project 365 - part seven

and the busy month of July - ah...summer!

At a chocolate tasting in Hershey, PA!

a few days camping with my parents...resulted in this close encounter with a swan

molly and i at the beach...one of our favorite hangouts this time of year

at the funeral visitation for my great-uncle bob...diagnosed with liver cancer and passed away
9 days later

our summer vacation included a celebrity sighting!

project 365 - part six

June is busting out all over...

A visit from my cousins from Georgia

Celebrating Molly's 3rd birthday at the Great Lakes Loons game...complete with fireworks!

a picture of the kids in Dow Gardens

group shot with my brother and his kids from my parent's 35th anniversary party
(and dad's 60th and 15 and 6 year survival!)

baker cousins getting ready to run the 1 mile fun run at the Dow Run/Walk

project 365 - part five

recap of the month of May...

my first batch of cupcake pops...i'm a pro now :)

our new geocaching hobby...more to come on that later!

no May recap is complete without the Mega Meet!

and I hosted a fantastic Girls Weekend with my friends and our daughters

Jason and Maya took in a Tigers game

project 365 - part four

April's selections....

of course, the whole family at disney world

eating easter morning breakfast at a Waffle House

our house coming into bloom this spring

the first time we ever won any money on a mega millions ticket ($3 - wahoo - on my dad's 60th birthday) it's not like we play all the time, but it was nice to win something...and actually, the very next drawing we won $2...we're rolling in it now!!

maya's birthday breakfast (lightning speed at the big boy buffet) on the morning of her birthday

since i checked in last...

I went to florida for spring break with the family...

the easter bunny came...while we were in florida!!


i had a daughter that turned seven.....and we hosted a bowling party for 14 first graders!!


i joined kate and tara for a night of cropping at one of our favorite detroit area scrapbook stores...


porter started soccer season....
so did jason (he's #37...)!!


maya and jason took in a tigers game...and maya got to run the bases...


our family adventure to a loons game was rained out...


i met jenna martin (who looks JUST like her dad...)

and the mega meet has come and gone...see the previous post!

mega meet

read all about my goings on the last months of my life here....at the mega meet blog...(click on the 'headers')


here's info about the crop parties...i 'supervise' the staff....and plan/schedule/coordinate activities and prizes and whatnot...

crop winners and more

here's pictures of set up day....i coordinate exhibitor contracts with regards to booth size and product they carry...and more....

setting up!

here's info and pictures on the birthday bash i planned the night before the show floor opened...i had a fantastic time ;) and i'm not sure i've ever laughed harder than during neil's commentary as he led the group in the 'macarena' during the dance party portion of the party...

birthday bash

here's all the dedicated folks that pay to come to our little event ;)

thursday morning

and a special thank you to my partners-in-crime...it is only because of you that i do this job...and i enjoy reaping the benefits of our hard work by your side...and with a beer...

project 365 - part three

march's selections

our pre-spring break shopping spree for new clothes and a new quiet toy for the car and condo...

st. patrick's day art project...who needs corned beef when you can have ham?

showing off school carnival prizes

you've seen this one before, but it's worth seeing again

how cute is this...porter tucked in his 'babies' when he went to school

marching on...

the month of march has been a busy one...

what with taking on the babysitting job...

and getting into the real swing of things and crunch time with the mega meet (registration now open!)...

that alone is plenty to fill my plate - but I've been slowly but surely working on designing some scrapbook classes to teach in the area...and i've got four designed and a full schedule to teach them on two different Saturdays at The Scrapbook Zone in Farmington Hills...i'll probably do some of them on a few week nights around here, too...so if you're in my area, check it out...or catch me at the Zone!

Happiness is....Wall Hanging

Complete this unique transparent wall hanging featuring product from My Minds Eye new Bloom and Grow line. Project includes all product to complete your piece – all you need to add is your pictures – which because of this project’s design, you can easily change out as your mood suits!

Summer Fun Paper Garland

Ribbon, Flowers, Buttons and Bling Banner – this adorable paper banner would be perfect on a fireplace mantel, on a doorway or window, or just hanging on the wall! Actual project will vary from the image, will have a “Summer Fun!” theme and will, of course, include lots of ribbon, flowers, buttons and bling! Please bring scissors, trimmers, adhesive, including lots of small glue dots, and your favorite decorative scissors (yes, we’re going to use those!).

Bucket of Flowers

Want a flower centerpiece, but not one that has to be thrown away after a week? Make a cute paper one featuring some of the latest product on the market that will brighten up your table all spring and summer long!

Fun in the Sun altered tin and mini-album

Highlight your spring break or summer memories in a mini-album that can be tucked away into a cute, altered tin. This album has a place for up to a dozen pictures!

All classes are at the bargain price of just $20 each and last from 1 to 2 hours.

memories

i have very few memories of my great-grandma Reichard. in fact, in my mind, it's a few tidbits all associated with one visit with her, though i don't really know if they are all actually from the same visit.

i remember visiting her in her assisted living apartment. she had just gotten one of those recliner chairs that can lift you to help you get to a standing position.

we ordered pizza for dinner and she made a joke about how her doctor didn't want her to eat it, but because we were there, she was going to anyway.

she had a rosary on a table next to her TV watching chair. i remember asking her what it was and she explained it to me.

and...unfortunately...that's about all i remember.

but there is something i've never had of her...a picture.

i've only had the memories in my mind...and the visions of her from photos that other family members have displayed in their homes.

the most 'famous' of those is one that was a professional photo, taken with her and my great-grandfather...of whom i have no memory at all (i was extraordinarily young when he died).

and the other day, a most generous gift was bestowed upon me. i know the giver probably has no idea how much i appreciate her thinking of me as the new owner of this picture.

to have an actual photo now, to go with my memories...it's priceless to me.

as a scrapbooker, i record my memories through photos...and it is the hope that the photos and written memories together bring out that prism of our lives - once presented to me by the ever-impressive Stacy Julian - our memories alone are white light...but combine those memories with photos and meaningful words about them...and it becomes a prism. the true beauty that is our lives...whether you're scrapbooking a new baby, or just the contents of your refrigerator...or the limited memories of a great-grandmother that might otherwise go unrecorded...without the image that goes with it.

thank you, aunt elyce, for passing along this picture to me.
it means more to me that you will ever know.

project 365 - part two

february's selection of project 365 pictures

the smattering of shoes and boots at the back door...it doesn't look like this every day, but close...

at hi-way pizza in state college, pa with family after aunt gloria's funeral

at my aunt & uncle's...gathering with family for uncle jim's funeral

girls weekend in grand haven

molly at the mcdonald's playplace