Rocky Mountain High

Welcome Back!

Sam spent five days last week in Estes Park, Colorado at the YMCA Camp with 110 kids from our church and a total of 3200 kids at the retreat! He loved every minute of it…so much so, that he slept 19 hours the entire time his was gone. (kids)

On Friday night I dropped him off at the charter buses. We both got out and he said, “Wait. Are you walking me up?”
Me: Of course!
Sam: Seriously. Mom. You don’t need to.
Me: Really? Are you sure?
Sam: Yes, mom. I think I can do this on my own.
Me: Ok.

So I gave him a big hug, took a quick pictures and off he went on his adventure.

When I got home, I shared this with Jason, but added that this has been our goal as parents..that they boys have the confidence and ability to do things on their own, independently without us. Even though it made my heart strings tug a bit, that is exactly what Sam did that night and  I couldn’t be more proud of his independence and confidence and spreading his wings to fly…on his own.

Changing of the Gun…

Hello!

Jack just happened to have two identical Nerf guns, so why not change one up?

He started with taking the Nerf gun apart…which included taking out all the screws and taping sections that he did not want covered with new spray paint.

 The red parts are going to being sprayed green and the orange parts are gong to be painted black. I suggested a light sanding and dusting before spray painting so the paint would last a bit longer. (Not sure why the blue Nerf gun is on the tray.)

After helping him set up a spray paint safe area, it was left in his hands.

I must admit, I was pretty skeptical of his decision, but I muts say I love the look of his new Nerf gun on the right!
Exact same gun, just painted new colors and then a few inside modifications so it will now shoot little yellow balls AND Nerf darts.

What more could a boy want or need?

Cleaning Out…

Welcome Back!

So, I have been cleaning out my scrap crap (again!) I know, how many times can I clean out? This time, though, it was a deep clean and not just a surface clean. I went through all my papers, stamps, stickers…every container and every box.

The “biggest” difference this time was that I reorganized everything.  Previously, I had all my papers together, stickers together, die cuts together. Same product together. This time, while organizing, I put all like themes together. So all the paper, die cuts, stickers, etc. for summer, can be found all together! So much easier to know exactly what I have!

Here are the bins that started my destash. This is JUST my Christmas and Halloween things…including the brown crate.
Yep, pretty excessive…but such good stuff! 🙂

Believe me, I have started to sort through these bins many times, but due to the amount in each bin, I would quickly become overwhelmed, put everything back into the bins and quit.

But, never fear, Jennifer is here!

I really would not have gotten this destash started or completed if it wasn’t for Jennifer! She sorted everything by collections and even mentioned how product has dates! Which was a good thing. Some products I have been saving since 2007 in order to use in that “perfect project.”  Jennifer told me if I have had it for 10 years, it’s likely that the perfect project was not going to happen!

Excellent point!

Jennifer was so good! She pointed out when I had little bits and pieces of a collection, that I had used the collection to the best it could be used and it was time to let it go! (yea!) So we spent 6 hours sorting, organizing and destashing!

Five empty bins by the time we got it all cleaned out!!

I now have two bins for Halloween and two bins for Christmas! It feels good to get through all that stuff and get down to what I really like and need. There’s always something new and exciting being released and now I have room for it!

I am selling my stuff at the Memory Bound Garage Sale on
September 15-17 if you need any good stuff!

Just Finished…

Hello!

I have finished several books lately and need to share those reviews! The latest book I finished was Find Her by Lisa Gardner. It was the first book I have read by this author and have another book by her in my “to read” pile.

Image result for find her book

Flora Dane is a victim.
Seven years ago, carefree college student Flora was kidnapped while on spring break. For 472 days, Flora learned just how much one person can endure.

Flora Dane is a survivor.
Miraculously alive after her ordeal, Flora has spent the past five years reacquainting herself with the rhythms of normal life, working with her FBI victim advocate, Samuel Keynes. She has a mother who’s never stopped loving her, a brother who is scared of the person she’s become, and a bedroom wall, covered with photos of other girls who’ve never made it home.

Flora Dane is reckless.
…Or is she? When Boston Detective D.D. Warren is called to the scene of a crime– a dead man and the bound, naked woman who killed him– she learns that Flora has taken on three other suspects since her return to society. Is Flora a victim, or a vigilante? And with her firsthand knowledge of criminal behavior, could she hold the key to rescuing a missing college student whose abduction has rocked Boston? When Flora herself disappears, D.D. realizes a far more sinister predator is out there. One who’s determined that this time, Flora Dane will never escape.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a page turner and kept me guessing, but let me warn you, it is very dark. One chapter is from the detectives point of view, the next is present day Flora’s view and the next is told by Flora as she is held captive by her capture. I must share I would give this book 4 stars, except the end got wrapped up pretty quickly and had some typical wrap up events…the cops suddenly hearing a gun shoot and just being in the right place at the right time. So I will give this three stars. Its a fun read and will keep you guessing…almost until the end.

Just Finished…

Welcome Back!

This month I also read the book The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

Image result for the seven husbands of evelyn hugo

From Good Reads:
Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one in the journalism community is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband, David, has left her, and her career has stagnated. Regardless of why Evelyn has chosen her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s Upper East Side apartment, Monique listens as Evelyn unfurls her story: from making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the late 80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way. As Evelyn’s life unfolds through the decades—revealing a ruthless ambition, an unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love—Monique begins to feel a very a real connection to the actress. But as Evelyn’s story catches up with the present, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

Filled with emotional insight and written with Reid’s signature talent, this is a fascinating journey through the splendor of Old Hollywood into the harsh realities of the present day as two women struggle with what it means—and what it takes—to face the truth.

I really liked this book! I can’t say for sure what drew me to this book. It’s not the kind of thing I usually pick up, and I haven’t read anything by Reid before. I was hooked in the first three chapters!

It’s perfect, easy beach read material. It’s not particularly deep, it does not take the genre to new levels or make you think about something new, and yet it DID feel different. Evelyn Hugo’s story was so delicious and compelling that it stood out, and kept me turning pages in a desperate need to discover the stories behind her seven husbands, and the answer to the one question everyone wants to know: who was her greatest love?

I give this book 4.5 stars!!

Cotton?

Welcome Back!

Yesterday, Jack came out of our bathroom and said, “MOM! You have got to check this out!”
My first thought was..Um..no. I don’t think I want to see what was so amazing in the bathroom.

This is what he showed me. My dead, yucky  flowers.
“Mom, if you look real close, they are growing cotton stuff!”

“Well, Jack. I hate to tell you this, but its not cotton. It’s mold. ”
“Oh,” said Jack, “That’s gross.”

Nothing says time to throw away something old then when your youngest thinks its growing cotton. Ew.