More pages...

More of the Creative Imaginations overlays...

Journaling reads... Our TEEN girl ! …the sweetest TEEN in the world

Yah, I can see you on the front of a magazine – not a glamour magazine because you are too real for that stuff. You are not out to be something you are not or to impress the world. You are just you and perfect the way God made you.

And yes you have the perfect smile – not from whitened or flawlessly straight teeth, but a perfect smile because it is seen in your eyes – the window to the soul. Your smile reveals the real, pure, sweet, honest, chaste, quiet you!

First date jitters? What’s that? No issue there.

Shopaholic? Well you did go through an American Eagleaholic phase. Is it over? …saving for University now!

Beautiful lashes instantly?
I think we are getting through that phase now too. Your gorgeous sparkling blue eyes are shining through again.

WOMEN Magazine! There are very few pictures of me because I am behind the camera all the time and even fewer good pictures of me. But David caught me with our point and shoot Olympus ...very relaxed one evening in Mexico!

Journaling reads ....are you ready for this?

Desperate housewife?
You bet!

Desperate for a husband who takes me to a five star resort on the Mayan Riviera where I relax after a day of lounging on the beach.

Wouldn’t that give any girl a million dollar smile? ……Ohhh yes!

And no clones!
I want him all to myself!

Ha ha...having sooo much fun on my first day off to myself in 2 weeks!

Julie

Park pictures

There is a large park across the street from us. Sam and I used to go there every morning at about 6:30 ..the sprinklers came on a 7:00am! It had two large baseball diamonds and lots of grass - great for playing fetch! About two weeks ago they started pulling out some trees. Okay I thought - must be diseased...but them more and more trees came out and soon there were what seemed to be 50 trees gone...then the baseball diamonds dissappeared and today I see all the grass has been removed....our neighbour says it is a 1 million dollar remake and a soccar field is going in. I figure spend the 1 million on potholes, broken curbs and repainting the lines on the street...and maybe some REAL crosswalks - ones that cars actually stop for. Hmmm so I took some pics...:)

Some teenagers taking advantage of the mounds of dirt piled behind the school. What a fun way to spend a summer evening!

Love warm summer evenings...really wish I could take five days off and just scrapbook! Looking at another marathon 14 hr day tomorrow :( But the evening is always fun at Just Scrap It!

Blessings!

Julie

Sam

Yesterday was a very sad day for us. Our sweet black lab had to be put to sleep. Sam had to be the most wonderful dog in the world. This was a dog you could give a piece of steak to and then just take it out of his mouth and he would look at you as if to say "did I do something wrong?" He never bit, nipped, jumped up...he was just a perfect dog. okay as a puppy he chewed on electrical cords - live ones too - but it didn't last long as you can well imagine! We did have to rewire two lamps.

Our boys would play street hockey for hours with the neighbours and Sam was always there - even getting a stick in the face once in a while - he loved it. When there was a shot on goal that missed and went flying down the street, that was Sam's cue - his turn to go get the ball and whoever called him he would go right to him and then they would say"drop Sam" and he would put the ball at their feet. What a dog! The kids - all the neighbourhood kids, thought Sam was the coolest dog ever! And he was. Every stranger who came into our yard was greeted with a wagging tail - even the meter reader!

But Sam got old and while he dearly wanted to play fetch, his back hips would not cooperate. Then an illness in his belly started and life just became so difficult. Trips out to the back yard in the morning were exhausting...and so we had to let him go. I think this is one of the hardest things I have ever done. But we were there with him and loving on him as he fell asleep and I think he knew that he was just too tired to keep going.

Death is so final. There is no going back - ever. While Sam was a pet, I am reminded that our Creator holds our lives and the lives of our loved ones in the palm of His hand. He alone knows our time - long or short. He alone! I am reminded to consider what is important in this life...and it is not things, events, doings....what is important is knowing who I am in Him and that there is eternal life when our time is up...what is important to me, is knowing that when this brief visit here on earth is over, real life begins with my Saviour and there will be no pain, no sorrow, no heartache...but only joy. In the meantime, as I wait, I need to consider all things in the Light of Christ. My prayer tonight is that everyone reading this post will know Jesus Christ as He desires to be known - as the only Savior for sinners who continually fall short of the glory of God. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13)

Blessings!

Julie

Independence! So there!

I would like to invite you over to another blog Life out Loud (LOL) that I am hosting along with a group of wonderful God loving ladies. Please join us in our discussions - we would love to hear from you!
Grace,
Julie

todays thought...
2Co 12:9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Walmart Conundrum

Check out this post from Rocks in my Dryer - very funny!

Travel and Lifestyle Magazine featuring David and Julie

Creative Imaginations magazine overlays - just so much fun!

Go Magazine! the magazine for active men!! WHOA!

This is too much fun! I can't stand it! Creative Imaginations have these 8X10 overlays that look like magazines. Find the right picture cropped to the right size and you have a layout in a matter of minutes. It helps to have photoshop to play and resize. Love it! haha

more layouts

Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia...I printed this on cotton and glued it to paper and chipboard. It has a very soft look in real life. Try double clicking on it. :)

Fun times with Grandma and Grandpa in the year 2000. Busy but fun page!

I am s l o w l y getting these pictures done!

Escape! David and I spent a very relaxing(read romantic) weekend in Moose Jaw at the mineral spa last Dec.

Thanks for looking!

Brag, Brag, Brag!

Okay - I have to brag. Grad ceremony , dinner celebration and after grad was Tuesday evening. It was very tasteful and God honouring - what a blessing! He was front and center as He should be! However....my sweet shy and , well brilliant little girl really shone. Took home all the awards! There were only four and she took three of them because her marks were too high for the fourth - honour roll group. We were all a little surprised but proud of her! She is so sweet! Here are some pictures - not very good - the gym was dark and I was not very close. I guess I will have to pay the big bucks for the professional shots. Melina - had I known she would do so well I would have hired you to be there just to take photos of her! :) I will be in touch soon!


This first picture is Allison receiving her award for high honour roll - there were five to receive this award.

This next picture is of her receiving the Citizenship award....there was quite the intro for this award with all the qualifications - one of them being good attendance...remember I am the mom who lets my daughter stay home from school to go shopping with me and out for coffee at the mall. I think Allison was about to cry here - all those nice things being said - but then obviously something cheered her up...the money part?

And then the big long intro of the student with the highest overall average for the graduating class...we were all pleasantly surprised. Here she is receiving her award from her very favorite teacher in the world Mrs Wiens!(Mom was not a favorite - way too strict!). Wow - it was some ceremony! Our last graduated of four ...I still can't believe it! Where did the time go? Gee I think I need to celebrate somehow!

And here she is - on her first day of school - grade 10 - she wanted to go to high school so she could wear a beautiful dress for her graduation - and she did!

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, declares the LORD, Jer 29:11-14

Thanks for letting me brag!

Layouts

Here are a few more layouts...finally. My blogger has not been letting me upload any layouts - I get a message error that has yet to be resolved. It seems to have no proplem with my pictures - just my layouts - they are both jpeg file - so HOW does it know. I have sent some of my layouts to the shop - photoshop that is and they underwent reduction... still there is one layout at 2.5 mb it will NOT upload - even though it uploads a slightly larger one. Go figure! So while it might say 8mb limit - the reality is more like 2 mb!



Journalling reads..."The Polynesian Cultural Center is a unique and exciting attraction that every Hawaii traveler should visit. With our host "cousin Vetti" we experienced Hawaiian and other Pacific cultures by visiting the six recreated native villages. We visited the 'Islands' of Samoa, New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, Hawaii, and Tonga. Remember the Japanese visitor on the drums. Funny! Many of the pictures below are from the Rainbows of Paradise canoe pageant that we watched during the day. Very entertaining. They danced while floating on huge rafts on the canal. In the evening we attended an authentic Luau and then the world's largest night show – or so they tell us. At the Luau we were greeted with traditional fresh flower lei and ate traditional old style foods while enjoying a hula show.

As newlyweds, Paul and Allie were invited up on stage. As a couple celebrating an anniversary, David and I were also invited up on stage – and we danced to romantic Hawaiian music. Kind of fun! Then off to the big show & our ice cream dessert. It was very colorful and there were lots of drums, impressive dancing and Hawaiian music. It was very enjoyable and very well done - a terrific end to a very full day. I think the Polynesian Cultural Center was one of the highlights of our Hawaiian experience. "

This had to be really reduced in size and quality to upload - but if you double click on it you can see it much clearer. Journalling reads..." The Bombing of Pearl Harbor, the morning of Sunday, December 7, 1941, was a surprise attack by Japan on the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii. US casualties were heavy and included 2,403 dead; 1,178 wounded; 5 battleships, 3 destroyers, 3 cruisers, and 188 planes. Japan casualties, by contrast, included 64 dead, 1 captured, 29 planes and 4 submarines. The loss of sailors, marines and officers represent the greatest loss of life of any ship in American naval history. The names of those lost are carved on a wall in the memorial.

On these pages are pictures of models of some the ships involved – including the Japanese aircraft carrier. The tour of the museum led by our own personal headphones and recordings was very informative. This is a must see tour for anyone going to Oahu.

The USS Arizona Memorial itself is an enclosed bridge which spans the hull of the sunken USS Arizona. The aerial view shows the ghostly shadow of the remains of the great battleship Arizona. Spanning the wreck is the Memorial. Turret 1 and 2 are visible at low tide although the guns and machinery, have been removed. This family picture was taken on the Memorial. "

Okay - so I like to add a little history to my page - it must be the homeschooling Mom in me...if you are going to look at something you might as well learn a little about it while you are at it. :)

One of my favorite pages - I had all these shots of the kids on the beach.

Thought for the day... "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Mat 11:28-29

Thanks for looking! Have a great day!
Julie