...I can't get started to early...or can I?

...sometimes have assignments forces us to get stuff done early! My Christmas Card is complete...and it's only September...gotta ♥ that! Brand NEW digital Echo Park {Happy Holidays} **coming soon**  to JessicaSprague.com 

 

Photo By Sunny Wright Photography

 

...and I even bought two Christmas presents today! ...wish I could say I was on a roll...but I really feel like I am WAY BEHIND...an I will never get caught up...here's hoping I am WRONG!!!

WOW!!! It's been awhile since I have shared...

...and I do have stuff to share...just NO TIME to share it...since I have a few minutes this morning...I will go ahead and share these...I literally threw these together for the kid's teachers this year...just a quick little gift for them...to let them know that I am wishing them a great year...Camryn and Mason have great teacher's this year...and Ben's has a awesome Home Room and Science Teacher... (yes...I can say that she's my friend...love ya Maren!!!)

...I really hope the kids and their teachers have a great year!!! ...I also made my teaching partners a little something...a {Thank You} for all their help and support the first week of school...it really is so nice to be working with such amazing staff!

...I know I have made more cards that I haven't shared...but right now I can only find this one! I apologize for it being a bit blurry...

Have a great weekend! ...and I hope to share more stuff soon!

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!

Materials Used {HERE}

...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...

Materials Used {HERE}

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

Materials Used {HERE}

...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).

Materials Used {HERE}

 ...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 :)

Materials Used {HERE}

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!

Materials Used {HERE}

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...

Materials Used {HERE}

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

Materials Used {HERE}

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...

Items Used {HERE}

...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!