Here's Jaycee

Just a quick digital layout I did with one of my favorite pics of Miah holding Jaycee.

She's so sweet and little and wonderful and sweet and cuddly and wonderful and sweet and special. (I think you get the idea.)

Now We're Rockin' Digi Class

Due to a short (6-wk) trip out of the rain and cold of Oregon, my digi class that Miah and Wendy gave me for Christmas kinda got waylay-ed for awhile, but today I finally finished Lesson 1.

Here's the finished project that I started back in January...

See my January 6 blog entry for more details (if you are REALLY all that interested!). Okay, I just looked at that blog entry and I didn't give you any details. The pictures I worked with were ones that Chad and Melissa took on their honeymoon to Florida. Those are Melissa's sweet hands holding the frog in the main pic. I turned the photo sephia, leaving the frog in it's original colors. I'm really pleased with how this turned out.

Now, on to lesson 2.

Happy Birthday Jeremiah

On this day, 32 years ago, a child was born.

February 18, 1979

A very special child. And through the years I watched him grow

1981

At the State Fair in Salem, OR 

Christmas 1981

First Grade, such a handsome boy

In 1998 at his Grandpa's wedding

In 1984 he became a big brother and the two of them grew together, sharing experiences and life as only a brother and sister can

February 18, 2006 Celebrating his birthday at Chevy's with his sister Melissa

And then he became an uncle, showing a new generation how to have fun, how to love and how to be a good man.

Uncle Miah and Aiden Ross

And now he is a man, all grown up and with a family of his own.

Happy Birthday to my wonderful son

Happy Birthday Jeremiah!

Seems there's always Work to be done

I know you think all we do while we're in Arizona is play, but that's not the truth. Since we have our own house there's all the usual chores in order to maintain it. In fact, we probably work harder there that we do here. All day long, all we do is work, work, work....

January 2009 - Dom putting in a new light on the back patio

Doing yardwork, got to keep that gravel raked you know!

Cooking dinner

Oops, how did that get in here? All we do is work in Arizona!

February 18, 2010, tearing the wallpaper off the walls in the bathroom

See, we're really not on vacation...work, work, work....

Transportation

Have you ever wondered how us "old" people get around while living in a retirement community like Sun City West???  Let me show you.....

February 27, 2008---Glen Morrill in the parking lot at one of the golf courses

February 5, 2009 - Dom getting ready to board the old mining train in the Superstition Mountains 

Bet you thought you'd only see pictures of golf carts, huh?  Fooled you! Just so you're not too disappointed, here's a couple more golf carts.

January 20, 2010 - Mark and Dom pulling into the garage at our house (or pulling out of the garage, can't really tell---does it really matter?).

And the owner of this golf cart really knows how to travel in style...

January 26, 2010, Mark just HAD to get a picture taken with this lil' beauty

That's all for now folks!

PS: I want to wish Matt and Bonnie a very Happy Anniversary!!!

Happy Hour

One of the things we enjoy in Arizona is "Happy Hour" with our friends Barb & Glen and their neighbors Dewey & Mary. Can't believe we are sitting outside enjoying beverages and conversation in January, February and March.

February 29, 2008, Happy Hour on Dewey & Mary's back patio

January 25, 2010 at Barb & Glen's house. Mark and Donnie flew down to spend the week with us.

January 30, 2009, Happy Hour at Barb & Glen's.

Cheers!

Views

Another Picture post for today.

January 28, 2010...Double rainbow seen from our backyard in Sun City West

The moon rising behind the palm trees January 29, 2010

February 28, 2010 - This is not the kind of weather we expected in Arizona, a hailstorm  covered our back patio...no golfing for Dom on this day

A beautiful cactus bloom in our backyard

One of the many beautiful golf courses in Sun City West

Flight

January 7, 2009 View from my window

February 26, 2008...Phoenix Airport, waiting for Barb to pick us up. She always manages to get just a little lost on her way to the airport, but we appreciate the ride so much we don't mind waiting in the warm Arizona sunshine.

January 12, 2010...Waiting at PDX to leave all this rain behind us. Arizona, here we come!

I just noticed that it looks like Dom always carries a purse in the airport! Actually, I must confess, it's my purse. It just seems to always get in the picture when I stand up to take a picture of Dom. As you can tell by Dom's face in this pic, he's once again saying, "and the camera!"

Baby's First Year Calendar

Saw this calendar idea and thought it would make a wonderful calendar for Baby's First Year. How fun would it be to have a daily tracking of all those "little moments" that you forget over time. Also with all the work a new baby takes, who has time to get out the "official" baby's album and make sure you make a nice entry for all those "firsts" that seem to happen daily. So much easier to jot down 1 or 2 things each day on this handy little calendar. Decided I would make one of these to give to Wendy at her baby shower today. Here's what I came up with:

Baby's First Year Perpetual Calendar for Wendy and Miah

On the inside of the card I wrote the instructions/suggestions for using the calendar. After they make their notes for the day, that card is moved to the back of the basket and they are all ready for the next day. I made cards for everyday through the baby's first birthday (okay, don't really know when the baby is going to be born for sure, so I made cards through the end of February 2012). I thought they might like to start making notes now about the last few weeks before the baby is born, so I started the calendar with today's date.

Last night Miah told me a cute little story about how the baby seems to like to have her head rubbed through mommy's tummy and when Miah stops rubbing her head she throws a little fit, kicking and hitting until he starts rubbing it again. That would be a sweet thing to write down on one of these date cards now so it can be remembered forever.

Hope they like and use this little gift. Here's what I wrote inside the little card:

A quick and easy way to document all those little things you wish you had made a note of during Baby’s first year. Some examples:

1^st day home from hospital

Cried all nite, slept all day

Daddy’s 1^st poopy diaper

Went to Grandma’s house to visit

Big brother dropped baby, she bounced

Went to Grandma’s house to visit

1^st Smile

Love you so much, so glad you are ours

You get the idea; it’ll just take a moment out of your busy day. Get in the habit of just writing down a quick note every day of what baby did (or have daddy do it sometimes). 

When you have time to fill out baby’s “official” baby book you will have a record of all these little moments to make that task so much easier.

After baby’s first birthday I will make you an album of all these little notes so you will have a record of every day of baby’s first year. I will include pictures into the album, so save any special ones you want included in a special folder on the computer and I will print them when I make the album.

Thanks to Design*Sponge for the great idea.

Today

Just a little hello. Too busy to post much else.

Sun setting behind cactus
Photo taken in 2008

Once again, Blog, then Don't Blog

Again, when I tell myself I'm going to start blogging on a regular basis, I have to go without a computer again for awhile. This time I'm really hoping to get back to my blog in February. Since I will have a new granddaughter by then, I will have lots to blog about. Another thing that will have to go on hold is my class at JessicaSprague.com. I haven't completed the first lesson yet and will most likely start over. Here's what my layout looks like so far, probably won't get it done before we leave

The one thing I really don't like about our winter adventures is having to go without a computer. Seems every year I get really involved in something, like a class (which I have several that I've been participating in besides just this one) and then we leave. When we return it is hard to get caught up on everything. This class is one that I've really been looking forward to. Fortunately it is one that I can pick up again right where I left off.

Well, got to go, lots to do in the next few days as we prepare for our next adventure. Will enjoy the sunshine, that's for sure.

Take care and I will be back in a few....

Now I'm Rockin'

Just started my new class at JessicaSprague.com (thank you Miah and Wendy!). Here's my first task in Lesson 1. Used a photo that Chad took while Melissa and he were in Florida on their honeymoon in 2009. So excited to be taking another class from Jessica. In the first lesson I changed the original photo to sepia tones and then changed the frog back to full color. Looks pretty neat, don't ya think? This was the perfect picture to use this technique on. This is how the picture originally looked.

Tara and Andrew stopped by last night to visit and Tara told me she has also signed up for one of Jessica's classes. It's not the same one I'm taking, but I know she will love it.

I've spent some time over the last couple days preparing my MMEL binder. I will have to post more about that later, but for now...back to my lesson.