Jaren at the Zoo

I used Isyndra / Nicole Harnisch's Zoomania kit on this lay out based on a template by Kristin Skjæringrud (14_1). Pictures are of my son, daughter-in-law, and grandson at the Henry Doorly Zoo.

Project 365

Just because I haven't been posting my weekly lay outs for my project 365 doesn't mean I haven't been doing them. I could make up some kind of excuse about my computer crashing or something or other, but the fact is I have just plumb forgot to post them. It appears the last time I posted my project 365 was week 6, so to bring you up to date:

Week 7:


Week 8:


Week 9:


Week 10:


Week 11:


Week 12:

Visiting the Historic Kate Shelley Railroad Museum & Park in Moingona

Yesterday we took a drive to find the Kate Shelley Bridge. While we didn't find the bridge built in 1900 and named the Kate Shelley Bridge on yesterday's expedition, we did visit the Kate Shelley Railroad Museum & Park and walked along the path of an abandoned rail line to the Des Moines River. We were accompanied on our walk by our tour guide, Cubbie.

For more information on Kate Shelley, the museum, and the bridge, see:
The Story of UPRR's Kate Shelley Bridge, by Ken Wall, Jeff Teig, P.E., and Tom McCune, P.E.

Kate Shelley Saves the Train, Based on a true story retold by S. E. Schlosser

Kate Shelley Railroad Museum And Park - Moingona, Iowa

Facebook message from Jeremy & Sarah

Jeremy Jorgenson has something to proclaim to the world. "IT'S GOING TO BE A GIRL!!!!!!"

Sarah Kouma Jorgenson would like to announce that . . . SHE'S GOING TO HAVE A GIRL!!!!

I'm going to have another granddaughter! This will make three granddaughters and two grandsons.

Visiting the Omaha Zoo

Spring break was this past week. Jeremy and Sarah were taking Jaren to the Henry Doorly Zoo and invited me to tag along. Carrie, David, and the kids were also planning on going to Omaha on bacation and visiting the zoo. They, however, were staying there several days at a hotel with an indoor water park. They joined us at the zoo in the afternoon when they got into town. We visited the gorillas, cats, and, orangutans, or as Luke calls them, wammerhammers, aka rangertangers. Unfortunately my wammerhammer pictures didn't turn out too good.

This is a 2-page spread I made using Isyndra's Zoomania kit, available at scrapable.net, based on Elizabeth Weaver's Double Duty Two Page Quick Click available at Digital Scrapbook Place.

Here are better views of the zoo pages:

Scrappin Sunday

Did a speed scrap today at Scrapable.net and did completed the lei-out above. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. As I've never speed scrapped before, I didn't know what to expect, but it was a lot of fun. It started at 1 with a posting of step #1. Every 10 minutes another step was posted. Here are the steps:

1. Choose 2 photos and make them black and white. One should be larger than the other. Don't make them the same size.....
2. Choose 3 papers. One must be set on an angle and one must be a rectangle.
3. Add 5 and only 5 elements of your choice. No more and no less. This includes your frames, staples, etc.
4. Add at least 2 stars.
5. Add 1 ribbon. And only one ribbon. And you can use it only once and it has to extend the width of your page. It can be flat, curly, etc. Just not a bow.
6. Add one sentence of journaling. It must include a number.
7. Title your lei-out using an alpha....not a font. An alpha.

Supplies used:

2. Three papers, all three are from Nicole Young's kit "Catch a Dream" ~:~ light grunge,sunny skies, and bright sun;
3. Five elements: From Catch a dream kit: baby word art, faded paper frame, and feather wints; VB_SugarBaby frame; and JHI_SSEmbells_Lace2_wide
4. At least 2 stars: From Catch a Dream: Bubble Star Overlay and from Nicole Young's Love is in the Air kit Hanging Stars
5. One ribbon: Misty Cato Birth to 18 months buckled ribbon
6. One sentence of journaling with a number in it.
7. Title your lei-out using an alpha....not a font. An alpha: Used Gelsticker


Summer Fun
I did this lei-out for another challenge at Scrapable.net. This challenge was called "Bling it on." For this challenge I had to use 1 flat ribbon (no more, no less), 1 or more bling elements (diamond, glitter, etc.), and two circle frames (nomore, no less).

Supplies used: Background Paper, beach ball, and life preserver are all from Life's a Beach March Collaborative Kit; flat ribbon I made; bling is from SpinkyDinkScraps and Simply Scraps "Dreaming of Spring" kit; circle frames I made; journaling strips are SNU_SS_EmbTemplates_JournalStrips_10, stitching is from WW_LIFE365_Stitching, date stamp is AWI_BrushSet_StampADate; and font used was DSP WillJenni. I used Atomic Cupcake action Sparkle or Glitter (can't remember which one I ended up keeping).

My Saturday

After working out with my Wii Fit this morning, Grandpa and I loaded the three beagles into the car for a trip to the vet. It is shots and heart worm testing time. When we go to the vet, people were waiting outside with their dogs. I've never seen this place so busy. I guess everybody else wanted to get it done with early. Molly was getting tired walking around outside so Grandpa went in to wait for them to call us and I walked the youngsters around outside. Not too long later Grandpa called us in and we followed him into a room. The technician looked at me kind of funny and asked which one was Molly. She then asked if sheets had been made out for the other two. Since they have been going there for 10+ years, I thought it was a strange question. Then I saw the name on the chart and we realized it was a different Molly they called in. We were ready to leave but she said with three dogs, we could just stay in there. She knew how much we would be contributing to their office expenses I think. So each dog got three shots and heart worm tests. In addition, there was a fecal ran, Molly's shoulder was examined and we had them x-ray it. On top of that, I picked up a one month supply of Molly's medicines--Rimadyl and Lysodern. The total bill was $350 (her medication was $90). I took my camera and got pictures of the car ride down to the vet, inside the vet's office, and a picture of the receipt. I plan on scrapping it tomorrow.

When we got home I saw Carrie had called. The girls wanted to tell me about reading/listening to Black Beauty, a book I bought them Thursday. This was a favorite of mine when I was a youngster. Cailey in a sort of choked-up voice told me it had a happy ending. Carrie then went on to tell me that both girls cried after listening to it. It makes me happy when stories I loved in the 1960s are still making a hit 40+ years later with my granddaughters.

Then we picked up Jaren so his Mom and Dad could go to a movie. We had him about 7 hours and had a wonderful time. We went over to see G.G. and her new kitten. Jaren loves animals.

Tonight I did this lei-out for the Treasure Hunt challenge over at Scrapable.net. It's along the same lines of the challenges I did during the ADSR 4 race. For this one, I had to use one striped paper, 2 plain papers, 4 pictures, 2 different frames, 2 different alphas (pool fun), 2 different fonts, no flowers or hearts, and at least 4 sentences of journaling. I chose this picture of the girls from 2004 when they were 2 1/2 years old playing in the pool in our front yard.

Catching up with Grandma

Grandpa is working 12-hour days this week so I basically come home, fix dinner, and send him off to work. Then I go wild--I bring out the Wii Fit and do some step aerobics and boxing (love the boxing work out). Tonight I went a little crazy and went to the mall to walk. It's hard to call Southridge a mall these days--it's more a ghost town where the punks go to hang out. Did three miles before heading home to watch American Idol. My favorites are still in it.

I've also been trying to organize all my digital scrapbooking supplies and downloading some new freebies. Tonight I did a layout for Linda's "X Marks the Spot" challenge over at Scrapable.net. This month the title is: Spread Some Sunshine and we had to make a unique lei-out using this title. I chose these pictures of Cailey from last June since she spreads the sunshine everywhere she goes.

Jaren you are loved

Here is my last layout of the night. Been working on this all night with custom shadows (while finishing a bottle of wine). Used a kit from Misty Cato, About a Boy, Birth to 18 months.

Bacation

Here's another layout I just finished. I used Misty Cato's "All About a Boy Age 3-5" for this page. The journaling reads, "Luke, for 4 months you are always wanting to go to the zoo. Last week, though, you kept insisting on going on bacation. When asked what you do on bacation you said you go see animals, so that is what wwe did. You and I spent the day together and went on bacation to the zoo. Even though you didn't look like you were enjoying yourself, you did.

What I'm Learning

I'm in Clear Lake at the Chick Nest at a digital scrapbooking retreat. Did get a little sleep last night. I've learned how to warp frames for more realistic shadows and curls and to do reflection photo. The food is great and I'm having a great time. These are a couple layouts I've done.