New Normal

Things have changed.

There is a new *normal* around here.



Since taking my break,

I have implemented a few changes

in my online life.





I have a notebook.

It can be carried from room to room.

It can be shut down

and put away.



And,

that is exactly

what I have been doing.



Email.

Shopping.

Blogging.

Research.

Gmail.



It all waits until I take it off its shelf

for an online *session*.

My goal is to keep it

to two *sessions* per week.



Liberty.

Freedom.

Joy.



How wonderful it is!





No more *quick checks*

that run into *long visits*.

No more *losing track of time* online.



There is a pre-appointed,

set aside,

allotted time.

For all of this.



And then, it is shut down.

Until next time.

By God's Grace

and with HIS help.

I am not perfect,

but HE is!



May the LORD help us all

to take stock and heed His Words.



"So teach us to number our days,

that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."

~ Psalm 90:12 ~





I fully realize that we are not

all in the same situation.



Life is always changing.



What works for me,

may not necessarily be what works for you.

We are all at different stages of life.

And that is good!



But, I would encourage you to pray about what

the LORD would have you to do.



And then...

Follow Him.



Many blessings to you each one!

In Him,

Camille

Picture Perfect Work

So, this is officially my most favorite hallway work display...ever!  This is our complete gallery of frames, all ready to hang some beautiful first grade work!  I had so many wonderful suggestions for titles for the gallery of frames, but I finally decided on "Picture Perfect Work"!  So, a very big thank you to Lisa T. who "imagined up" that title and shared it with me!  Here are some of the frames below, holding self-portraits the kids made using construction paper and scrapbook paper!  I have probably left these in my hallway a little too long--but I just do not want to take them down yet!  They really make me smile! 

 Each kid is holding an "All About Me" book.

 Look at this precious person, with her little red glasses! 

 This one has pigtails!  Fun!

Lovin' those glasses again!  

P.R.O.J.E.C.T.S.

What did we *DO* all Summer??

Well, we had some fun playing.

And, we had some fun working.

We all got in on the act.



One of the first things I did was

ask Howie to pick me up some of this...

To fix this...

Yes, I did it myself!

(Don't even ask how many rags I used up)! :)

And my Sweetie taught Calvin

how to do this...

And Calvin sanded most of it himself!

Emma got to try...

For about two minutes. :)

The finished deck...

(it's wet from being washed...

we didn't use a *high gloss* stain) :)

Meanwhile,

Austin did this...

And this...

Fraser and Emma tackled this...

And, after a LOT of this...

We got this (it's a lovely, creamy,

washable yellow).

Calvin did some of this...

To put into this...

Austin stacked and stacked and stacked...

Which my Dad built!

(Thank you Dad) ~ xo

My Treasures...





We are not always this productive in the Summer-time.

It seemed that MANY things needed attention

this year for some reason.

We are very thankful that we have

so many precious helpers! :)



Many blessings,

Camille

Challenge 18 - G is for ....

Well it looks like it's time for another challenge.  What a success the 'Anything Goes' challenge has been (nearly 300 entries as I schedule).  The current challenge is sponsored by the fabulous Letraset.

ProMarkers are made by Letraset and are a twin tipped, dye based alcohol marker offering a high quality product at a great price. Avilable in 148 colours, they give incredible tonal range and can be applied to a diverse range of materials, not just paper and card. ProMarkers produce vivid, bright colours right through to the subtlest pastel shades - the translucent inks can also be overlaid and blended, even further extending the range of shades and hues on offer. ProMarker's quality nibs and inks provide flawless colour lay down with consistent coverage and no unsightly streaking.

I'm scheduling this from my holidays and I only just realised that I haven't checked the prize but I'm sure it'll be wonderful.  I'll update the post as soon as I can but don't think I'll have internet access for a few days.

The current challenge was set by our team mate, Alex, who is currently taking time out to move house.  It's a nice open challenge so no excuses for anyone.  Here are the ideas that we came up with, hope you like them:

Shirley

Mandy

Donna
(G is for GOOOAAAL!)

Alison
G is for guitar.
(The sentiment I have used is a freebie on my blog)

Sarah
G is for Green

Jen

G is for Garden Shed

Wenche:

G is for Guitar

Patricia

G is for Grow

Because I'm scheduling this in advance, not everyone's cards are ready but there's a list of the Design Team's blogs at the top right.  Please take a look at the rest.

So there you have it, now for some rules:

1.  Your card must be new for this challenge.
2.  The card must follow the theme set.
3.  The card must be for a man/boy

The challenge runs until 12 midnight (British Summer Time) on 11 September 2011.  Enter you card in the list below, or leave a comment if it's unavailable.

A West Coast Experience

We went whale watching

on Fraser's Birthday.

It was a glorious day.

And an unforgettable experience!



We were on the boat for seven hours.

And we sat up front most of the day.



Emma is waiting for the

Captain to launch us out into the deep.

Howie enjoying a little *down time*.

A happy looking bunch.

There they are!

See the black fins lined up in a row

off in the distance?

Orca Whales!

(Which, btw, really are

part of the Dophin family...

Who knew?)

Emma and Fraser enjoyed a chat with

*Rusty*...the dog-mascot.

Calvin with his *zoom* lens...

he got some *close-ups* of the Orcas. :)

This pod dove under the boat after this shot

and came up about 1/4 mile away!

Our young man.

Enjoying a rare treat.

Gorgeous views all day long.

It was a lovely day.

A real joy.

We are thankful that we

were able to have this experience

with our children.

God's Creation truly is Glorious!



What special memory did you make

this summer??

Please do share.

I'd enjoy reading about it.



Many Blessings,

Camille

Just 10 Minutes A Day!

Our Fraser LOVES languages.

He is interested in everything from

Arabic to Hebrew to Chinese.





These books

have helped to satisfy his thirst for

knowledge in this area.

And at only *ten minutes a day*

they are perfect!

Fun and interactive.

Engaging and interesting.



He has tried different programs

(some were strictly computer based) ~

but, he keeps coming back to this system.





This is not a school requirement.

He is doing this *just for fun*.

Not to say that it could not be for school,

just to let you know how enjoyable they can be.



These books are *introductory* in nature ~

The goal being to equip the child

with the ability to converse simply

in the chosen language.





This was his response when I asked what he would

like to try next, and I quote ~



"Anything to do with Bilingual Books...

it's always good!"



Imagine this being said with a great deal of

animation and enthusiasm.

As I previously mentioned,

he LOVES languages!





What does the LORD have in store?

My Mama heart wells up with tears

at the thought of where this might lead.

But then, I have to remind myself that

he is only twelve and we do have a few years left

to care for him in our home...up close! :)



The LORD is so gracious with us

and never gives us more than we can bear.

HE will lead and guide and give

the grace for whatever it is HE

calls our children to do.

What a blessing to rest in that!



In the meantime,

we are encouraging this love

for learning these languages by giving

him the tools to explore them all!

But, not all at once...

maybe just one or two at a time. :)



May the LORD bless you

all as you seek to raise up your

children for HIS glory.

And may HE give us each the grace to

allow them to flourish in HIS World!



Many blessings,

Camille