Just a MOMMA braggin'

We have had the best week and weekend. I have tons of photos and would like to post a few here. I am so proud of my son, Kaleb. He has graduated high school and we are simply swelling with pride.

So, let this MOMMA BRAG!

On a side note: It is really hard to focus one's camera while tears are welling up and falling! Oh, but they are tears of great and wondrous JOY!

Congratulations, My Son!

Well Done

We Remember...

We went downtown to the Veterans Memorial in our little city yesterday to lay flowers and a card of our loved ones who have served in a war and are no longer with us. We also gave thanks to those in our family who died serving and are serving. It was important for us to lay flowers and take a moment to reflect on ultimate sacrifices. As we were standing at the front of the memorial, our daughter started saying the Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag. We joined her and my heart swelled with great pride and to know that my daughter understood. It was a time of great reflection and great pride to be an American.

The official celebration of our county was on Saturday, but we just could not bear that there were no flowers set out on this special day.

What caught my heart in a split second is that I had not recited the Pledge of Allegiance in decades, or at least to what my memory can recall.

But this very day, I was reminded by a 6 year old, that our country deserves the respect of a poem that states we stand behind the colors that embodied so many of those that fight to defend and make a stand for her wave.

The War in Iraq and Afghanistan are currently being fought. There is not a stone memorial in place for these wars as of yet. I am sure they will soon be placed here. Our county has lost several men to these wars. But they are NOT forgotten by any means.

There are those that for whatever reason have never made it home. We will not forget about them either. I am in awe of our country and her men and women that put our FREEDOMS first.

For without them, we could not salute a flag or voice our opinions without the very fibers that embody the spirit of Sacrificial Freedom and a Flag that Waves as a REMINDER...they are never forgotten.

Lest We Never Forget...

Those whom have fought and sacrificed for the United States of America.

Lest we NEVER forget!

I have not scrapped this week, GASP!

We have had a pretty busy week with year end school fun amidst the selling of our house. So, this morning I wanted to scrap some older photos and ran across a few that make me smile and thought I would share them today. I answered a question this morning on one of my favorite scrappy boards about whether I am a country girl or city girl. That is really tough to answer for me. All of my artsy side says that I am a city girl. The theatre, museums, and culture that my city of Atlanta has is enormous. We have many historical sites and great shopping but then I looked at where I have historically lived in place of a larger city. And I would have to say it is the country. But I believe I enjoy the option of not driving too far to a larger city to absorb the culture that it has to give. So, maybe I am a "fence" rider. Not really sure. One thing for sure. I will miss the events and culture that my city of Atlanta has for the world to enjoy.

My son Stephen, shown with both thumbs up and sunglasses on is completing his 3rd year in college and playing baseball for Oglethorpe University. He is definitely a city boy with country strings attached. He is moving into his own apartment and thinking about his future. It seems he will seek his Master's before entering the real world for good. He is the president of his fraternity and and has that "good ole' boy" charm for the ladies. We do not see much of him but we love him just the same. We are very proud of his accomplishments. He does not like for me to scrap him for my books. But when I do, I just scrap them and place them in the book and one day he will appreciate them I am certain. We hear from Zachary at Fort Hood throughout the week and he is embarking on his new duty station of Fort Carson, Colorado. He should be there by July 26th of this summer. I think he will enjoy Colorado as they have activities that Zachary truly loves. He is a "country" boy for sure. He loves a smaller town and the pace of a smaller town. Although, he will travel for weekend fun of the city. Not for museums mind you, but for sporting events and concerts. His future is the impending tour of Afghanistan in 2010.

My son Kaleb is definitely a "country" boy. But he prefers the Northeast Georgia Mountains. He is an avid outdoors man and trout fishing and hunting are his hobbies. He graduates in about 12 days from high school and his truck is something he is always working on. He loves mechanics, welding, and old rock and roll. He enjoys gardening and works a job to keep fuel and insurance for his truck. He is not sure what his future has in store and has been toying with the idea of enlisting with one of our Armed Forces. So, I think he will soon make a decision to either enter into a trade school or protect our country while being educated in something he enjoys such as mechanics. He truly is "over" the school thing right now.

Our "other" Zac is the enigma of our family. He is extremely smart and does very well in school. He enjoys his electric guitar and pretty much stays to himself. I really am not sure if he is a country boy or city boy. He keeps his curly hair very long in which we have pleaded for him to cut. We often refer to him as Rob Zombie. He is not into my scrapbooking pages much either. But when I scrap him I show them to him and then he likes them. But he is really camera shy. He is 17.5 and is currently picking and choosing universities he would like to attend when he graduates from high school next year. He has a great passion for music and enjoys the computer. He loves comedy and is very laid back. He does not get in a rush or feel urgent about anything. Like I said, he is our enigma. We are not sure if he is a "country" boy or a city boy. I would venture he will be city when he is finally on his own. He is into the Goth thing...maybe this is a phase? Time tells all stories. People often ask me about my boys and here they are. We are blended, yes this is true. Stephen and Lil' Zac are my step-sons and I love them just the same as I love Zachary and Kaleb. We have all been together for almost 11 years and I have watched them grow from silly boys to wonderful young men. They are all different in so many ways and yet the same. They are all going their separate ways in life as it should be. I wish them all the greatest success that this life has to bring. So, with this said, are you a COUNTRY person or a City person?

Today's Forecast...

HOT and Humid. Did I say, sticky already? Hard to believe only 2 weeks left of school. We will have one son graduating high school. One son beginning his senior year of college next year. One son moving to Colorado to train for Afghanistan and we are moving. Wow, this year has changes written all over it. So, what am I doing today. Reminiscing of course in my world of scrap. I love our memories and creating with them as well.
Here is one of my latest creations.

I hope you are having a terrific weekend.

The one about Mike & May...

I plan on scrapping today! Yipeeeeeeeee. But wanted to post another layout I completed using Bo Bunny and Hambly Screen Prints. I created this layout with a picture of my cousin and his wife the day we went to visit Dahlonega for a few hours. I hope everyone is having a great week and we are trying to stay dry!

On a good note, the lake is not far from "full pool." That is very exciting indeed.

Raining Cats and Dogs...

It's dark outside and the rain is pouring. Thunderstorms are to be all day. So, what a perfect day to do some scrapping. Well, I managed to complete some Artist Trading Cards for a swap I am participating in at Art Freckles and I just fell in love with the 'Bo Beep' stamp from Studio Calico. I simply adore her and she was fun to work with.

I am sure to stamp many images of Bo Beep in the future.

Without further ado, here they are! Stay dry and have a terrific hump day.

Oh! Then there is more...

Did you really think I was done with all that yummy paper from the May "Fly Away Home" Kit from Art Freckles? No, way! So without further ado, here are some cards I created with scraps!

I have to admit, I totally dig this entire line from Chatterbox, Inc.

My favorite is the embellishment kit. It had chipboard die cuts, cork die cuts, and transparencies. The colors are inviting and go with just about any theme. So, I am thinking you need to go grab up some Chatterbox and create some fun and preserve a memory!

Daunting tasks and a few layouts...

The daunting task of keeping our home pristine is a "monkey on my back." I was stressed when the realtor called us yesterday that someone wanted to look at our house within the hour or so. Well, my dear husband got a first hand look and "hands on" experience of just a "little" about what I do here in the house. He said, now I understand. I will definitely help in keeping things "picked up" and wiped down. I am happy he got to experience a "little" of my world. So, we got in the car and fueled up for the week and drove around a little while our house was under investigation for sale by possible owners. I must say, this process is daunting for sure. On the other hand, I did scrap a layout yesterday and enjoyed catching up on my DVR time.

Below is one of my new favorite layouts I will cherish for years to come.

Art Freckles~Layout Reveal for May

Well, I sure hope everyone enjoyed National Scrapbooking Day. I did not get much done as I was too busy blog hopping. There was so much to read and learn.
I enjoyed my time on the computer though. With this said, I have already revealed one of my layouts with the Art Freckles May Kit "Fly Away Home." Here are a few more.