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Daily Diary – August 19 2011

Here we are at the end of another work week. I am tired and could use a nap. As I was taking photos of my layouts today, the little boy came to the stairs to show me his toy.

He was quite excited about it.

and then I snapped one of David (I stood above him as he lay on the floor for this one.)

The little boy looks so much older with the haircut doesn’t he?

David told me his coldsore was hurting too much to smile.

But the little boy broke out the big guns.

And David couldn’t help but play along of course.

And then he calmed down again to write the gratitude words and we were at the end of another day.

I don’t really have big plans this weekend. We are going to have date night and go to visit some friends. Other than that, I plan to do art and read and play with my kids. The very best kind of weekend to have.

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful for the weekend.
2. I am grateful that I have almost no todo items this weekend.
3. I am grateful that life is starting to feel calm again.

Three Things David’s Grateful For:
1. I am grateful that I watched a movie with Ece. * {his pick for the journal}
2. I am grateful that I played with Daddy and Nathaniel.
3. I am grateful that I watched some Bob the Builder with Nathaniel.

Daily Diary – August 18 2011

today was not a good photo day. When I asked Nathaniel he gave me this.

and when I said I needed more, he gave me the “no fair” look.

and then the devastated one.

david was a bit more accomodating.

I haven’t been so great at taking daily pictures lately. I will get back into it because I love having them. I just need to make it more of a priority. Work’s been too hectic and, of course, that doesn’t help. As we go into the fall season I will have to think of ways to readjust my schedule, and figure out what I want to cut out and what I want to add etc. I know from experience that it helps to think ahead a little and then also wait and see how the new routines are (school drop off etc.) so I know where my pockets of time are and what I can fit into them.

I am both excited and sad that fall is coming. I am not ready for 2011 to end yet. It’s been a good year for me and I feel like clinging to it a bit longer and feel like it’s all passing way too quickly.

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I have been doing a lot of art and I am grateful for that.
2. I am grateful for that my todo list is dwindling.
3. I am grateful that my jaw seems to be doing considerably better. Let’s hope it’s gone for good.

Three Things David’s Grateful For:
1. I am grateful that I have swimming class. * {his pick for the journal}
2. I am grateful that I played lego men with my brother. (khan academy!)
3. I am grateful for Daddy.

Daily Sketching – Week 19

Here are the sketches from this week. Many are still from the awesome Abigail Halpin.

Wednesday, I made this girl. She used a digital texture in the background but I used pastels in mine.

the next day, I had little time so I did this girl:

Friday I did this angel but didn’t color cause i had no time:

on Saturday my pastel pencils had arrived so I did this girl with wings:

on Sunday, I did the awesome ladybug carrying the nest. I love this one. Used pastel pencils again.

Monday was this boy.

Tuesday I changed artists and subjects and tackled this bluebird:

and here we are. as always some are ok others not so great. let’s see what next week brings.

Daily Diary – August 17 2011

David had a friend over today so Nathaniel had to play by himself downstairs and he was not happy about it.

but he gave up and just played anyway.

When I asked him for a smile I got this.

and this.

and David gave me this one.

and this one.

My jaw is a bit better today, thank you for your kind words. I must admit some of the peace of the last few weeks is gone. I do want it back and plan to slowly claim it again. I’ve still been doing sketching, art journaling, and scrapbooking daily. I am not journaling a lot but I am doing a little in my weeklong journal. I need to do that more. I also hope to work on Soul Restoration a bit more. But I am doing a lot of art and I am happy about that. I am feeling quite tired lately partly cause I am still getting up at night to take David to the bathroom and partly cause I am not sleeping well. But that’s life. It shall pass. Always does.

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful for my sixth day in a row of making layouts!
2. I am grateful for getting ahead of schedule.
3. I am grateful for art and books, they save me again and again.

Three Things David’s Grateful For:
1. I am grateful that Ece came to our house. * {his pick for the journal}
2. I am grateful that I played with my brother. (khan academy!)
3. I am grateful that I read to Mommy.

Daily Diary – August 16 2011

Today started out stressful and just didn’t get much better from there. Here’s the little boy watching some TV. I love the way he’s sitting.

we took our walk early today and I brought my camera along.

Nathaniel wasn’t playing along but I got a few of David.

we got back and I put Nathaniel down but he refused to nap, so I just gave up and he played while I worked. Can you almost hear him make sounds as he’s playing?

I love having little boys around. They are so unbearably cute.

My jaw-ache (yes it’s back) got progressively worse from there and has reached unbearable proportions. I am trying to stay calm and hope it goes away but it’s really quite terrible.

My goal tonight is to buckle down and get some of my todo list items done. Emails replied to, layouts and blog posts uploaded, and maybe even comments. Let’s see how far I get.

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful for yet another layout done. I am on a roll!
2. I am grateful for Jake taking the kids out for haircuts tonight when I needed some quiet time.
3. I am grateful for a relatively painless dev push.

Three Things David’s Grateful For:
1. I am grateful that I played with my brother. * {his pick for the journal}
2. I am grateful that I can now do 3-digit multiplication. (khan academy!)
3. I am grateful that I played with my legos.

Weekly Art Journal – Weeklong for July 18

This weeklong page was originally inspired by this wonderful canvas. I loved how unique it is.

This week I just had fun and used all the stamps I wanted to.

here’s the left page:

And the right side:

And here’s the filled page:

I love this one, too.

Weekly Art Journal is a weekly project for 2011. You can read more about it here. And you can find out more about the weeklong daily journaling here.

Daily Diary – August 15 2011

Today was a whirlwind. I did a lot of work. I also caught up in several other projects. The little boy woke up from his nap with this hair.

I love the crazy hair!

David was sweet most of the day. He played with his legos. He’s been doing that a lot lately.

This evening we lost electricity. For over two hours. It had been a long long time since that happened so it was quite odd. I used the time to snuggle up with the boys and then when they went down, I scrapped. Now I just want to sleep even though I have a few important todo list items. Maybe if I rest a bit I will feel like getting some work done.

Sorry for the quiet today, just feeling tired. How are you doing?

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful for yet another layout I finished.
2. I am grateful for some quiet time thanks to lack of electricity.
3. I am grateful for my jaw hurting considerably less.

Three Things David’s Grateful For:
1. I am grateful that I played with my legos. * {his pick for the journal}
2. I am grateful that we got the electricity back.
3. I am grateful that I made some creations.

Daily Diary – August 14 2011

Another weekend day means another set of family photos. I often get kisses during the shoot which is one of my favorite parts.

Jake said to leave the TV on today so the kids would look at the camera more. Even he’s looking at the TV!

Nathaniel insisted that he carry the new case he got with his knights toy.

there was tickle time of course.

and then when Nathaniel went to nap, Jake showed David a present one of his friends gave us: a playstation 2. David was so very happy and grateful.

they played for a bit and I scrapped a page and did some sketching. Then the little boy woke up.

And David let me take a photo before he ran to his room to create with his legos.

I spent the afternoon mostly dozing on and off. I’ve been tired and in pain. My jaw seems to be acting up today and four Advils did nothing so far. Let’s hope it’s gone soon.

This week promises to be a bit more hectic than the last few. But not too much. I plan to buckle down and get a bunch of items crossed off my list early in the week. But tonight I get to relax. I am going to read and if I feel better I can do some art later in the night.

I hope you’ve all had a fabulous weekend! Here’s to a great week.

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful for another layout I finished.
2. I am grateful for feeling centered and organized.
3. I am grateful for a possibly busy (but hopefully not hectic) week.

Three Things David’s Grateful For:
1. I am grateful that I got a playstation two. * {his pick for the journal}
2. I am grateful that I played with my legos.
3. I am grateful that mommy and i finished our book.

Daily Diary – August 13 2011

Happy Saturday! We had a quiet day of course. We got up early and took family photos after exercise-time. I snapped one of my boys.

and there was remote-related conversation of course. Nathaniel had it.

when I tried to take it, he insisted that Daddy take the photos.

then we just gave up and dove into tickle time.

which was awesome, of course.

Afterwards Jake and David rode bikes for a bit and then played soccer together while Nathaniel and I hugged on the couch. And then I went to lunch with my neighbors and David played wii and Nathaniel napped. (and so did Jake.) When I came back I sketched. Then it was time to watch a movie. Nathaniel played as he watched, of course. (see the red box reflecting off of the sun to his face? that’s the red tint of the photo)

And David gave me less than one second to snap this one.

Now they are settling down for the night and I am trying to decide whether I should scrap, art journal, or just cuddle up with a book. Maybe a little of each?

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful for a fun lunch with friends.
2. I am grateful for snuggle time with Nathaniel.
3. I am grateful for one more day of vacation.

Three Things David’s Grateful For:
1. I am grateful that I watched a movie. * {his pick for the journal}
2. I am grateful that I played wii.
3. I am grateful that I played soccer with daddy.

Daily Diary – August 12 2011

I actually scrapbooked today. It had been a long time. But I had a lot of fun and there were so many things that it ended up spreading over to the little boy’s table. So he took a look at them, of course.

He was quite fascinated.

The big boy played quietly most of the day and then wrote in his gratitude journal.

He was already dressed for his soccer class.

and the little boy kept playing with the containers of my scrappy goodies.

I have been on fire with the art journaling ever since yesterday’s big revelation. I’ve made 3 pages and have already thought of my fourth. I am so thankful and excited. Let’s hope it lasts.

Plans this weekend include at least one more layout and a bunch more art journaling. That’s about it. Reading, playing, hugging the family, too, of course. Happy weekend!

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful for some pastel pencils I just got in the mail.
2. I am grateful for some scrap time. It felt wonderful.
3. I am grateful for getting my license renewed. I was dreading the DMV but it was relatively painless.

Three Things David’s Grateful For:
1. I am grateful that I watched some lego movies. * {his pick for the journal}
2. I am grateful that I played with Nathaniel’s new knights playmobil toy.
3. I am grateful that I had my last soccer class.

Daily Diary – August 11 2011

Today was a day without great photos. Just the way it goes sometimes. there was staring.

there were more silly faces.

and little boys imitating.

little boys who are just too cute.

going on tippie tippie toes to reach way above his height.

and a big boy who was super-delighted to make it to level two in his swimming class. rock.star.boy.

Things are still going swimmingly here. Life is full but not stressful. I am thankful. I am grateful. I have more to say but I have about 14 posts to schedule (a LOT of art journaling coming up in the next few weeks) so I better get started. I will be posting so much in the next few weeks, you might get sick of me. I hope I don’t scare you away permanently.

Three Things I’m Grateful For:
1. I am grateful for a good dev release despite a few hiccups.
2. I am grateful for finally finally finally having found my art journaling voice….maybe.
3. I am grateful for my husband who is always always always the light of my life.

Three Things David’s Grateful For:
1. I am grateful that I played with my lego men. * {his pick for the journal}
2. I am grateful that I had a treat.
3. I am grateful that I moved to level two in swimming.