Vaulting Etc.

I had a conversation yesterday and it reminded me that I've never really posted any vaulting things or any other horse stuff... kind of random, not instructional, its just stuff today.


Technique Equestrian Vaulting Club, Fire Team
Nationals 2012, Kentucky -- First major competition for Lex

(I have video I'll try to upload soon)


People ask me why I have such daredevil kids. My two pilot boys, who both paraglide, and my vaulting daughter. I'm not much of a daredevil myself, as a matter of fact, heights really freak me out. But, for some reason, I've ended up with kids that like to live on the adventurous side.

At least vaulting isn't as dangerous as eventing


It could still be a family thing. This is my sister's fall.

Angie's Spill at Ram Tap

 Yes, she and the horse lived through it, a little worse for wear, but alive.

Flyboys

My boys, my boys, and one little girl . . .

They may be off and living on their own, and some of this is just old memories coming up from the past, but I do love them. Think of them and wish I saw more of them.

My first flyboy is headed back out to work tonight after almost 6 months off work following an unfortunate back breaking accident. The accident, yes, from flying--not airline flying, (which is what he is finally headed back out to do) but a paragliding accident.



This one knew from the age of 2 he wanted to fly. I thought he might have forgotten during the elementary years, but then came Jr. High Career Day--
First career on his list: Get married (I know--how funny is that!)
Second thing on his list: Pilot.


The second flyboy, is still doing just fine, still working the Cloud9 shop and launching paragliders whenever the weather permits. He wasn't flying today -- or, well, unless you consider flying downhill (along with a few other tumbling incidents) as flying.



In Justin's defense, it was a heavy spring rain/snow day (you can see that the weather wasn't the best) and he really did do some great spins that I took as well, it's just this one keeps cracking me up. And, it was the first video I captured of the day. Great way to start.

(Lex is the one in purple. This is her first year of actual skiing and snowboarding.)

Yes, we like to have some good old family fun.

This is addicting...

I feel very grateful and humbled to have been selected as the Rusty Pickle Sketch winner again.

(Rusty Pickle Blog Sept. announcement) (click here to see the October ideas!!!)

I see the other talent out there and I feel so lucky to have been picked.

So, THANK YOU. This means a lot to me - especially this week.

..... I'm a little scatter-brained right now

Those of you that know me IRL, will know that my sister-in-law (my husband's only sister) died tragically yesterday. We are holding on, holding it in and trying to get through the next few days. For some reason we think that if we can keep it together long enough for the funeral to be taken care of, then maybe we'll be able to keep holding on afterwards. It's a tough situation and one that I would not wish on anyone.

I might add that this brings me to one of my main reasons to scrap - to hold onto memories, to capture the feelings and keep them close and visible. When my boys were teenagers I thought they would be the death of me. It was really tough, raising 2 incredible, but still very challenging boys along with a 2 year old. I tell ya, you get NO sleep between the Teen schedule and the Toddler schedule. Scrapping those feelings, frustrations and hopes was what saved me.

My main regret with Becky is that I don't have those memories for her. We seemed to have drifted apart, got busy with our lives and just taken a lot for granted. I thought we had years still. Now we don't. Now she's gone.

Sorry to go on and on. I guess I just want to say to everyone - hug your loved ones, call someone you've not talked to for a while, mend fences and if you like to scrap - well - keep the memories alive with your art.

More old pages finally finished...

Git'r Done

...my pre-expo motto! Can't have old projects laying around if I want to add to it all at the expo :)

I'm floored!

I think I should let contests inspire me more often!

Check this out:

http://rustypickle.typepad.com/picklelicious/2009/08/august-sketch-winner.html

 (a bigger photo than what I posted earlier...)

p.s. Rusty Pickle has LONG been a favorite paper line of mine, I know I'll drool over every last item they create - They just do it right ya know? I'm excited to be going to the Expo in another week, oops, that's probably 2 weeks from today - yikes, I'm ants-in-the-pants-itching to spend some creative time again and it's rather disappointing to realize it's still 2 weeks away :(

Rusty Pickle August Challenge

Time to get back to 'playing' - well, now that I've got time while Lex is in school -



- I always did feel the creative bug bite around the same time the kids started school each year!

Cleaning up...

Whatever do you do with OLD pages that you just never quite finished...

And when I say old, I'm talking at least 5 to 10 years since I started them. Hey, there weren't any such thing as rub-ons, bling or glitter paper back when I did some of these.

With the ever useful-can't-waste-a-single-thing attitude that I inherited from my Depression Era grandparents I've decided I need to match up some of those half-finished pages with photos that have been sitting oh-so-lonely-and-unappreciated in my files - and here they are:








Of COURSE I had to add a little to them, play with them and in general just spiff them up enough to pass the mustard. I don't think they'll make my 'Cream of the Crop' list, but hey, they are done, they are in albums and I've got a few less projects in my to-do stack.

..and one that I never quite liked and had to change up a bit...



Sheesh - this has made me want to create some NEW pages, something up-to-date-less-embarrassing-and-a-little-bit-more-hip!

8x8 Digi pages / Quotes

Just having some fun with the same digi elements from last weeks post...

p.s. My friend has the Book Binder tool from Provo Craft

You buy the book cover, it has a glue strip already in the spine.
You can buy pages or print your own - double sided
Insert pages in the book cover.

Heat up in the binder machine and you've got a 'Shutterfly' look alike book that you did really cheap!

- that's one of the reasons I've got all these 8x8 digi pages - they print, cut and bind beautifully.

Dad's Day

Just looking at ideas for Father's day when I came across some photos of Brian and Alexis at the Library.

Combined with a some digi work I'd just done - and tada! A quick little page.

It's probably not the photo I'll keep in this page, or I might just think on the page today and alter it, leaving the photo... In any case - here it is :)








...and one of Brian out hiking...






















...and one of him from Iraq




Got to love this guy - been married for almost 25 years and we're still going strong.



He really is one great husband and dad





p.s. These digi elements are from the Veronica Spriggs "In His World" Premier June kit - I LOVE all these kits from Linda Sattgast / http://scrappersguide.com/

Chipboard Family Album!

I'm rushing to post this in as few minutes as possible ;) break time goes FAST!

We had such major winds all day yesterday that it knocked out my Internet! I think my son's got it up and going again, but I'm not trusting to have Internet back for sure tonight and I'm just loving this little album I've been working on.

I used the Imaginesce line of papers that I used for my last layout. I love using up all my scraps! Nothing bad about being frugal, right?!


NEW PICTURES, and I just could not stop adding bits and embellies ;)





(alright, so I've not found the photo I'm REALLY going to use for this page... but at least I found pictures from the same session)


okay now, don't you just LOVE the 80's hair!


1988 to 2003 - Holy cow! But then it DID take 15 years to get our little Lex.


Then the TWO weddings in just over 2 weeks!


and now, even though we are scattered all around the world, we are still together.



I love that it's a whole mini book of family photos from each period of major change through the years of our marriage. Don't you think it's a great idea? I'm loving it!

It's funny, but even in the last hour since I took the photos, I have already gone through and added even MORE rubons - yes ALREADY I've changed things - just dates and more journaling though :)

The quote is "Life is a Series of Beautiful Moments that over time add up to Precious Memories"

_______________
p.s. There is journaling underneath the flip-up photos, I'm still a rather private journaler ;).

TFL!

I'm baaaack!

What a break - holy cow! From blogging, from scrapping, from creating.. well, from just about everything but work and Dr. visits.

Yes, I mentioned the ever dreaded Dr. visits. I do try so hard to not let my physical problems interfere with my life the way I want to live it. Lately, it's been unavoidable. I have a tally of how much time (for insurance purposes) I have spent in Dr.'s offices etc. over the last few years since my car accident, but I don't even want to begin to scroll down in that excel file to see the total. I refuse.

All I will say right now, before I upload my actual-for-goodness-it's-about-time-I-did-something-creative LO is that, yes; I'm scheduled for ankle surgery #3 and I am currently being urged to have a spinal fusion. I'm fence-sitting (and reading everything I can get my hands on about it) for a while.

Now, for suffering through the reading... here you have

Party Girl! Hugs & Kisses!

p.s. this LO is actually VERY sparkly, the background paper, the striped paper, the transparency, the bling hearts and all ;)

Blocking it...

Okay, this is me, keeping busy...

My Minds Eye Decorative Blocks Kits


The set I'm working on today...


~Weddings~











And the older stuff I did a while back...


(Family)


Family is Forever



Outdoor Leader


Creative


Visionary



Caring


Adorable


...and that's what I've been up to. Oh, crud, I can see some bubbles coming up! Argh, I'll be fixing that soon now ;)

I think I need a VACATION! LOL

Digging Out

Okay, I'm ready!

Time to dig myself out of my scrapping slump, get organized again and start CREATING!!

Time me...

I've just snapped the BEFORE photos (don't know if I'll have the courage to actually post them!)

oh, okay, I will...



I've got the music cranked

I've got the dinner cooking and almost ready to serve.

I'm just about ready to sequester myself for a good old cleaning session!

...stay posted

~and soon - cross your fingers - I'll finally have some new work to post :)
____________________

Update:

Although I have not finished the WHOLE room, I did do the hard part - cleaning up the closet :)



It's hard to snap a photo of the whole thing, but it IS straightened up and the countertop is once again available for cutting paper, doing diecuts and working on projects that are require tools, heat or paint.
______________________

Oh, and since you were all so patient - I'll post more of an idea I've been working on for a bit ... a mini clear album:

The cover


Inside pages