Where have I been ??

Since last Saturday I have been lost in a haze of baseball.
If I don't write it down now I will forget.
Stick with me I am not a great writer.......it's a long post with no photo's !!

It's been crazy,coupled with all the usual stuff and getting ready for back to school.
I've drunk more take out coffee than I should and eaten so irregularly I've forgotten what a decent meal is at a decent time of day.
It was like groundhog day !
So 8 of the last 9 days have seen us in Lachine(a 90km round trip) 3 of those days beating rush hour traffic........4 of them freezing our butts off wondering if it really was August still!
The plus side was I was at least sitting each night with one of my bestest pals,Carine,so we could at least joke about it and have a fun time.
If you have no interest in baseball I'd just given up reading now !!

We lost a game last Sunday(7-6) so that meant to stay in we had to win every game because loose 2 and you're out.
We had most of our players give or take 1 or 2 every game.
Tuesday we win.
Wednesday we win.
Thursday we win.
Friday we win taking us to the finals.
Our opposition hasn't lost a game,so even if we beat them Saturday we have to play again Sunday to determine the winner.
This may be little league but there are rules regarding use of pitchers,number of innings,amount of rest,a pitcher can't catch in the same game,all that sort of stuff.
It's normally not a problem.
When you've played 4 nights in a row it is ! The up side to playing so much ball.......they were playing like a team should play.......and with each game they wanted to win even more.

So Saturday,lovely cold wet August day........everyone expected the game to be cancelled..........we played.
Us,the parents were wrapped in blankets under umbrella's......some were wearing winter hats and luckily one brought a huge flask of hot chocolate !!
We were winning,13-4 I think,when the game took a turn and all of a sudden it was 13-11 with 2 on base, 2 out..........when that ball was caught in the out field,the kids went berserk all running out and charging on W and so did we,jumping around in the stands,forgetting we'd sat there in the freezing rain for close to 3 hours.

Which brings us to yesterdays final.
The weather was better,slightly.
We had an almost full team.
Pitchers were good to go.
Play ball :)

Carine's son B pitched a 3 up 3 down first inning,just like that.We came on and scored 3.
Bottom of the 4th we are 5-1 up when they call a 10 minute rain delay.
It broke the momentum and before we knew it we were in the the bottom of the 6th 5-6 down.........1 run to stay in the game and play another inning.
J comes up to the plate.This kid can hit and can run like lightening.I don't remember what the count was but he hit that ball to the out field and made it all the way home.
6-6
7th inning...no scores
8th inning...no scores
9th inning...no scores
into extra innings........this is little league,we normally play 5 sometimes 6 innings !!
10th inning...no scores
11th inning....they score 2 runs.
We need 2 to stay in 3 to win.

Tense is not the word.
No one can sit down we are all pacing and shouting encouragement,well actually were were screaming encouragement,that would be more like it,I'm surprised any of us had voices left.
It all becomes a bit of a blur here.
We score 2 runs.
8-8
We are 1 out with bases loaded,Adam,is up to bat,it's the bottom of the order.

I will be the first to admit my son is no all star baseball player.He gets his sporting genes from me,unfortunately.
But,what he lacks in talent he makes up for in determination,effort and enthusiasm.
He strikes out a lot,more than he hits....but I know he can hit.
Last night that was to his advantage........they swapped the outfield positions.
All I can think is we just need one run.
I don't remember the count,Stuart was coaching first base and said something to him,I didn't hear what it was.
I don't know if it was Stuart's comment or channeled anger from being benched for 3 innings or both.
He hit the ball and you can tell from the sound what sort of hit it was.......that ball was going and it flew between two players and he gets a double,brings two players home.....not that it mattered,we only needed one.

All the kids piled out the dugout onto him and that's all I saw as all of us mums were jumping and hugging and going berserk too.......the end of an amazing,intense crazy 9 days !

Everyone gave it there all.
The kids were tired(we were tired!!)but they played like we've never seen them play.
Sure there were tears of frustration at times.
There was shouting and yelling !
They totally deserved the win.....they sure earned it.
B pitched 5 amazing innings,J pitched 6 amazing innings.
Everyone did what they had to do.
I am so proud of my son for doing what I know many people thought he couldn't.

One dad said to me right after,it couldn't of happened to a nicer kid......and he's right :)

Regional Champions..off to the Provincials we go !!

Woo! Hoo!

A layout

Here's one for the challenge this week on the American Crafts blog.
It was to use 2 Remarks stickers on a page.
I used a journaling tag and some of the mini letter stickers that I have used on virtually every page I made since I bought them.....I even ordered another pack because I knew these were going to be a must have !


American Crafts Supplies:
Paper: Craft fair (Elenore battington)
Backyard (drip)
Spring & Summer (Teapot)
Thickers: Cappuccino
Remarks Stickers: Journaling(coloured)
Letters(Hannah and Henry)
Chipboard: Numbers and Stars

Other supplies: Cardstock:Bazzill.....Scallop Punch:Stampin'Up!

10 Years....

.....today since we arrived in Canada.

I can not believe how fast the time has gone.....it seems like yesterday and yet so much has happened in those 10 years.

Wow ! Really,10 years !

I feel that might be worthy of a layout.

A layout for Friday

Yes,I was suppose to post this one yesterday but my battery went flat before I could take a picture and then I couldn't and still can't get photo shop to work...had to use Picasa.


This was originally for the American Craft challenge this week,hence all the AC product on the page.Looking at it here on the screen,I'm sure it needs something on the black near the letter stickers,I think I'll have to go and rummage and see what I can find !

So at last I found time in between all the other everyday stuff to scrap,I've really missed it and the pile of photo's I have waiting just keeps getting bigger ! Hopefully this week I'll find some more time.I have a clean and tidy space just waiting.

I can't believe that in 2 weeks today the kids will be back at school..........summer has flown by.

Lots to do this weekend,since it is our first one at home for nearly a month,including.........

• catching up on weeding(yawn !!)
• clearing out the garage
• stacking wood in the garage
• having family over (the boys are excited to see their cousins again)
• Strawberry daiquiri's(right Nic !! )
• an alfresco yummy dinner Saturday
• a long walk
• hopefully some time to sit and relax in the fabulous weather that has finally shown up !

Hopefully back next week with another page or 2.

Last weekend

We headed off to meet our friends at their cottage.
The weather was as hit and miss as it has been all summer.
Friday night when we arrived and sat out admiring the full moon over the lake it felt almost Fall like,there was that chill in the air.
The up side to that was it produced an amazing mist the next morning.

I haven't been into getting up very early this summer,which isn't like me at all.I need to rectify that starting next week,I always have to start something on a Monday !
So Stuart headed down to the lake,while I admired the mist from the cottage.
He took these pictures (should click bigger)within about a 10 minute period.


I'm annoyed with myself for not going down,it looks so beautiful and peaceful and annoyed with Stuart for not dragging my butt down there with him :)

Should be back tomorrow with a layout............yes,I actually scrapped...woo hoo !!

To blog or not to blog......

That is the question.

Right now I am enjoying just hanging out at home with the boys.
Taking it easy....still nursing a poorly shoulder....another reason to stay off this evil computer :)

I'm dying to scrap again........it's been so long.
I have a desire finally to make new slip covers for my much loved but sad looking sofa's.........I think I have at long last found the perfect fabric.I covered one of the sofas 5 years ago and I remember what a huge project with much swearing it was but it needs doing again and sooner rather than later.
In fact I have desire to generally spruce up my entire house,finish all the unfinished projects,shelves,photo's in frames,new cushions that sort of thing....the house needs a pre fall boost !

I'll leave with just a few photo's from our vacation.
The first day we went to watch the Blue Jays play the Red Sox.It doesn't look it from the photo but we had a great view,better than last year.
I was pleased as the roof was open...unlike last year.
The boys loved it,Ad cheered extra loud due to the fact we were seated in a mainly Red Sox area !!
Anyway,a great day was made even better by the fact we won...Go Jays !!

We spent some time at our friends cottage and lots of fishing was done.
Stuart's tackle box is just one big box of goodies to Ol!


It is the season of these.......

Of course I took a ton of photo's of them (again)
My boys were patient with me though and when I turned round one night from snapping away on a walk after dinner I saw this.......


...I think it's my favourite of the trip.

Back sometime :)

One for Friday.

Here to post a layout since it's friday and that's what i like to do on Fridays....


Made this one last month,super simple :)

Oh yes !!

It's Friday...I have had the busiest week ever :)
Yesterday was insane,I cannot believe so much was packed into one day.I have to say my boys were great because we had a lot to do and there wasn't a single moan,once.
They were so helpful too since I am not allowed to lift anything heavy so there they were loading and unloading stuff and even tidied up without me asking..............or maybe I just had a completely frazzled look on my face and they knew if they said anything I was likely to explode....who knows !

Phew,anyway I'm here quickly before another fairly busy morning starts.
Stuart starts his vacation tonight,so 2 weeks of being all together.
I hate the fact he has to take the construction 2 weeks vacation(especially since he doesn't even work in construction !!) but it is great to be able to spend so much time together.
We'll be here,there and everywhere for the next 2 weeks so the blog will not be active although I will try to post a layout once a week.....try :)
Really hoping the weather picks up.

Running.............really missing it.
I did try to go last Saturday since I woke up early but 2 KM in my shoulder gave up and I had to walk 4 KM home..... So I will not run for the next two weeks,making a total of nearly 4 weeks without it :( and hope everything is better and stronger and I can start again.
The official diagnosis is tendinitis in my bicep and rotator cuff.........because the previous twice I only rested it(because that's all I was told to do),it has become weak.So the only thing left is lift nothing heavy,avoid certain actions(like cleaning ha ha ha ha ha !!!)and to rest it,ice it and do strengthening exercises and hope for the best.

OK,a layout..not the one I have just finished because I haven't had time to photograph that yet but here's an older one that I am sure I have never shared here......


Made this one at the end of out cottage scrap weekend last September,it's one of my favourites.

Here....

......but busy doing everything and nothing!
My brother in law and family got here last night.They have made the huge move and emigrated from the UK to Canada.They are only stopping here for a few days until they arrange their accommodation in Ontario.
They have left their 2 kids(and 2 rather freaked out cats !!) with me while they go and sort out some stuff.
So I have a 4 boys running around the house.........I am about to throw them out into the garden !
Fingers crossed the sun will come out..it is supposed to be summer after all.

Hopefully back Friday with a new layout,since I got to scrap a little over the weekend.

Short and Sweet

The weekend's nearly here.....
It officially starts when Stuart gets home and I think tonight we will start it with a couple of these on the deck since it actually feels like summer today !



We are going to have a take it easy weekend,that may include:

• A little gardening
• A trip to the community pool
• BBQing
• A yummy Saturday dinner,since Stuart has a new scallop recipe he wants to cook pour moi :)
• Wine !!
• If it rains.....a little scrapping
• Relaxing
• taking some flower photo's..because really I never tire of this.

As it's Friday and I like to post a layout.......

This is one of my favourites,which I realised I'd never posted here.I made it back in November,love that BG paper.The photo's were rejects from my photo a day for October.

OK,well I'm back off to enjoy the sunshine while it's here:)

A layout.

I haven't scrapped for nearly 4 weeks and the challenge of a mainly red,white and blue layout on the American Crafts blog was tempting me ever since I saw it last week.So with Mum gone and the boys at a friends this afternoon I made this with 2 of my favourite AC papers........



Supplies: All American Crafts:Paper....Travel(Itinerary),The Goods(Bikini),Kids(Red Rover),Thickers....Root beer Float,Rub-Ons...Minimarks,Accessories (Book 2&3),Celebration (Book 2),(Lauren) and Trademarks(Eddie)
other supplies:Bazzill cardstock and Stampin' up punch

Yes,yes I know it's the same sketch I seem to be using for a lot of my layouts recently but with such a long scrapping hiatus I needed something easy.
Don't worry I'll find a new one soon....ish :) Maybe !

I'm going to add some journaling around the edge I think but I've been dying to use this photo for ages.

The weekend (photo heavy !)

We finally got to meet up with our friends at their cottage this weekend.
Saturday was cool and cloudy but Sunday was glorious and sunny,shame we had to leave early,since this was the nicest day we'd had in a while.
I had been messing about with settings on my camera and changed the brightness of the screen but of course I forgot that and still took pictures allowing for the fact they appear darker than they are.
The result...... over exposed and blown out pictures,Oh well,excusing that and the fact I haven't had time to make a montage:

Stuart caught a big bass,which we released although would have made a tasty dinner....


This monster was lurking in the canoe.....


I swear spread out like that it was nearly as big as my hand,I have never seen a dock spider that big.I will never get in the canoe without scrutinising it thoroughly first !!

Our friends are American and being the 4TH of July we lit some fireworks and the kids had sparklers........


Sunday,Adam did a fair bit of this.......


Oliver preferred this.......


And found a friend....


I spent time taking pictures of these by the water's edge......

A rare picture of us taken by Oliver since it's well known I'd much rather be the other side of the camera.....


This was my favourite shot of the weekend,can't explain why but I love it....


Other stuff.
Last week I had to bite the bullet and made an appointment with the physio in town(I don't have insurance which was the biggest factor in putting this off)but my shoulder just wasn't getting better and I was just getting more and more frustrated.Which isn't fun for anyone around me,I can tell you !
That decision made I decided to stop running,ice it up when possible and managed 2 days of no driving (both are cars are manual and the gear changing aggravates it)and it was a little better.
Anyway had the first session so we'll see how it goes,got some exercises to do and he's not too keen on me running for a while........not sure I am able to obey that one but I'll try for a week and ask again !!
Out comes the bike.......and once Mum has gone back we can all bike down to swimming lessons so that's some exercise at least.

I so badly want to get those running shoes back on because I have missed it.I've been using the use the map my run site for keeping track of all my activities and I only just found the elevation feature when you map out a route......it's pretty cool.Well I think so !

Mum leaves Wednesday evening and then I thought I had 5 days before the next set of visitors arrived.Plans have changed it seems so that saves me doing a bit of furniture re-arranging and major cramming of stuff in cupboards.....Thanks Nic :) !!

OK well hopefully back later this week with a new layout...........I really want to get back to scrapping.

Friday

Here already,again ?
That midweek day off has thrown us again.
My lovely pal Carine and her gang came over for a BBQ for Canada day so that was fun,despite the crappy weather.........we did manage to at least sit out and eat,even if it was in the gazebo.I had fully intended to take a whole bunch of photo's but didn't end up even getting my camera out......Maybe the month of a photo a day has worn me out :)
Speaking of which..........


Not a great montage since I tend to take a lot of off center pictures but here's all 30 pictures from June (It should be 31 since one was a 2 photo challenge but I missed a day and never had the opportunity to do it.) They can all be found here.

I didn't get my time to scrap this week :(
I ended up placing all my pages since January in the correct albums......that was a job in it's self.
So,I made 6 pages in June most of those in the first week,which brings the total this year up to 48 pages.
Since it's Friday and I like to post a layout........


This ones from NSD weekend back in May,I decided it was about time I used that paper.

I'm really hoping the weather picks up for the weekend as we have fun plans.All this rain may be good for the garden but it's not fun when you have visitors.

I did it !

I was up early and out the house at 6.45 and I did it......I ran the feared 5.5 Km village loop....Woo Hoo me !!!
I did it at a slightly slower pace just because I just wanted to be able to do it so a minute and a half slower than my normal 5Km,so still not too bad in my book.
My shoulder wasn't as sore and I think if it had been feeling normal I could have manged the 6.5 route I have mapped out...........another day :)
The light rain actually felt quite nice and I completely lucked out because as I hit my driveway it started to come down in bucket fulls !

Anyway this post was to say the good luck messages from Fridays post must have worked !

So with this rainy day ahead I think I'll get the kids to watch a movie with Grandma,while I try and sneak off to scrap.......I am missing it :(
Fingers crossed,although I have a feeling it will be another week or so before I really get to scrap again !

The week went where ?

I really don't know :)

• Adam's graduation ceremony.
• Last day of school celebrations.
• A midweek day off for Stuart thanks to St. Jean Baptiste which we used as a celebration for Adam finishing Elementary school so we went to see 'UP' which I really enjoyed and then home for a BBQ.
• The start of swimming lessons.
• Soccer.
• Birthday parties/sleepovers.
• All the other stuff that needs to be done !

Tomorrow hopefully Mum and I are going to have a day to ourselves so we might venture back to our old shopping ground of Westmount/NDG.

I made this page a week or so ago.......

I've been running for 6 weeks now and I miss it if I go for longer than 2 days without a run.Although I've aggravated my shoulder again,somehow,which means I'm not able to run as far as it gets sore towards the end.I think I should really have a week of cycling to give it a rest but I just really like the feeling of running over cycling !
I'm addicted ,it's insane :)
I've knocked nearly 2 minutes off my initial 5km run and I can definitely feel a difference in my general fitness level,which was really my main goal although the added bonus of a perkier bum can't be smirked at :)

I've set myself 2 goals.
One is to run the Terry Fox 5KM our town holds in September.
Two,manage a 7.5KM loop of my town,which is very up and down,focusing on the ups on the way home since I live at the top of a hill!! by Thanksgiving.

I've decided that a lot of this running business is mental ! I am now up to 6.5 KM and adding a little extra every run.I have plotted out a smaller 5Km loop through the town but in my head that still seems further than the area I run now,maybe because at the moment I run so far then turn back on myself to come home......Anyway physically I should be able to do it,it's the long uphill run home that's scaring me ! So Monday I'm going to try it.....the worse that can happen is I have to walk it !

Have a good weekend and I'll try to be better blogger next week.

TGIF :)

I went on my first proper date with my husband to TGI Friday's so it always makes me laugh to myself when I write that ! I remember that night so well,I should write it down and do a page.

Busy,busy week but a good busy.Mum arrived safe and sound,although she always checks in so early that it always mean her luggage seems to make it last off the plane.....I had 2 tired boys desperate to stay up and greet her,at least school is all but done.

Ad had a sleepover at the school last night as part of the grade 6 graduation celebrations.I have no idea how it went since he wanted to stay at school for today(they had the option of having today off) I have a feeling I will have one tired boy tonight though,as the kids all seemed in high spirits when I dropped him off last night.

Not much else,still keeping on top of our photo a day challenges,it's fun.
Hoping the weather improves for this weekend since it would be nice to spend a lazy day outdoors for Fathers day.

I'll leave you with a new double page layout,made with the photo montage I posted from Victoria day weekend...



Hopefully I'll be back next week sometime to post something.

A midweek layout !

I started a couple of layouts last Friday,one of which was this one for the challenge on the American Crafts blog.It was to use a photo larger than 4x6 and I had just got this one back from being developed,perfect timing.......


Super simple one for my nature/garden album.Loved this picture which is why it's my blog header for the moment too.
Sorry about the glare and it doesn't seem to mater what I do I can never get limey greens or magenta pinks to photograph right.

Supplies: American Crafts: Paper,Spring and Summer(cucumber sandwiches) Teen(Honor roll) Moda Bella(reverse side of Timeless)
Rub-ons: Minimarks,spring and summer book 1,Garden Phrases and Spring promotion book.
Letter stickers: Minimarks,Henry and Hannah
Other:Bazzill cardstock

Hopefully back Friday with another layout from last weekend.

Oh dear......

....seems my little blog got neglected this week and it doesn't look like being given much attention over the next few weeks either because my Mum is coming to visit.
Arriving next Wednesday for 3 weeks,the boys are so excited,they are on countdown for that and the end of school( although I know some of that excitement is down to what goodies she will bring in her luggage ....all I can say is there better be a huge stock of English choccie because my stash is empty !)
I'm excited too.
We haven't seen her for 8 months,I think she's really going to notice changes with the boys.
So that means scrapping will be on the back burner for the coming weeks although I do hope to maybe get some done on Sunday,just maybe.See if I can make a teeny,tiny dent in the huge pile of photo's that are waiting,patiently.
The break may do me good too because I'm beginning to feel all my layouts are all looking the same !!

Maybe I'll have time to pop in with the odd photo or 2 or 3 and I still have my photo a day challenge to keep up with on the other blog......we're day 12 already !

Anyway since it's Friday that normally means I try and share a layout or two,maybe I'll still be able to do that as well,since I still have a few I haven't shared.

Since mum's coming I may as well show this one,I made back on NSD,part of my scrapping older pictures to build up Adam's album.Pretty simple page and it wasn't until I photographed it I realised it didn't actually have a title.....


...Oh well,the paper strip of smiles will do ! I can't believe how blond Ad is in these photo's.

So far it's looking like we may have a good weather weekend which would be a very good thing indeed because I need to get out and tidy up my garden.Adam has a baseball game Saturday and it would be great to watch in the warmth something we haven't done yet,I may even be able to get pictures !

Have a good weekend whatever you're up too.

After the weekend

We spent last weekend at our friends cottage.
We are very lucky that they let us use it when they aren't there and because of that we always like to make sure we help contribute in some way while we are there.
This time we spent most of Saturday in between doing other things like walking and fishing and taking 350 odd photo's(that would be me !) we burnt a whole pile of dead branches left over from last year and all the leaves I raked up from this year.
So it's neat and tidy down by the lake for them when they next go.

Not much else to say so I'll fill this post with photo's from the weekend.

This one's for Julie and Patti.......a dandelion :)


These are the ones,according to my boys,that grow into the giant seed heads like these

We saw a snake.......


He was about a meter long.

I spent this morning sorting through all the pictures and have already planned my layout to include these.........(should click bigger)


I can't believe my boys went in the lake.......it was warm in the afternoon but to me the lake was still on the cool side,toes in only.Not to them,they mainly paddled but Ad swam to the diving rock so he could claim he was the first to do it.

I took this one of the moon Saturday night,I was thinking of Julie's challenge for the next day which was 'reflection' and thinking if I stayed up until midnight something like this could be my shot......



........but after all the activities of the day I was too tired and called it a night.

Friday Stuff !

The end of another week,that's flown by,again.
Not a lot of very interesting stuff just general day to day happenings.

Still enjoying the running and made more progress this week :) I was all intent on going back and running my original 5KM route this morning to see if I was running it any faster but I completely forgot Ad had an appointment downtown this morning.So that idea will have to wait until next week.

Ad has finished all his ministry exams and feels quite confident about them which is good.He is definitely counting down the days left until the end of the school year,he loves school but I know he will be glad when this year is over.
No baseball this week for Ad but Ol got a soccer game in and it wasn't raining......yeah ! Took a ton of photo's but already edited them down and sorted out a layout......I am trying to keep on top of my photos this summer.

The photo a day challenge has been keeping me busy this week........it's fun though.

Good stuff planned for the weekend,hoping to get some relaxing family time and it starts with the schools annual family BBQ tonight,which is always fun.

A couple of new layouts,my first 2 for June.
I ended up making 8 layouts in May (including 3 older pages for Ad's younger years album) which brings my total to 42 for the year.May wasn't a very scrappy month for me.

I had this one sitting on my desk for a while,just couldn't find the right papers.Then the other afternoon I decided I just had to do and I finished it up really quick !


It's very loosely based on this sketch I did last year. ...it strayed as it went along.

This one is something I rarely do and when I do it's normally part of a challenge.It's a scrap lift of Nathalie's page I saw a week or so ago on her blog.I really liked her simple design but I also knew I had a similar picture and this was the nudge I needed to scrap it.


This was another quick page,love it when that happens which isn't too often !

Have a good weekend I'll be back Monday,as usual :)