I've Been Tagged

You have to post these rules before you give the facts. Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don't have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had. When you are tagged you need to write your own blog-post and then choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don't' forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

S: Solitude. Gotta have some everyday. Love being in fun groups and sharing time with my family and friends, but I'm also very happy to be by myself.

P: Planner. Sometimes to the extreme. I have two calendars going at all times and I like to know what's happening and when so I can add it to my plan. Sometimes I'm grumpy if my plans are changed or don't work out.

E: Enthusiastic. About scrapbooking, of course! But if what you're doing turns me on in some way, I'll cheerfully be there to help and encourage.

N: New Iberia. Louisiana, that is. It where I was literally "born on the bayou" in the same hospital and delivered by the same doctor as my dad. It's the town closest to the island where McIlhenney Tabasco Sauce is made and I still have some relatives living on the island and working for the McIlhenneys.

C: Comfort. It's a no brainer. I love blue jeans and t-shirts. I don't usually wear makeup because I like to rub my eyes if need be. I have to sleep on a fluffy pillow. My shoes cannot hurt no matter how cute they are. Hot tea with milk and sugar is my friend.

E: Enigmatic. I tend to be a private person about my feelings, so I think my emotions are sometimes puzzling and mysterious to my family and friends.

That's it. This was fun. I'm following the rules and tagging six people whose names begin with each letter of my middle name. But to shake it up a bit, I blog searched scrapbooking and have chosen six random people who have no idea who I am. Maybe we'll make some new friends. So, Shannon, Patty, Enchanted Rose, Nicole, Christine, and Emily, TAG, you're it.

Poor Stacy Julian

I'm taking the class at Big Picture Scrapbooking that everyone is in an uproar about on the message boards. I'm not a board poster, so I'll post my comments here. Who cares? People make mistakes. I know I've made my share of them with my big mouth. It was a terrible mistake by Stacy Julian to send that e-mail. But it doesn't make me want to stop taking classes from BPS. The e-mail wasn't even that bad and believe me, I've had days working in this industry when I may have said a lot worse about complaining customers. It's just another example of the "catty" drama that occurs on the message boards and how things get blown out of proportion. I refuse to participate. I continue to support BPS and the work they're trying to do. So there.

Feelin' the Love

for organization. I spent the entire day yesterday organizing and cleaning my studio. I touched all my supplies, found a home for the stray and new products, dusted the shelves and swept the floor. I am ready to create! One of the reasons for my whirlwind organizing is that I am challenging myself to really use what I have and I needed to know what was really there. I must say I am blessed to have an abundance of scrapbooking supplies.

I haven't posted in a while because I feel I should have a picture to accompany my post and I haven't reviewed or dealt with my photos in a while. Silly, I know, but I sometimes get caught up in the way things should be instead of how they really are. In reality, I am busy and will get to my pictures sometime soon and I don't want to deprive my family and friends of the details of my very important and awesome life!!!

In goings on, we took a wonderful camping trip to Winchester Lake the weekend before last and then enjoyed the Lentil Festival this past weekend. I cropped with my good friend Erin on Saturday night in Lewiston at Crop Paper Scissors. First time to crop there and really enjoyed myself. Those gals are wonderful. I am working on a birthday present for my mom and an album from our trip to Alaska. Claire starts third grade next week and Ben starts preschool again the week after that. There's a rumor my dear friend Chery is coming to town and this week there is a birthday party (complete with pony!) for my friend Jill's twins who are turning 4. I am looking forward to Fall and a new schedule. I will have six hours a week alone in town when Ben starts school!!! And I'm leading Claire's Brownie Troop this year. We had a 3 hour meeting last night and YUCK, but I won't let that deter me!

This morning I was saying goodbye to Mark on the porch. He had put a banana in his shirt pocket to eat on his drive to town. Ben came outside and, no kidding, said "Is that a banana in your pocket?" and of course Mark replies, "No, I'm just happy to see you." Too easy really.

Learning to Ride

I went away for a little solo camping trip last weekend at my friend Jill's land outside of Santa, ID, and while I was away my baby learned to ride a two-wheeler! He was so excited when I got home to show me his surprise and I have to admit that I was a little teary watching him. Learning to ride a bicycle is like the last passage from baby to little boy. And Claire was quite the little cinematographer, recording it all on our video camera so I could watch it when I got home. Her commentary was hilarious and at one point she was filming Ben on the disc swing and she said "This isn't a movie. It needs drama. If he hit the tree, now that would be a good movie!"

We welcomed two new members to our household last week, Sherbert (left) and Love Bird. Sherbert was Claire's birthday present from Mark and me, and, well, you just can't have two kids and one bird, so now we have two. Love Bird escaped the cage yesterday and was fluttering all around and when I caught him/her, he/she proceeded to clamp down hard on my finger and not let go until I had transfered him/her back to the cage. I tried to pretend like it was no big deal for the sake of the children, but that sucker hurt! I think we have a long road before one of the birds will sit happily on a finger or shoulder.

I got to do a little scrapbooking last night with my friends Erin and Cindy and I completed this page for my Heidi Swapp Year to Remember class. Our challange was to do some collaging around a large photo that made us happy. I like the results and I love that picture of Mark and me on the beach.

It appears that we are going camping this weekend for nephew Kevin's birthday. No final decisions have been made, but it's either that or we're spending the weekend at the river. August is my least favorite time of year here on the Palouse. They're harvesting around our house and it's dusty and dry. I love lentils and garbanzo beans, but it's in that "not in my backyard" kind of way.

A Good Time Was Had By All

Our annual Jones Family Campout was held at Fort Stevens State Park and if you've never been there, you should go. The Oregon Coast is a magical place to visit.

We are so happy to be cuddling on the beach after the scorching temperatures of Eastern Washington.

D.J. and Ethan take a little walk on the beach. Ethan wasn't so sure about the sand thing because he's at that age where he doesn't like stuff on his hands.

Salmon for dinner. Way to go boys!

So lucky to spend time with Mark's grandma.

The annual photo taken by our new friend Cory.

You must fly a kite on these beautiful sandy beaches.

Lots of fun face painting happening in camp. Thanks Emily. You are a true artist.

Baby Jackie joined us for the first time this year. She was a trooper and so was Damon.

Looks like paradise, but very hard to ride your bike on the beach!

I am happy. We should go to the beach every year!