Live it!

Summer lovin'

We are thoroughly enjoying our summer. When it isn't raining you can find us hanging around our pool - soaking up the sun (with our SPF 50 on... lol) and the kids are turning into fish.

Keaton can swim the entire length of our pool now underwater and he has perfected the run, bounce and dive off diving board move... I'm sure there is a technical term for it but that is all I've got. He loves doing front flips off the diving board and when he isn't swimming he is making forts with the beach towels or tormenting us with his many water guns.

Chloe is going to grow fins soon I think. She just turned five and has been swimming on her own in the pool for a year now. She can now swim the length of the pool on her own and loves to make up water games to play with her brother. Wrestling with daddy is high up on her list of favourite water activities. She perfected a front roll and back roll in the water while I was away in Chicago. My little fish!

Look at her swirling in the water. She is obsessed with mermaids right now - I think she thinks she is one:

I've just started trying to teach Chloe how to dive - this is not how to do it:

Reading - big boy style

Well, how do I put into words what I felt tonight when I found Keaton was reading (without me prompting and pushing him into it) the books I had purchased for him several months ago. He couldn't fall asleep tonight and so when I came up to check on him I found him reading one of his "Goosebumps" novels - he was on Chapter 2.

Just like that I had tears in my eyes. I guess because he is really growing up. He is enjoying reading and being more independent - not relying on me to read to him and entertain him into peaceful slumber.

I am so proud of him. He is a terrific reader at 7 years old. The fact that he is becoming absorbed in a book makes me ecstatic and full of pride for him... and perhaps a bit nostalgic and sad that my boy is growing up to fast for his mother's liking.

Check him out... by the light of a little table lamp. The decrepit teddy bear in his arms is his constant bed time companion, Twinkle. He is falling apart but Keaton would be lost without him.

My goodness I love this boy!

Soccer is his sport!

Well, even though Keaton didn't really want to play soccer this year after I'd already signed him up(because he is obsessed with hockey), he came around to it once he heard a friend of his was on the same team.

It is a good thing he changed his mind... our boy ROCKED the soccer field. My tiny but mighty kid was so good this year. He learned so much and his speed and agility (he is like a firecracker) had him scoring lots of goals and stunning us with how quickly he could defend the goalie and then run up and score a goal. Back and forth he ran for 40 minutes at a time in some games. Yes, I'm a proud mom!  He also was really happy to have his dad as his soccer coach although I think Shaune is relieved that the soccer season is over. It was a bit hectic for him trying to finish up work and be on the soccer field by 6pm 2 nights a week. He did a great job as coach! Keaton wants him to do it again next year.

While I was at CHA in Chicago, Keaton's soccer tournament took place. I am sad I missed it. He showed me his trophy and his group photo that he got at the end of tourney day - he is getting quite the collection of sport memorabilia lately.

Next up is getting ready again for hockey season. He and his buddies from hockey are going to be doing power skating in the coming weeks... interesting to go sit in a cold arena in the heat of summer. Keaton is now counting down the months til hockey starts back up again. I think it will be nice to have a month off with no sports - just R&R in the evenings :)

CHA Chicago 08

I'm home! Yesterday we just lounged around the house... the kids missed me like crazy but I know I missed them even more. 5 days is a long time. It is always nice to get away and enjoy some girl time with friends but it is always extra-nice to get home again to the ones I missed so much.

Shaune and my mom did a great job while I was away. Other than an infestation of fruit flies swarming in my kitchen (ripe bananas' anyone?) all went tickity-boo. Thanks Shaune for not only keeping everything great with the kids but for also taking the time to do fun things with them and for taking them to the Emerson (my side of the family) reunion which was a 1.5 hr drive away. You are the best. Thanks Mom, you make it so much easier knowing that when Shaune is working you have the kids and are keeping them happy and entertained. I couldn't travel and enjoy this part of scrapbooking without your support.

Ok... so the show. It was fun. Of course traveling and getting to work with Becky, Jenn and Tracy is always the highlight. We have become good friends and I just don't think I could enjoy the travel if I didn't have them to laugh and talk with all day (and night) long.  I also got the chance to spend some time with the wonderful women of BHG Scrapbooks Etc. I still can't believe I'm a part of this awesome magazine. They had some fun products out at the show (online photo albums) which I'll post more about seperately, maybe tomorrow.

I took time each day to walk the show and saw so many inspiring products - yummy paper lines, fun tools and gadgets and my favourite - a ton of embellishments!!! I didn't get to every booth but a few that I remember being excited about are:

Scenic Route - they always have great papers and accents.

October Afternoon - They have some cool new collections, including one called "Night light" with friendly monsters. I also got a stamp set from them that is a lot of fun, cannot wait to try it out.

Cosmo Cricket - LOVED their new collections. It was super busy in their booth when I stopped by. Mr. Campy collection and another children collection called Jack's World caught my eye for sure.

Making Memories is always a favourite of mine. They didn't disappoint with some holiday theme collections, fun embellishments and some new clear stamps. I think the Slice should be on everyone's must have list!

Basic Grey had 5 new collections. The two that really had me excited were: Ambrosia and Offbeat. I always love their papers.

My good friend, Renee Coffey designs for Sonburn and her Eco-Chic collection is adorable and I love the concept of it. I heard alot of people talking about it at the show. Way to go Renee! I can't wait to use it!

Fancy Pants - one of my favourites every show! They have this delicious trim there and some very cool collections - The Daily Grind is a lot of fun!

I was working at the Creativity booth. Autumn Leaves had some delicious new stamps out and featured a limited release collection by the one-and-only Rhonna Farrer called Urban Junque. It was a smaller release show for us as we prepare for a big, exciting showing at the CHA Winter show.

Sassafras Lass - talk about fun fun fun. I walked around their booth smiling. I can't wait to get ahold of their new collections.

There was more I saw and loved. If I think of them again I'll post more later.

Making photo collages

hi, I just wanted to share a cool link from BHG Scrapbooks Etc. Melissa Inman - Group Editor for our magazine has designed some amazing templates - 16 square and 20 rectangle photo collage templates that are terrific for grouping and showcasing a bunch of photos for your layouts or for a blog post too!

I thought I'd share the link HERE. On this page you can also view the short video on how to use them and download several different compositions. It is FREE too! Have fun!

Here is one I did really quick using a rectangle template I downloaded.

Layout share

I seldom share my work on my blog anymore. Most of it is for upcoming magazine publications so 'secret'.

I've been doing some layouts and cards lately for Hero Arts and I just gotta say I am really enjoying stamping on my layouts. For the longest time I was afraid of stamping for some reason but the more I play with my stamps... the more versatile and fun they become.

Check out the link HERE for a stamping layout I did yesterday with some of my Muskoka vacation pictures.

One of Chloe

Kerri got one of Chloe jumping the first day we spent on the cliffs at Killbear. I love it! Shaune's face down below is priceless. (click on the photo to see it larger)

Chloe just saw the photo on my computer screen and said "Momma, I was a little scared... actually I was a big scared" So, I asked her why she jumped then (4x no less) and she said "I'm just not sure".

PS: We made sure the kids jumped from the safest spot and the water was super deep... even when I jumped I didn't go down to the sandy bottom.

More photos :)

Here are some more photos of our little get away to the wilderness! BLISS!

Keaton tossing the ball to Dad:

Adison:

Keaton jumping off the rock cliff... brave kid! (Chloe jumped 4x too but I was in the water below so no photos of her jumping)

Matt jumping:

Shaune jumping off the cliffs at Killbear (I jumped too but you will not being seeing any photos of that!)

Fun and S'mores at the Bonfire:

A busy but blissful week

It has been a busy but wonderful week.

We started our summer holidays on July 1st, Canada Day... with a party up at Aunt Marg's house on Collin's Lake in Kingston area to celebrate Shaune's mom's birthday. A lot of the family gathered and Janice and Ben were still down from Australia to visit. It was great seeing everyone and the kids loved the lake where they went fishing and both caught fish! That was exciting for them.

After the party we rushed off to start a very long drive to the Muskoka area for a 5 day vacation with friends. We stayed in Nobel and visited a bunch of the amazing lakes in the area. Our families favourite was Killbear Provincial park where the water was crystal clear (but very cold) and where there was cliff jumping to watch (and partake of). We saw wildlife (including a fisher, a buck and a few deers) and avoided other wildlife (I did not know there were rattler snakes in Ontario Canada! and we didn't let the kids wander too much for fear of bears, etc). We travelled with Kerri, Matt and family and had an amazing time. It was very laid back and easy and we loved it. One day the guys took the boys (Ben and Keaton) fishing while us girls (myself, Kerri, Chloe, Adison and Anna) went antique and market shopping. The Muskoka's is the summer playground for a lot of wealthy families and many a celebrity too and it was just cool checking out the hundreds of amazing mansions built along the shorelines of the many bodies of water surrounding us.