JUMP!

An apartment with a pool or a house with a yard for a trampoline? This is one of the big questions we posed to kids before moving to California. Gabriel, Abby and Anna wanted a pool, Eric was firm for a yard and trampoline. We had a trampoline in New Mexico. It swallowed our little tiny yard. They would go on it..but not much. It was a smaller one.
A few months after arriving in Cali, we made the big purchase for a HUGE trampoline! It was the smartest purchase. Yeah, we have had a trip to emergency room for a sprained ankle.
I have 4 kids that play and play hard. Emergency trips are part of the bargain.
I took a few pics for you to enjoy...I laughed so hard after we uploaded the pics!
Here's Gman, who was all alone, just jumping and playing with the ball! I had video's him earlier beating the snot out of the same ball!

Abby has really been enjoying the trampoline...she gets some air! She does this slam on her back and a crunch sit up that pulls her back up. She does it over and over and over...til my tummy hurts!
The horizontal just cracks me up!

Eric is just cool. He gets so high, that I admit I get nervous. I love him here upside down!oh, and Anna does jump, but since she is so much lighter than everyone, she is the one that gets bounced out of control...so she likes hula hoop! Gotta love those new shoes...the girl loves her shoes...we went to get church shoes and she got some heels and these..she will try EVERY shoe on in the store and oh she knows what she likes.
We had so much rain the last few days, but it comes with a wicked wind that once that rain stops it dries fast! They rush to get on to play the numerous games they have invented!
Glad Eric stuck to his guns, this was the better deal!

Storm is Coming!

... A VERY WET AND WINDY WEEK AHEAD FOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA...

A VERY STRONG JET STREAM IS MAKING ITS WAY ACROSS THE PACIFIC AND WILL RESULT IN WET AND WINDY WEATHER ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. PERIODS OF SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR INTO THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK.

WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO BE HEAVY AT TIMES THIS TONIGHT AND MONDAY WITH THIS FIRST SYSTEM. THIS STORM WILL BRING SIGNIFICANT RAIN TO THE VALLEY AND HEAVY SNOW TO THE MOUNTAINS. MODERATE TO STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE THIS EVENING AND ON MONDAY.

The front page of the paper warned us to get it all cleaned and ready. This is new to us, and apparently the January (2008) the storm took out the electricity for a few days and was a mess. This is supposed to be of the same caliber.

Eric was up on the roof cleaning out the gutters...see that smile? This kid loves to work and be on the roof is a big thing!

He would throw the gunk...which is compost really and stinks off onto the ground and then run a hose to clean them all out. Our gutters are so clean! The water will rush right out and down the street!
The younger brother; Gabriel still is on the ground, and had a super attitude as he went around and scooped up the gunk Eric was tossing to ground. G-man was rather proud that he figured out to put the dust pan onto the garbage bin.


Even Tony got into cleaning it all up! The bushes needed to be cut back also. He is up there in his good clothers...*sigh*
Meanwhile, the girls were cleaning their room. Anna is under the bed and the treasures they found!
I went for a walk! lol,

Raining in California!

My office is official rearranged! and it is just so comfy now and makes scrapping more assessable! I have been kinda hanging out over at Scrap Book Graphics due to the Art Journal Caravan. There are some fun challenges.
This first one is for Tangie Baxter's CT's, a fresh start:
I am up to two and 1/2 miles now in one hour walking. The funny thing is I like it! I found this site that tells you how far away a place is, so I think that I am just 2.5 miles closer to these places each time I walk. My strange little brain working over time! For those who know me, nothing unusual!
Okay, this is so beyond me...and what I will do for $2 to Tangie's store! It was to make a room or decorate a home for fairies! I could only see dandelions and baby fairies. I love learning new ways to use the digi supplies I have. It is helping to get me out of the cluster and photo layout!
Tuesday evening I love the chat over at Scrap Book Graphics...and it is fun! I won $10 for Lorie Davison's store! Each week the hostess Kate (the list maker) took our thoughts for a layout...and this is all we were aloud to use:
It is a fun time. I enjoyed scrapping today, just for fun. Not one CT "gotta" layout...just fun and I actually guffawed a few times while scrapping.
So, no school tomorrow, but I have to be responsible and get the school work together!

Oh yes we can! We are oozing back into homeschool this week. I painted the other part of the kitchenette yesterday. (where my puter and fridge reside)
Today, we did just Math. Eric tucked into his corner with headphones finishing the last few lessons in pre-algebra Teaching Textbooks! The youngest 3 and me began our Math-U-See adventure. I can only say, "wow!" They got it. I have spent 3 months trying to explain area. Did I say explain. I hounded, drew pictures, screamed and yelled and area was a word, a concept out of their reach.
One day with Math-U-See and Gabriel says, oh that is area! ONE DAY!! Dear sweet Anna took a bit longer, she had to grasp the stacking and she has to have order with colors...I showed her to use different colors for the numbers and you could visible see her relax. It clicked. Abby smiled the whole time, as we whipped thru all of chapter one in one day!

well that's a flattering look!

We got the kids these huge jawbreakers for Christmas. I mean huge! They change colors as you like them! The middle has a fizzy substance. I remember these as a kid. Lick forever. Hammer once! Yep in a plastic bag and hit with hammer! Abby got a piece small enough to fit in her mouth, but still large. Notice the lovely white sugar powder all around her mouth? ha ha ha
Just finished painting the walls in my computer/fridge room. ha ha it is supposed to be the dining room, but since our dining room is where our living room is supposed to be..ya get the picture?
It is so nice and clean!
My honey is in Arizona for some butt kicking preaching and in the most beautiful hotel in the city! On top of the valley! lol He so needs to be spoiled and hear some good preaching!

January FREE Template!

No strings, you can just go and get it, but wouldn't it be fun to play along?

CLick here for Download LInk png and psd

I am honored to be a part of the Challenge Team over at Creative Victorian Designs. I love making templates for folks to play with. I would love to see what you do with the template, join us in the challenge and get this free gift just for playing along:There are more fun challenges too, stay and play!

the caravan continues

I lay in bed thinking what did I do, I'm not an artist, I'm a digi scrapper. As a preteen, pre jr high kid, art class seemed so bohemian and artistic and rich pumpernickel bread. I was white wonder bread. I took typing!That didn't stop me from glancing in that room of mysteries!
The first stop in the caravan is ONE word! I had done the previous pages first and was in aargh mode about the journaling. I did NOT want to sound whinny. I liked typing. lol But I have always wanted to have some artistic talent. I just didn't have an outlet. That combined with peer pressure and ridiculous notions about myself I didn't persue art.
My word ACCESS~as I now have access to art.
Well-I'm on an art journal journey! This is how it is gonna look in my book! I like the flaps. Because I can do a full page on an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet sideways or rip the flap off and just have single page.
I attached the page with double stick tape to the garden pages that came in the journal!
See how it opens to show more to the story.The original paper shows here, so you can see, I am covering this up~kinda cool to me, cause I am growing and yeah maybe it is weird and funky to think it..but that's okay I can be weird and funky.The journal is now attached and folds up nicely. When opened flat you get the whole story to the key hole and the shadow to my unruly hair! ha ha