Playing with Paper and Glue

I sometimes feel very intimidated with how creative other women are, how well they write on their blogs or how amazing their recipes or fashion sense is. But then I remind myself that I am me, and not them. And this blog is mine, the musings of a grandma who loves her family, taking pictures, travelling, and sometimes when I have the time, playing with paper and glue.

My cards aren't the most creative, nor the most fancy, but they are a gift of my time to the ones that I love. And with 2 wedding anniversaries, 3 birthdays and Mother's Day all in the month of May, I took some time this week to make some cards.

The goal was to use up some paper that I had saved for making cards(instead of using it in my scrapbook memory album which I also like to create) that I had somehow forgotten about. Heather inspired me last week with her desire to start making cards so here are just a couple of cards....thought I would share what happens when I play with paper and glue...and not much else.

A House-Full of Love part 2

Tonight the house is very quiet since both Dave's Mom and Heather and Kai headed for home today! But we had so much fun....crazy, busy, often loud, lots of laughs, and with Megan and the boys joining us from Wednesday to Sunday, every bed and bedroom full! I just had to share some of my favorite pictures....
both Aidan and Jaxon were glad to see Gigi again, and she was such a trooper, always willing to read, play or listen to them.

Watching Aidan and Jaxon with Kai was fun...they were so gentle with him and he just loved watching them.

Jaxon definitely likes his Auntie Heather.....we would catch him grinning at her when no one was looking. And of course he was always asking anyone who would listen if they would  read a book.

Kai and I steal some quiet moments together.

Spending days doing life together was extra-special....time for aunties and nephews, cousins, grandparents and even a great-grandmother to enjoy doing the daily things of life together along with the extras like shopping trips, lunches, and even cheering on the Canucks!!

It was such a blessing for Dave's Mom to be able to meet Kai, her fifth great-granchild.

Trying to get a picture with Gigi and her great-grandsons was a bit of a challenge. But on Sunday I caught them playing Dominos together.

At the end of each day, there was time for stories.....Aidan and Jaxon would come and ask Pa to tell them stories and just like their Daddy years before them, they would then head to the bedroom for Pa's stories.

It won't be long before Kai joins his cousins to hear Pa's stories before bedtime. He is growing up so fast.....

A House-Full!

1 Greatgrandmother
2 Grandparents
2 Sisters-in-love
3 Little Boys...cousins
All this definitely makes for a 'House-Full' of love, laughter, and amazing memories! No pictures for now because we are busy, but enjoying having every bedroom and bed full.

Happy Birthday Mr. Matthew

I don't know why I always seem to call you Mr. Matthew, but Happy Birthday to you just the same! What a blessing you have been to Heather and to our entire family.

It's so much fun to watch you with Kai, your little brown-eyed sweetheart! You are an awesome Dad and Kai just loves spending time with you.

Playing with you is always so much fun, and then when you get Tika involved, well it just doubles the adventure.

We first heard your name spoken when Heather was planning her year at Bible School in Texas. The travel agent that was booking her flights told her that there was another very handsome(according to her) young man that was also flying down to attend His Hill. Heather and her friend Jen spent the entire first flight trying to figure out which man on their flight was Matt Isaak! Who knew that 5 years later you would be getting married.

The two of you have been through the best of times and the worst of times as you dared to follow your dreams while at the same time losing your two special little girls, Avery and Sophie. But now you have your little Kai Bear and it is so much fun to watch the three of you as you build your family.

Matt, you are definitely our son-in-love, and we are so thankful  that you love our daughter and are a part of our family. You have been in our thoughts all day today and we truly do wish you a very Happy Birthday!

An Afternoon in the Park

After naptime on Sunday we headed down to the park. It was such a beautiful afternoon and the boys were excited about going again since we went last week as well. Jaxon headed for the swings and wanted 'Baby Kai' to come swing too.

Does it get any better than this?

Swinging in the park with my cousins....

Aidan is too big for the baby swings so he headed to the big swings.

From the swings Aidan and Jaxon headed to the climbing apparatus.

I have a picture of both Aidan and Caily looking through these bars so I wanted to make sure and capture Jaxon up there too.

It's always fun to try different things out....

Aidan wanted to go exploring in the 'forest' by the park......

So many great places to climb on and sit on.

Meanwhile Kai was wishing he was big like his boy cousins .....won't be long before he will be running after them!

Three generations in the park is always so much fun!

Too Nice to Stay Inside

Today when Jamie and Megs and the boys arrived for Sunday dinner after church, Aidan declared that is was just too nice to stay inside and they had brought their baseball bat, glove and ball to play baseball! The driveway was easily converted into a ballpark and Aidan was ready for Jamie to pitch the ball while Jaxon stood ready to play back catcher....at least we think that is what he thought he was!(notice how he has the baseball glove on)

'He hits a home run!!!'

Heather and Kai are down for a visit so we even had fans to cheer and of course I was the official photographer.

Kai loved watching all the action.

Next it was Jaxon's turn to hit the ball while Aidan cheered him on. .

And all this happened before we even sat down for Sunday Dinner....so much fun to be had since it really was just too nice to stay inside

His Eye is on the Sparrow

There is a birdhouse hanging in the birch tree in our backyard that I can see from any of the windows at the back of our house. This morning as I looked out my kitchen window I saw a sparrow sticking her head out the little hole! She's back!

 
Every year she builds her nest in that house and we enjoy watching both the building going on(Aidan thinks it is soooo much fun to watch her going in and out) and watching her when the eggs hatch and she spends her days finding food to feed them.

As I watched the sparrow this morning I was reminded of that old hymn, His Eye is on the Sparrow, and thought about how amazing it is that according to Matthew 10: 29-31 God is the one that takes care of even the sparrows:
                Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.

I can trust Him to take care of me and my family, looking after all of our needs. As I so often say, God is never surprised, never too early nor too late. It made me smile and as I walked away from the sink I was humming the song:
 I sing because I’m happy,
I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

I sing because I’m happy,
I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

---

Running away from it all

On Saturday Dave and I decided that we were going to leave all our work at home and run away from it all to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival(about 60 minutes north of Seattle). We were absolutely amazed at the sheer beauty everywhere we looked.

We laughed at ourselves because we just had to take pictures of each color from every perspective! That's what happens when you have two photographers with one camera and two very different ways to look at absolutely everything, even tulips! Who knew?

Rows and rows and rows of tulips.... I thought that this was my favorite color.

But then I saw these.

I have always loved yellow tulips.

And then I saw these that looked more like peonies.

And then these.

 It was incredible to see so many different colors and varieties.

I remember that at one point I thought white tulips were boring....but I was so wrong! They were sooooo beautiful!

Dave asked me to pose for this picture. I was literally tiptoeing through the tulips.

It was like everywhere we turned there was another color, another variety, more incredible beauty.

And the very best part of the day? Just spending the day with my sweetheart, running away from it all and loving every minute of it!