took it around noon...and started feeling much better :)

...bruising is very typically when I receive an IV...the other arm is bruised from the day before...in the meantime I will just sit back and wait for pathology to come back with results for the cause...and hope recovery is quick so I can get back to running...and just my everyday {stuff}.

3 weeks down...

...6 weeks to go...yes I know that's a count down...everyone is counting down till the last day of school at my house...school is going well for me...I come home tired every night...but really that's no different than before I was teaching everyday...I do miss not being able to get up and run every morning...now I need to fit it in late in the evening...which makes me that much more EXHAUSTED...I miss not being able to scrapbook and make cards...and sew...and I miss not being able to be there for MY own kids when they need me...but this weekend I was able to get a couple of digital LOs done...and since I didn't have a lot of extra time...with Camryn's TWO soccer games...and both of the boys' baseball games...Jessica Sprague's digital templates were the way to go!!! It felt really good to make some pages...

...yes...that is Hope Solo...Camryn and I got to meet her a few weeks back...She was really nice to Camryn and chatted with her about playing soccer...Camryn loved getting the chance to meet her and I was really proud of Camryn for not being shy and opening up and talking to her! Thanks for taking a peek ;)

...the now...

...six years ago I gave up my teaching contract...it was a very sad day...I knew that one day I would return to the classroom...but for several years as each new school started I would be sad that I wasn't starting too...well today as our kiddos are returning to their classrooms from Spring Break...it will also be my first day back to teaching FULL TIME...I am excited!!! For the last few months I have been spending time with these first graders...they are so sweet...I look forward to finishing the school year with them.

...still snapping away...

...in January I challenged myself to take a picture a day...and so far I've been able to keep up...I'm documenting those pictures by making a calendar LO each month...here's the month of March...


{Materials Used HERE}

...the BEST and WORST for this month:

Let's start with the BEST: the kids' sports are back in full swing...I love watching them play!
...and the WORST...Mason having to get 5 stitches!!!

...drug out the paper...

...and stickers and look what I made...placed them both on vases of flowers and gave them away...I love giving away flowers to people...it makes me {happy} and it makes them {happy} too!

...for this one I printed some digital papers from JessicaSprague.com


{See Materials Used HERE}

...for this one I pulled out my favorite Bunny Stamp from UNITY Stamp Co. and {GET WELL SOON} by SRM...and I used PP by MME.

Thanks for stopping by...