trying to hold back tears..

so things change.

babies grow, people die, time passes waaay too fast, and as women, we have hormones.

my hormones are at this very moment on the emotional up-swing.  it’s fabulous. 

(we are all thankful that I can step back and realize that it is hormones…)

so while I created these layouts earlier in the week, when my hormones were doing other things to my body, as I look at them now, I want to cry!!!

so we’ll get through this quickly…

first up is “grandpa’s chair” using goodies from liv, including her newest, brownbagger paper pack vol. 5.

I could NEVER get enough of her brownbagger papers…  NEVER.

(for full credits click on the layout.)

this second one is only four years old (ppffttt…), but this is what digital project life is so good for!!  catching up in a fast, easy, gorgeous way!

this layout I used becky’s “p” template (perfect for little peyton..), “honey” edition cards, “baby” paper,  stitching from anna aspnes, staples from liv, and that fun baker’s twine from splendid fiins.

okay..  so I am not going to look at these for at least another week, try to block out the fact that school will be starting again this month (aaaakkkk!!!!), and just try to do things that are fun, non-tear inducing.

this is going to be hard…

did I mention that it’s really the hormones fault?

#suckyprocrastinator

that is the hashtag of hashtags right there…

but it’s summer, that’s my excuse.

many things have been placed on the back-burner, so to speak, one of them blogging.

the bathroom re-do is at a partially painted stand-still.

photo sessions have been a once a month event.

laundry doesn’t get put away in a timely manner.

anything to do with this old computer contraption is definitely not at the top of my list..

these have all been replaced with my girls.  we are living it up!!  swimming is at it’s best.  play is constant.  we are loving the sun.  I have actually said out loud that I *might* just be “tan enough”.

(but you’ll probably find me out in the sun tomorrow anyway.)

oh my heavens..  reading has even fallen a bit lower on the list of preferred activities!

(gasp!)

we are thankful that these summer days are passing by so slowly, but I do realize that these days are numbered.

before I know it, all three (ALL 3!!!) will be at school, and these days will be put on hold, and I will miss them violently.

making the most of it…

so, with the excuses all laid out there, here’s what I should have done before, but are done now:

week before last, liv fed my addiction for arrows.

(click on layouts for full list of credits + links to products used.)

then last week, she encouraged my obsession with chalkboard.

and this week, it’s more paintbrushes.

I also thought I would enter a little contest at pixels & company..

it is called “cropped”, and I was cropped.

oh, well, leaves more time to swim.

tagged for life.

liv’s newness today are these fabulous fabric tags.

(say that five times fast.)

as you can see, I am still incredibly in love with the woodoodled papers too..

(click on the layout for full list of credits.)

I am still just so in love with this pic!!

I did touch it up, just a smidge.  like removing the speakers that were in the background..  I am a little anal that way.  it was a spontaneous shot, I didn’t want it to be too posed or orchestrated, so those things that end up bugging me when all is said and done need to be dealt with afterwards.

it’s the way I am.

I have this relationship with photoshop that I thought I would never have.  I was SO AFRIAD of it!!  but I can tell you, that getting my feet wet with photo editing was what got me comfortable and excited.

I think we all know that I got that start at jessicasprague.com.

(and if you didn’t know that, well, welcome to my blog!!)

jess is doing her yearly free class, to help us all learn, for the experienced ones, it helps us to get excited, for the newbies, it helps show them that this is possible!!

I have signed up, you should too!!

among other things going on here..

I am up to my neck in soccer stuff.  I am the newest (insert title here that has to do with age group coordinating) with our region AYSO board.  my two youngest love soccer!!  it takes involved parents to make it happen.  seriously, in EVERY SINGLE AREA.  if you have kiddos who love something, get involved.  it makes their experience so much better.

we finished our last day of little laker cheer in prep for the parade tomorrow. 

yesterday, peyton wasn’t really much about the whole “participation” thing, aside from clapping. 

today I might have bribed her with a slurpee if she would just raise her hands!!!

she did.

lynn was selected to be the filer for their little stunting group.  she loves it.  all she has been doing for the past 24 hours now is cheering.

she is sad that today is the last day.

we’ve also had a couple of days of dam fun.

and the bathroom re-do has begun.

it is such a wonderful sight to look up, and have WHITE ceilings!!

that’s right, there is an “s” on the end of ceiling..  I decided that while I was at it, I might as well tackle the ceiling in our master bathroom too.  I mean, I did do our bedroom last summer.  it might be about time..

I only wish I dared (i.e. had the energy) to paint ALL of the ceilings white…  6 down, 6 more to go?

so we are saying farewell to “botany beige” (we won’t “miss” it, since it is ALL OVER THE REST OF THE FREAKING HOUSE.  (someday…)  and hello to “turquoise mist”.

we are having so much fun this summer!!  I am so happy with how slowly it is going.  I just love having the girls all home, having non-stop fun, and little drama.

we are making the most of it, and wearing ourselves out  most days..

(if this post seems a little dejavu-ish to you, well, that’s probably because you saw all of this already on instagram, and I would apologize, but hey, now you have the story to go with it, right?)

(you’re welcome.)

some newness, some oldness, some awesomeness…

shall we start with the newness?

let us..

AC Digitals has some newness in store today:  Crate Paper -  Maggie Holmes collection.

perfection in softness, femininity, and fun.

I just love this photo of peyton, in fact, I have loved all of the photos of her that I took in this little sitting of sorts. 

she’s gorgeous.

(no, I am not biased.)

(papers and embellishments are from maggie holmes collection, tape frame from liv.edesigns, staples from design by dani, and stitching from anna aspnes.)

speaking of lovely things, father’s day was quite lovely.

this “merrill working seven days a week” thing was old the minute it started, and hasn’t gotten any newer or more exciting since then. 

I have been having a hard time with it, and he has too. 

yesterday wasn’t easy for either one of us.

I sat on our bench in sacrament meeting and fought back tears as the girls sang father’s day songs to me, while I sneakily (and perhaps a tad inappropriately) recorded them with my camera phone so I could send it to merrill.

I guess I should look at the positive, I was able to be there and record it.

nevertheless, it sucks that he is gone SO MUCH.

in other news, there will be some re-doing going on here, starting today.

meet the main bathroom:

this bathroom bugged me the second I saw it.

just what bugged me?

- the size

- that shelf thing behind the toilet

- the lack of storage

- the lack of light

- the lack of space

- the fact that the light IS NOT CENTERED OVER THE SINK.

(seriously, can’t plumbers and electricians just work together?)

- and it’s small.

(or did I mention that already?)

the main bathroom at the old house was spacious.  there was a lot of counter space, tons (TONS!!!! I tell you) of storage.  there was all of the space in that roomy vanity not to mention a FULL CLOSET.  everything had a home.  I was severely comfortable with that bathroom.

I mean, okay, it did have it’s faults..

the floor, no shower, the tile in the bathtub area, the floor..  but the size was awesome!  and all those other things could be fixed.

here, the size thing is not fixable.

we have also had our dear towels since I bought them when I was a senior in high school.  I loved them so much, had to have them for my future house, and they stayed packed away for two years..  I still do love them, well, the parts that aren’t dingy, stained, or fraying. 

the ducks have been with us since we bought our first house.  they were a gift from my mother-in-law, and we have loved them, but sadly, the whiteness of the towels isn’t what it used to be, and even sadder, the girls really aren’t into rubber ducks like they used to be (something about getting older I suppose).

the plan is to lighten, brighten, and simplify.

so, here’s the battle plan:

- remove that dang shelf

- paint the ceiling white

- replace baseboard with foamboard that will resist (RESIST!!!) water.  (unlike the MDF that is there and soaking up water like a sponge..)

- frame out the plain old contractor mirror with the same foamboard trim.

- add our new paint color to the walls

- board and batten the east wall

(I am more than a little excited about this part.)

- new shower curtain (buh-bye duckies!!)

- replace all towel bars with hooks

- all linens will be replaced with white which will mean that we will not have as many, which will also help on that whole “lack of storage” issue that exists.

I have started the day off right with a banana and a scotcheroo for breakfast, so I am more than ready to go.

(breakfast of champions I tell you.)

loving this summer a bit much.

being with these silly girls is what life is all about…

we are loving every little bit of our summer!

we attempted riding without training wheels, for like, 15 minutes..

they are back on, as high as I can get them to help her learn to balance..

best $20 spent this summer was on a slip and slide.

seriously..  this is awesome!

up next, we have a bathroom re-do coming up where I will attempt to board and batten one wall.  yes, just one.

until then, we will be outside, soaking up the sun, a laughing, a lot.

saw this quote on pinterest

and knew it needed a home on one of my pages.  I really wanted to put it on a canvas and hang in the house, but then liv came out with her latest creation, and it was decided.

her cut-out alphas are perfect, don’t you say?

so the pic is old, just a couple of years, but it’s perfect..

(click on layout for full list of credits.)

back to laying in the sun.

I will let you know about all the beautiful things I see later.

new release fun.

our family has started the habit of hiking. 

we have lofty goals of reaching ben lomond’s peak (15-ish miles, 9712 feet high) by summer’s end, so that means we have conditioning.

but we are having a blast while we are at it.

liv’s latest two releases are perfect for pictures from these activities, but, well, I had to do one of peyton. 

this girl asked me (like, she actually requested) to curl her hair one sunday morning.  she just looked so angelic.  I asked her to sit near the back door where I had some decent light streaming in and snapped a few of her.

this one uses liv’s latest “woodoodled” papers, and other goodies from her.

(click on layout for list of full credits.)

here’s liv’s “wooded” papers, see how perfect this works with all of our outdoors/hiking pix?

another new fun release is happening today at ac digitals:

“rad dad”

this is project life’s newest installment out just in time for father’s day and is on sale at 20% off!

so I am awesome (hence the new hashtag on instagram #suckyprocrastinator) and just got last year’s father’s day scrapped… 

what can I do…

(I would like to claim that it was waiting for this project life kit…)

#rationalization

also on this page:

liv’s cardstock

anna aspnes stitching

crystal wilkerson’s little “x” stitches

ali edwards heart (masked with liv’s cardstock)

and none of this would be possible without becky’s project life template “f”.

new scrapping goodies.

liv has a few new goodies out today.

first we have her “little dancer” kit.

I have been going through lots and lots of old photos, and all the while trying to bribe peyton to get in her little leotard and tutu, and bring her american girl doll along for a little dancer photo shoot.

nothing in the world can convince her.

but here’s lynn at 3:

(click on layout for full list of credits.)

I have probably said it before, and you might just be sick of hearing it, but I LOVE liv’s paint brushes!!!

and she has some new ones!!  my paintbox vol. 1 has a variety of brushes and some delicious texture to boot.

(YAYNESS!!)

you can get these on sale through sunday night at midnight!

on the summer front, we have been hiking, spent the day at the dinosaur park, and have had a negotiable bedtime.  I thought I would wake up early every day and get a head start, but I’ve been staying up too late (see the “negotiable bedtime” mentioned above), reading..  so I decided to let myself enjoy a week of sleeping in.  you know, just to reward myself for a hard school year of waking up early.  and stuff.

the back yard is almost all together..  and by almost, I mean about halfway there. 

summer is looking good around here and we are praying that it goes by slooooow.

and this is summer..

historically speaking, it seems as though the first week of every summer here, it rains.

I mean, thank you nature for giving us an awesome memorial day!! 

the nice thing about the rain is that it helps us get our summer kicked-off all nice, clean, and organized-like.

seriously.

we spent the day yesterday cleaning.  not the weekly dusting, vacuuming, clean the glass variety (although that did get done too), but the go through each room and purge, then organize.  the girls’ rooms look amazing!  well, lynn’s always has looked that way, that is just her personality..

it’s kind of nice to have the cool weather, the relaxed days, girls playing nicely together inside..  logging plenty of reading minutes, but we are excited for some summer weather.

summer!!!

it’s finally here!!

I cannot convey how happy I am in this moment, and how sad I am at the same time.

I love that I will have my girls all to myself for the next three months!!  I love that there is no more homework.  I love that the drama and crap that comes home with my girls from school will end (temporarily).  I love that we can sleep in, if we want, and stay up late (but not too late).  I am happy to see growth.

I am sad to see the good things of this school year come to an end.  I am sad knowing that when I send them back at the end of the summer, they will advance a grade, and therefore, be growing..  even though I beg them to stop or at least slow down.  in a way, I am sad to see the changes.  they are not little girls anymore..

more has changed than just age, height, hair length, and what they have gained knowledge-wise.  some teeth have grown in too!  for some reason seeing the side-by-side makes me tear-up…

but we are celebrating, you better believe it!!

thank you pinterest for the inspiration!!

there were long hugs, cleaning-out of backpacks, and those things are packed-away, out of sight!!

it’s summer!!!!

seeing double.

sometimes, creativity urges changes in more places than just one.

as I was playing with amy tangerine’s newest collection “yes please”, I was getting the itch to spring clean the blog and make things pretty.

funny how just a few tweaks to a layout can turn out to be a fun new header!

this spur of creative energy (also brought to you by a couple of extra minutes I was able to rub together..), has me desiring some fun new candid pix of the girls.

well, as soon as lynn gets over strep.

blah.

(my 2013 tax folder is fatter than it should be.  hello deductions!)

anyway, in case you didn’t notice the above newness, here you go:

papers, border bits, camera, arrow elements, stitched heart circle, and brushes for the hearts, arrow, and “wonderful” from ac digitals amy tangerine “yes please”.

paint brushes, kraft tape, frame, staple, and washi tape from liv.edesigns.

“x” stitches from crystal wilkerson.

circle stitches from anna aspnes.

lace (with a hue/saturation adjustment) from kitschy digitals.

only one more day of school left!!

freeeeeedoommmmmm!!!!

(yell it like william wallace..)

our plans for this summer currently consist of:

- keeping in the habit of a decent bedtime, and me (ahem..) getting up early.

- going to the library a lot.

- read-a-thons and treats.

- living by the pool in the sun.

- buying lots of sunscreen.

- washing loads of towels.

- playing in our almost totally fun and finished back yard.

- hiking.

- playing as a family every chance we get.

- quitting the whole pop thing..  and I will be sure to quit at least 6 times a week.

it is still may.

oh, how it is still may.

I should learn to not commit to ANYTHING in the month of may.  well, anything besides the activities for the girls.  it’s a whirlwind of soccer and school.

oy.

we are almost done though!! 

5 days..

(breathe..)

five.

meanwhile, here’s a couple of new products from liv!

another awesome T + Mini: Work of Art.

love her minis!!  they come packed with amazing bits and pieces that you can use with everything and anything.  her previously released minis are some of my favorite go-to products.

(click on layouts to be linked to list of credits.)

and then there’s another volume of loopies!!

we are up to 4, and I can’t wait for 5 and 6 and 7 and…  well, you get the idea.

(I hope.)

we are halfway through another may day.  there has not been a single day this week that we have had nothing to do.  they have all been packed full!

lynn has executed her county report successfully, I hope.  I mean, I was there, and she was awesome!!  but we’ll have to see what the final score is.  she did her report on Kane county, we kinda know a little about it..  going to lake powell as much as we do.  we had the joy (sarcastic font) of putting together her powerpoint presentation rather last minute, and throwing it together from SCRATCH.  it was supposed to have been saved to her flashdrive, not there though.  so after subscribing to microsoft office, and getting the powerpoint program, we were off.  I have to say it really was fun.  my first powerpoint ever, and I am 33.  I couldn’t have done it without lynn guiding me.

our last soccer games are tomorrow.  kinda sad, kinda happy about that one.  the girls have come so far this year!  peyton can actually STAY ON THE FIELD THE WHOLE GAME.  she even runs and plays!!  ashley has become quite the defender.  she prefers playing back rather than forward.

looking forward to summer!

holy crap, it’s friday!

I am having issues keeping up with time.

I blame it on the fact that it is may.

with the list of activities for the girls, both at home and at school, the normal to-do list, and the new to-do list that automatically comes with this season, I do not have time to worry about much else.

so it just seems like friday sneaks up on me! 

then I look in my inbox and see a happy little email from jessica sprague telling me of all the new products that are in store, and my brain says “holy crap!!  it’s friday!!!” 

(my mouth usually follows suit and then I think an apology to my momma.)

(she has issues with my usage of the word “crap”.)

(sorry mom!!)

here’s liv’s two new products today, both alphas, and I LOVE her alphas!!

first up is her “painted alpha”.

this bad boy comes in a brush so you can make it any color you want, or use one of her 5 pre-set fun colors.

in this layout I used her newest “painted alpha rounds”.

now the look blue when you get them, but duplicating them and adjusting the layer style will do some pretty fun stuff!

for the “read” I duplicated the layer 3 times, the bottom two are set to luminosity and the top one is set to overlay.  these are so fun to play with!

for the rest of the credits for these pages, click on the layouts.  you can go to liv’s shop to see some more amazing layouts from some fabulous creative ladies.

a hero.

my attitude towards family history has changed over the years.

initially, I was scared of it.  then I got excited about it, but was a little let-down to discover that both my maternal and paternal grandmothers had done the bulk of the work already.  (not that my family tree is filled in entirely..)  then I was kind of happy, almost relieved that the bulk of it was done, I had kids at that point, but not the time to do that kind of work.  I am at the phase where I realize there is still more work to be done, and someday, I will have the time that is necessary to do that work.  right now, I feel like my responsibility is to share these stories and histories with my girls.  they need to know where they came from and about the great legacies that have been left for them.

this layout came together so easily using liv’s newest t + mini – so blessed.  I literally changed the background paper, removed some of the more flourish-ey feminine parts, added my journaling and this AMAZING photo, and it was done!

so here’s more about my grandpa…  don’t be surprised if he and my grandma are the subjects of more layouts to come..  I love them so much!

(you can click on the layout for full credits.)

the journaling reads:

“This picture of Grandpa has to be one of my favorites.  I am so thankful to have a copy of it in my home.  I want my girls to know of the sacrifices that not only he made, but of the sacrifices that continue to be made.  Grandpa was a member of the Utah National Guard, and mustered into the Regular Army in March of 1941.  He was sent to California, to prepare to go to the Philippines, but in December of the same year, Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese.  His assignment changed.  He was sent to Washington, to train new recruits, then later sent overseas to Europe.  He fought in many battles which included Utah beach on D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge.  He was later injured in the Ruhr Valley in Germany.  He received five battle stars and was awarded the Purple Heart.  He didn’t talk of these things much.  It wasn’t something he was particularly proud of.  We are proud of him though, and thankful for not only his service, but his example in how he lived his life every day.  He will always be our hero.”

this is history that my girls need to know!  what an amazing man..   

a sweet reunion.

my grandpa passed away friday.

we were waiting, excited for him, but can’t help but be selfish, for us.

I miss him already!

so he’s on my mind.

a lot.

I am thankful to KNOW that he is with my grandma, they are so happy to be together again!!

(it has been five years since she passed.)

these two pictures sat on the table, right next to the chair where he sat and spent the majority of his time.  she was never far from him.

his is no longer hindered by an imperfect body and the pain that comes with old age.

I really am happy for him..  really.

it’s just hard to be without him now.

so here comes the flood.  I don’t expect it to let up any time soon…

(click on layouts for links to products used.)

oh, and then there’s the fact that lynn is growing, or thinks she is..  such a great time of life!!

13

the beginning of this month, we celebrated 13 years of marriage.

I am still in a bit of shock..  thirteen?!

in some ways it just doesn’t seem like it’s been that long, but then, it is like I have always known merrill, I just can’t seem to remember life without him.

ac digitals released project life “wedding edition” today.

(it’s on sale at 20% off!!)

so what’s a girl to do?

scrap her 13th anniversary with it, that’s what!

the cards all come from project life “wedding edition”, the paper is from liv.edesigns, stitching from anna aspnes, metal letters and numbers are from sahlin studio, and the straight pin in the picture is from kitschy digitals (with a hue/saturation adjustment added, it was red).

and life goes on!

we are enjoying spring in utah, and if you know what that really means, it means that we are anxious to get out in the yard, to work and play, but the weather isn’t cooperating.

more fun stuff, I was interviewed for tiffany tillman’s website, simply tiffany studios, for my style in journaling.  it was pretty fun!  (and completely awesome.)  you can check it out here.