Aug. 26, 2008 - Haiku Digi-Scrap Style
The kids have been bored with ther Lifepacs for Language Arts these last few days so I decided to teach them the Haiku basics. Austin took right to the activity and recited several for me to write down for him. Sam, my literal, verbal child, struggled with this activity. He does not come by the creative arts naturally. You gotta love him though! It is probably the one area where Sam does not soar, yet!
Here is a page for the Yearbook with the Haiku poems they wrote today.
Aug. 20, 2008 - Field Trip Today! Digi-scrap Memories
We took our learning on location today and headed to the local aquarium. The kids and I spent 3 hours exploring all the exhibits. What a treat to spend the day at a super busy aquarium on a day when the rest of the world was in school and at work. We practically owned the place and had lots of viewing room. Even Rachel got out of the stroller and walked aound the jelly fish exhibit.
I did learn a few things, pictures shot inside the darkened aquarium need to be shot in "nightscape" mode and viedos do not turn out great on a digital camera in the semi dark.
Here are our scrapbook pages for our Live to Learn yearbook.
Aug. 14, 2008 - New Digi-Scrap Pages
I have tried to use my cut off from the internet to catch up on non-blogging activites. I know I posted a few of our pictures from our first day already but here are the two digi-scrap pages for our Live to Learn yearbook. I love using Photoshop Elements! I try and learn a new tool each time I design a page. My favorite way to use the program is to open up a document at 12x12 size with a 300 pixels and RGB color. Then I either use a background that came with Photoshop or I use one I have downloaded for free off the internet. I haven’t succumbed to the purchase of cute digital kits but I know the day is coming. Then I use frames, over in the Create section, and size them how I want them. I drag my pictures into the frames and then resize them if necessary. To complete each framed picture I add a drop shadow, one of the 8 always works for me. I like to keep my pages simple so I can get back to spending time with my family. When I am in the mood for deep, detailed page spreads I go somewhere else, aka not my home, and digi-scrap for a few hours uninterrupted. By the way, I am a two page spread kind of girl. I like to open a scrapbook and have a two page spread relate to each other. I plan on having Shutterfly print a digital scrapbook for me in the Spring for around $50-$60. Last year I printed a 12x12 and I think I might enjoy the size of an 8x8 better. We’ll see what I choose this Spring. I only print one for our whole family and if the kids want to take one with them for their future families they can print one later. This has become a frugal way for me to scrapbook and preserve our memories.
Aug. 8, 2008 - 2 Katie Digi-Scrap Pages
I finished two more pages this week for our Live to Learn yearbook. I designed a simple two page spread on Katie, my new Kindergartener. It is amazing how fast they grow up and Katie is turning into a beautiful, sweet tempered child with a servant's heart.
Aug. 6, 2008 - Wednesday Book Pile:Digital Scrap Style
I have begun our 2008-2009 Live to Learn Yearbook. This past year was my first try at digital scrapbooking and I used dozens of my digital prints to create our annual. I had a fabulous time assembling the pages and designing but I felt pressured to recreate a years worth of memories in a short period of time.
This year I am vowing to digi-scrap each 2 page spread as I take pictures. I know when I take pictures and review them, whether or not I want to immortalize them in an annual. I "see" them on a scrapbook page shortly after I take the pictures. 
So for today's Wednesday's book pile I scrapped Rachel. Grandma Joyce and Daddy both spent time reading to her tonight. When she wants to read shes say the word "book" and then bangs the book against your leg until you sit down and read it to her.
These scrapbook pages are courtesy of Photoshop Elements and Mommy Design (me 
).
May. 8, 2008 - Solo Scrapbook Pages
Have you ever looked at a picture and seen for the first time that your little boy isn't so little anymore? My heart aches for the baby Austin used to be but my soul knows that is the way it is. I cherish those late night conversations that reveal the depth of his thinking.
One evening, my often reluctant child decided that he wanted to be the object of the camera lens. He was so relaxed and patient. I will always remember that evening.
My sweet girls.
May. 2, 2008 - My brown eyed baby....
My Rachel will be one in 7 days. I can remember how it felt this time last year. The anticipation and excitement as we waited for her birth. She was born just 5 days after my 30th birthday and was the best gift ever. It still amazes me that my love for her is so full and complete "even though" she is my fifth child. I am amazed at how much she thrills me in all her little baby milestones. This is the fifth time a child of mine as learned to crawl and walk and smile and talk and yet I take such pleasure in all the victories she has. I love her.
It's not just me either, John, my beloved, can't wait to hold her and let her scramble over him for the evening "wrestle". I can see it in his eyes that he delights in her. Our relationship with our children helps me see how Jesus can love us so much. I know He delights in me and loves me. I am so glad he is a forgiving Father too, because I have so much to learn. Don't you just wish sometimes that it wasn't so hard being a mom.
I can't wait to see some of the fruit of my pruning and child training. I am weary but I will keep on.
May. 2, 2008 - My first girl...
Katie is my first girl. She was longed for and loved even before she was conceived. I hoped and prayed for a little pink in my life. We had two boys who were only happy when fulling entrenched in a mud pit or when sword fighting with dry pasta noodles. I just wanted to see what pink might be like.
When Katie was born I was in awe of her beauty and sweetness. She is as girly as they come and a joy to be around. No one told me though that little girls like to talk. I am trying to take joy in the fact that she shares every thought with me because I know there might come a day when her friends hear it all and I will miss these days.
The funny part of this story is that Katie is followed by two more girls! I am overflowing with girls now. I even hope if we are blessed again that it is another girl. Sometimes though, I do long to snuggle a sweet bundle of blue blankets with a son tucked inside.
May. 2, 2008 - It Floats! A crazy scrapbook page...
Here are two more pages from our home school yearbook 2007-2008.
I love taking pictures to capture the ingenuity of the kids. These two pages reflect the awesome creativity of my oldest. Austin imagines the coolest inventions and after a detailed drawing will usually try to bring it to reality. On the first page, Austin was inspired after a mini unit study on Pearl Harbor. We watched a few documentaries, read lots of books, browsed through many books with photos and spent one afternoon talking to my grandma, his great grandma, about her memories on the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Austin was fascinated with the aircraft carriers. He dug through our "junk" stash, aka the recycling boxes, and assembled a mini carrier. He was able to make it sea worthy!
Apr. 30, 2008 - Preschool Art at Home
Lily is almost 3 and loves to paint! I have never met a preschooler who doesn't love to swish ooey gooey colors all over a page. She can come up with some amazing work too. The smooth, slick texture must feel great to little kids. I on the other hand don't like to be messy. I cringe when I have to touch gummy, sticky dirty dishes much less cold, wet paint.
Apr. 29, 2008 - Sam Yearbook pages
I have been working on our family yearbook these past few months and now it is almost done. I decided to make one yearbook for all the kids and save myself the time and expense of scrapping all the kids stuff. I get frustrated and bored scrapping the same field trip 4 times and trying to come up with something different to say each time.
I am using shutterfly to print our book so if I ever need more books I can just print them as I need to. No more panic attacks when the baby destroys a page in the traditional scrapbook. I'm excited about digital scrapping if you can't tell.
Anyway, here are 2 pages about one of my son Sam.
