Mason turns {8}

This last weekend we celebrated Mason's 8th Birthday! When I look at this sweet face not only do I not see 8 years flash before my eyes...

I also see what an amazing, strong little man he is! I knew this question would be coming sooner or later...and last week Mason finally asked me..."Mom, why am I so small?" ...we were out in public when he asked so I was not only a bit shocked...but I needed to make sure I could hold all my emotions together. I just looked down at him and his sweet face and said the first thing that came to mind..."well Mason, because I was!" ...he just looked at me with a strange look on his face...and for those that know me...I may not be so small now but I used to be...lol...Camryn who is only 9, she is basically the size I was when I was Ben's age and Ben is the size I am now...he's only 12...I'm not sure where those two are getting their size...ok back to Mason...I told him he was going to grow...I promise. He asked when? I said, "When you grow up to be big like Daddy." ...he then asked, "Well how big?" ...and I thought for a second...and I said very matter of factly... "...as big as Papa..." ...and he said, "...well how big was that?" I almost lost it at that point...it hasn't been that long...how can he have already forgotten? ...but I  just need to keep in mind that he's a child...it's been almost 8 months and my Dad was bedridden for almost a month before he died. ...and just like that our conversation was over. I held it together...Mason seemed content with the answers he got. It wasn't until later that I was by myself going over the conversation with him again in my mind that I did completely lost it...

...as Mason's B-day approached I found myself dreading it...for the same reason I dreaded Camryn's Birthday back in February...who was going to light the candles...that was and always has been my Dad's job!

Well it was time to light Mason's B-day candles and I was frantically looking everywhere for them...I couldn't find them anywhere! I think my Dad was just trying to help me get through this...once again..to "not sweat the small stuff" ...we never found any candles, but we did find a left over sparkler from the 4th of July! ...and we were able to sing Happy Birthday to Mason!

... it kinda looks like Mason thought it might explode! lol ...actually it was just windy! Mason had a great Birthday...he got exactly what he wanted and hasn't stopped playing with it!

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...here are my July LOs for JessicaSprague.com

...and if you are still on the fence about trying digital scrapbooking...you should really giving it a try...THERE'S NO MESS...and you are still able to document all your family events and unforgetable moments. The best part for me is the NO MESS!!! This first LO is one of {my family} one of many professional photos taken recently by an amazing photographer! We all loved our time with her...

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 ...this next one is of our super cute friend Ashlynn...who recently lost her front teeth!

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...as the first day of school is quickly approaching...I pulled Mason's 1st day of School picture from the 1st grade and made this LO...it's so hard to believe he is about to enter 3rd grade! (funny thing is...he doesn't look much different).

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 ...this summer we've done SO much soccer! 3 nights a week in fact...soccer camp for a week/3 hours and day...plus multiple tournaments...Camryn has played in tournaments in Pasco, Yakima, Portland, and we are getting ready to play in Spokane and then we are heading back to Portland...one more week of soccer and two more tournaments to go...and then we get a little break :)

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Thanks for stopping by...

...this could be a new favorite!

...well here's the first of many new LOs of the recent family photos we had taken...

Sunny did a fantastic job on all of our photos!

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I can't wait to do more...

...another Father's Day...

...we did a little celebrating all weekend...had lunch with Stuart's brothers on Saturday afternoon before one of them headed back out of state again...it was so good to have everyone together again...even if it was just for a little while...

...and on Sunday we missed our Dad's :'( ...it was a tough day...we started the day by visiting the cemetery...I made our dad's each one of these because I know how much they both LOVED golf and honestly I just could not make them something...

...ended the day standing on the golf course...I took this picture of Rattlesnake Mountain...looking at the sun as it was starting to go down...seeing exactly what my Dad would be seeing if he would have been on the golf course at that exact moment...the desert to my left and his favorite hole to my right...some moments of that awkward laughing...and again memories I will always cherish...I really HATE all these firsts...the first Father's Day without him...all I hoped for is he was standing beside us today...guiding us...and helping us get through the day...

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.( John 14:27)

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The kids and I got Stuart some new OAKLEY's for Father's Day...he really needed some new sunglasses...Stuart really liked them...and was quite surprised!  Here's a digital LO I made today with a picture of Stuart and the kids taken yesterday...

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I also made Stuart one of these too for his office...

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I hope everyone had a nice Father's Day too!

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...

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

***FREE CLASS***

..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!!!

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...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!

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...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!!!

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...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...

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...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}.