Mom's turn: Now what????

hmmm - kind of put a crinkle in the reading room space. Will have to rethink the furniture arrangements.

Sooooo – I inherited my MIL’s piano. Wonderful!! I don’t play piano though…so now what? I KNOW!!! A place for more elephants to be displayed :-D Perfect!

Kidding! First step – a good cleaning! My MIL passed away two years ago and it hasn’t been touched since…so the two year layer of dust must go. Then after the holidays I have a friend who tunes pianos, so hopefully I can get it serviced and ready for brilliant music to come streaming out of it - I've always wanted to learn, but it may be too late. I remember NOTHING about music from high school classes, unfortunately. I have a friend that teaches piano…hmmmm, how ready am I to totally humiliate myself!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

BONSAI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Before

After
forest bonsai

I have always loved the art of bonsai! Bonsai, which literally means tree in pot, is a technique where you take a plant and give it the effect that it is very old but still keep it small. A few years ago we bought a bonsai, but we sadly killed it. They take a lot of special care and affection.

My grandpa and Mrs. Marion were going to a class in Mississippi and decided to surprise me and take me with them. I was REALLY exited. My parents also got to come. The really big surprise was that I got to pick out my own tree and start one at the class! I chose a Japanese maple. My dad decided to be ambitious and try two plants. And my mom, like me, got one! She got a crape myrtle.

Mom's turn: Feeling Scrappy

My friend, Janet, included me in on a special offer she received from one of her online scrapping stores and then came to scrap with me…it was just what I needed to get the pages flowing again! I ordered several single layout kits and have accomplished 5 so far with 8 cards on top of that! I’m feeling productive and hoping the momentum continues because I’m so far behind it’s hard to enjoy taking new pictures!

uh, NO - I don't have a newborn!!!!

Mom's turn: On High

The last few days of a lovely vacation were spent relaxing, catching up on some much needed photo editing in preparation of getting my new computer, knitting an afghan I’m determined to have completed for Teeny’s graduation, and finishing a great book The Friday Night Knitting Club. The critics compared it to Steel Magnolias in a knitting shop…it was a great read and I highly recommend it.

However, somehow all of my vacations involve wearing goofy helmets!!! What’s up with that?!?!?! After we picked Teeny up from her last day at camp we decided to surprise her and take her hang gliding!! Once we got there I was lucky enough to be included, too. What an awesome memory! This time is was Travis’ turn to fur-babysit and take pictures :-D I went up first

Elen's flight

and Teeny was right behind me – so we were in the air at the same time.

Teeny soaring with a smile

Teeny and I had the most perfect weather you could hope for on a flight; we could see for miles and miles over the mountain tops!

another glimpse of Travis' turn

It’s an indescribable feeling – not scary at all…more like floating without any sort of feeling what so ever. Breathtaking…and another "highly recommended" activity!!! I’m glad I was able to experience something so magical in my lifetime…now time to “come back down to Earth” and drive the rest of the way home. And we couldn't get out of there without buying goofy t-shirts to commemorate our experience!

Elen's goofy shirt

Teeny thought "human lawn dart" was funny...HA

We got in around 1 am, ugh. Just in time to rest up for company :-D

Mom's turn: It's a bird!

We left Sewanee to head towards our camping ground taking the back roads, about a 4 hour drive. We stopped at the Sewanee Natural Bridge, made by a natural sink hole. We walked across that with the boys and down to the cave where Travis passed a tree and stirred up a hornet nest and Samson promptly stopped to tee-tee on them ignoring my pleas to “come.” Thank God no one was stung and we scurried out safely!!! After that we passed through GA on the way to TN and we saw an American Goldfinch on the electric line…he was too fast for a picture, but I have a vivid image in my memory. We also passed the largest smoke stack that either one of us had seen. Travis’ creative side came out and he wanted to stop for a quick picture…so I played along! Another stop was something Travis has always talked about, Lookout Mountain where you can watch people hang gliding.

The "novice" run - a paved jump

I finally talked him into not watching and dreaming but actually doing it! He chose a double high tandem flight at 4000’ with 20 min of flying time with an aero-tow to get him lifted off the ground.

Getting harnessed up

The tandem gliders getting towed in

uh - what did you talk me into???

He looked just like a human kite!

the aero-tow with an ultra light plane

lift off

the release...he's on his own

He had a fabulous time and I can’t wait to get the better pictures developed and see him close up. Next time we pass through hopefully all of us can go. Now we were all set to go camping in south Cherokee National Forrest at a primitive campsite, Tumbling Creek Campground – about 12 miles of unpaved, winding mountain road to get there. Unfortunately, we arrived after dark to set up camp and we ran into a “little” glitch. Travis brought Christina’s single sleeper tent instead of our family sized one. Needless to say Travis barely fit in no less our blow up mattress. Thankfully we had a double sleeping bag for a little comfort. We got that laid out, both of us and both dogs squeezed in for the night. That was the longest night of sleeplessness I’ve ever had, thanks in part to a very persistent bullfrog close by! I think we both managed a few hours of restless sleep, but we now have a new appreciation of how sardines feel. Around 6am the “alarm” went off – a forest bird of some sort declared very loudly that it was time to get up. We ate a quick breakfast, went for a hike with the dogs, read and relaxed a bit, then decided to pull up camp and try again next time with the proper equipment.

Mom's turn: You say tomato...

So I’ve mentioned what a garden-nerd my HH is with his organic mixtures…well, there must be something to that compost tea he’s been working with besides just being a bucket of bubbling sludge! These tomato plants were put in the garden on 3/22…only 48 days later they are almost as tall as my hubby (who is a svelte 6’1”) and full of flowers and baby fruit. Today, nine days later, they have topped the cages and are still climbing!!! And to think he was worried he made the cages too big – silly boy! Now we're worried about what to do with all those tomatoes!

Mom's turn: Feeling Scrappy!

I love scrap booking!! Unfortunately I have a hard time finding the extra time to sit for hours and become creative. That’s where my fabulous Stampin’ Up distributor and great friend comes in handy. She holds a monthly “hostess club” and teaches us some new and fabulous technique each time we go. We come away from the night with a bag full of goodies, one completed layout, and all of the ambition in the world that we can now tackle our very own projects at home!!!

no commenting on how OLD the photos are

I adore this layout...when my sweet baby was still amused by her mother!! The definition and poem make it complete!

GIRL - n: a squadron of pink ribbons; will learn to say "gimme" almost automatically


She's a bundle of sweetness and brightness and fun.
The beauty of springtime, the warmth of the sun.
She's Innocence covered with mud, sand and soot.
She's Motherhood dragging a doll by the foot.
She's a composite picture of giggles and tears,
of tantrums, excitement, amusement and feers.
A bundle of mischief and often a tease.
A creature of moods, not too easy to please.
She can capture your heart with her pixie-like grin
or chatter and beg till your patience wears thin.
But obedient, naughty, mischievous or coy
she's Mom's little Darling
and Dad's pride and joy.



cathcing up - this was 2007!!!!!!!!! And this is where MY ambition kicked in...


AND THIS YEAR!!!! WAHOOOO. Another one of our Hostess Club ideas

Pictures of pictures really don't do the layouts justice; there are so many fine details on the layouts that get lost in the translation. But I love having them here - it means the world to me knowing that I will have a beautiful legacy to pass down to my DD!!!!