It seems as if our summer has just flown by us. I don't know if it's wishful thinking or a bad memory but I want to say that as a child our summers were much longer. We usually didn't go back until after labor day. Last year my DD went back to school on August 7th...this year...August 4th. Our districts have voted against year round school but it just seems to me that it's being gradually done a few days at a time. Anyway the defense for going back early is that "we are getting more breaks during the school year". What happened to going to school...getting it done and having an awesome summer?!?!? Tha't's just me on my soapbox, I suppose.

I am proud to say that I am still going strong with my Project 365. A big WOOT! WOOT! for me!!!! I am super behind on LO's though...I am seriously contemplating staying behind and just doing a bound book of them from Shutterfly. It's the photos that are important and not all the scrapping pretties.

Here is Shaina on her way to camp. This is her third year going. But this camping adventure does not end when I drop her off. I get a call from her at 10ish that night to come and get her. Her BFF did not show up and she refused to stay. She is painfully shy and all the girls in her cabin had their friends from home. Fourteen is a hard age anyhow w/o being let down like that from a BFF and wayyyy tooo shy to just start conversations with girls you don't know. Her counselor was very sweet and tried to help me talk her into at least staying the night to see if she made a new friend doing some of the group activities...but she was in tears and begging. So she came home, but only on the condition that she be a helper at Vacation Bible School with me. This was an important point because our church is very generous and pays for them to go to camp (it's a Christian camp). I wanted her to give back some of their generosity. She ended up helping with crafts and had the best time. I think maybe it was God's plan for her to be home to do that instead of away.

I helped with the 4th-6th graders at VBS. A very rowdy bunch!!! The teacher I helped gifted me with this beautiful bracelet. I will treasure it always because of the story it tells and because it was gifted to me by the sweetest lady ever.

Ooopsie! It's been awhile since I have sat down and blogged. And believe me...I sure needed to take some time and do so. I am not really good at keeping a journal so this serves that purpose for me in addition to helping me remember events for my scrapbooking. I am not a prolific scrapper. I can't seem to crank out pages like I see alot of ladies do. I wish I could sometimes and other times I am glad I don't. But isn't that the case, we always want what we don't have.

My Grandfather is still in the hospitol and getting his meds regulated. I miss him and I don't. I think I am just still tired from caring for him. I have yet to pack all his things for the Nursing home. I need to but I keep procrastinating. Maybe because I know that makes it final that he is never going to live with family again. I find myself doing things and thinking that he won't ever be he doing them with me or cooking something and thinking he won't sit and have a family dinner with us again....it just won't ever be the same..I know I can take him out for day visits and take him some of his favorite dishes..but it's not the same. =( And I do know it's for the best that he does not live here. My daughter is still staying at her fathers. She just says she is not comfortable coming home until she knows for a FACT that her Great Grandpa is in the nursing home. I can't blame her as she did witness him having some pretty bizarre behaviors and hallucinations. I have just try to do my best to reassure her that what she feels is very ok and I understand.

I did get a chance to have lunch with my son last Thursday. It seems forever since we got to sit and visit with just me and him. He turned me on to the best onion rings ever at Cheeburger Cheeburger. He wanted to eat there because he wanted an Apple Caramel shake. I tasted it and OMG...it was sooooo good!

Saturday was date nite for me and hubby...considering we having had one in MONTHS! Before we left the house Shaina called and bored at her dad's so we picked her up and she went tot he movies with us. We saw Alice in Wonderland in 3D. Way Awesome! I sorta felt sorry for the Red Queen though. She needed love too.

It was a much needed break for us and we had a great time together.

I am hoping our outing helps me fight these winter blues I seem to have gotton. All I wanna do is sleep here at home but when I go out I am fine. So right now eventhough it's still a little bit chilly, I opened all the windows to let in some fresh air and I am forcing myself to do a bit of spring cleaning.

For the most part I have kept up with my P365 photos but I won't post them all.

Instead...I will post the LO I did Sunday.

Shaina is the one with the glasses =) and you can click on the photo if you want to read the journaling.

Credits:

You Make Me Intensly Happy Kit by Lauren Grier

2 Many Photos 15 by Janet Phillips (Modified)

DJB Gimme Space and Impact Fonts

We made it through the 4th all in one piece. We went to church and enjoyed a hamburger/hotdog dinner afterwards. About 8ish the kids got to crank up the fireworks show. I am not sure who had more fun...the adults or the kids. My DD however wanted to play shy and not pop any. Not exactly sure and probably never will~that's how it is with teens sometimes I suppose, so I sorta hung out on the sidelines and kept her company and took pictures. I was the only one with a camera...I could not believe it. I tried taking pictures of everyone to share if anyone wanted any at a later date.

My car is broke down at the moment. It needs a by pass tube from the radiator to the fill take. So while the DH was away working I was sorta stranded at home. Well...I ran out of everything...including food. Big surprise, huh? He got home and of course we never seemed to quite make it to the grocery store...we did go to the movies to see Eclipse on Saturday and ate at Craker Barrel afterwards, then Sunday he ran to Dairy Queen and got us a chicken basket and then we ate at the church, Monday..well..he didn't get me up in time to take him to his second job here at home so that night we ate chinese.....then FINALLY Tuesday I went to Walmart and stocked up. So for my poor hubby..the ONLY home cooked meal he got was some chicken spaghetti that evening. So for that alone I felt it deserved to be the photo of the day..lol!

Day 187

Me and Shaina spend the day with my Mama. She wanted to see Eclipse too and didn't wanna go alone so me and Shaina went again. My daughter definitely did NOT mind seeing it twice. Before we went though we made a detour to see my Papaw in the Nursing Home. He is in the alzheimers unit. It was everything I could do not to just bawl my eyes out when I hugged him. He is so frail and is seems to be wasting away before my very eyes. I want to see him everyday but my heart and emotions would get the better of me.

Day 188


I had an ant invasion in my pantry. I had to toss all my flour and anything open like crackers and chips...very aggravating. But many ugly words and lotsa bleach/lysol concoction later...I got rid of them. The bad part of it all...other than the ants....my pantry was clean and organized so I didn't even get the benefit of "organizing" things.
Day 189

I must say I am feeling MUCH better today than yesterday..so it's official...I am on the mend...yippeeee!!! I am so glad too because for months I have had a movie date with my DD scheduled for Eclipse and I really did not want to disappoint. In fact, her and DH are out picking up her cousin for a sleepover/pizza night in a mini celebration of the movie tomorrow. I think after the movie I want to go eat at Craker Barrel. I am craving some lima beans and cornbread and they only have the lima beans on Saturdays at the one we go to. And because my tummy doesn't quite like me so much yet...I am going to get a Chicken and Dumpling plate to bring home to eat. My mouth is watering now just thinking about it. Also after much contemplation we have decided to spend the 4th at our church's hamburger cookout. Close to home and more kids for my DD to hang out with. Plus the fireworks are donated to the kids by the Sunday School classes fun money that is added to every Sunday. I just LOVE my church family!!!!!!

I am also super excited that I have gotton back started on my Project 365 photos. It's really a project I did not want to fail at. Mostly because I have so many years in my photo stash where I don't have but just a handful of photos of my family. Some of which have since passed away.

Here is July 1st

My hubby works away from home and sent me flowers to cheer me up while I was sick. It took the florist 3

days to get them to me though. Usually they are much better about deliveries.

July 2nd

Need I say more? We know who my DD is rooting for in the Twilight saga.
Thanx for peeking in!
And if I don't get back before the 4th....Be safe and have a fabby time with ur families!!!
Balinda