Looking back at these photos was truly a treat.  I can not believe how quickly things change (I know that’s so cliche, but it’s true.)

Note:  this is from her first year of dance.  We were just talking about this the other night and her memories of it are very vivid and very special to her.  Love that I have pictures to remind her of this time (thankful I was addicted to my camera then too.)

A good friend said to me the other day how she wished she could turn back time.  If only there was a magic button or recipe to make that happen, but I haven’t discovered it.  So in meantime, I think instead I cope with change and time by taking LOTS of photos, and use them wherever I can in our daily lives, and share as much as possible.

What’s your secret?  How do you do it?

————————————–

I have more years of photos I found to post but my computer isn’t cooperating very well and I have to get to school to watch the Talent Show.   Delaney has been in it every year for the past 5, but this is her first year at the Middle School.  But McKinley likes to just be a watcher (she told me this morning.)

This is Delaney in her dance recital.  She’s been dancing since she was 3.  While I struggle to remember the day before we were driving to dance class, I find it hard to believe that she’s been dancing 8 years.  But watching her onstage always reminds us that dancing is really just a part of who she is and I love that.  I love knowing how hard she’s worked and how far she’s come and furthermore, how happy she is when she is dancing.  We are so proud of her.

It’s during this month, when I find that I’m longing to make sure I compile these photos in to my ongoing projects, while the emotion and the memories are freshest.   It’s therapeutic and makes me feel a little better about the speed at which it seems this part of our lives is whirling by.

May 1 is National Scrapbook Day, but I like to think of the month as National Scrapbook Month, which I find very fitting since I find myself wanting to scrapbook worse than ever right now.  So in combining National Scrapbook Month with Mother’s Day, I have a special really BIG offer to pass on to you.

Through the end of May, get 40% off (yes, you read that right) anything site wide HERE, just enter the coupon code FORYOU at the checkout.  That includes all sale items too.

There’s more!!  The first 25 people to spend $50 after discount (shipping not included) will receive an Art Warehouse hot pink terry “cinch” backpack with your order.    So cute!!

AND…

refer a friend to this special who also orders and you will receive a a free stamp set $10 value, just have your friend put your name in the comments section of your order.   Pass this one to as many friends as you wish.  Each friend that orders and includes your name, for each friend you will get a free stamp set.  There is no limit.  But be sure to be one of the first 25 to order so you can get yourself a cute Art Warehouse terry backpack.  Offer ends June 1.

Tonight we have yet another special evening at McKinley’s Gymnastics awards party.  Looking forward to watching McKinley tonight in her world of what she loves.

This has been on my mind lately. 

 As time goes by, kids grow up, trends change and perspectives change, and this remains true for me. 

Living life comes first and scrapbooking it follows.  My priorities always lie in my family and our lives.  But, scrapbooking that as it happens {as possible}  makes me a better wife, mom and person. 

My scrapbooking is though  {just like our lives} a reflection of changing times and changing life patterns.  

I have a variety of ways that I record our daily lives.  Record books, traditional albums, creative projects, binders, digital books,  photo albums and blogging.  AND that is constantly evolving,  just like our lives.

But regardless of the form and style I choose to use, I continue to record and document our world.  This is a process for me, which that in itself proves as valuable as any, a process that brings about personal growth and understanding for not only myself, but my family.

This past weekend, I found the girls looking back through some of their books and overheard them talking about the events that they couldn’t recall.   In hearing this, I realized had I not had this record for them, those moments would likely be completely forgotten from their memory.  I was really suprised by that because for me, those memories were very vivid.  

I have noticed that memories remain vivid for me (and I have a bad memory) because I scrapbook.  I know where we spent this holiday and timeline of events and so much more all because I spend the time again and again with our photos.  It’s like getting the chance to return to a time and relive it.

I’ve encountered lots of others in life who have an impression of what scrapbooking is, different than what I believe the reality to be.   I find very few people have experienced the value in what comes from the process, but I consider myself lucky to be one that has.

I wish that I could convince just a few others that there is time in their busy lives to document it as it happens.  It can take on so many different forms and become a reflection of you.   It’s not for the imaginary woman who has nothing on her plate, but it’s for the woman who loves her life and feels blessed by all that her life includes.  It gives such VALUE to you and your LIFE.

I just received a box full of some new scrapbooking goodness which is being put to good use. 

May provides 2 good things:  Mother’s Day and National Scrapbook Day 

In combining 2 things I love, being  a Mom and Scrapbooking, tomorrow I’m going to pass on a very SPECIAL scrapbook offer to my blog readers.  Tomorrow, stop by.

Delaney has named her horse Willie after Willie the Wildcat.  It’s a K-State thing.

Here I overheard her telling Willie to chew with his mouth closed.

and this was later on that evening.  Marty was leading Willie around with McKinley on him and I think the idea of having her own horse was just setting in. She was talking to herself and I heard something to the affect “boy I sure am spoiled.”   Still laughing at that one….even though she’s right.  Is that a good thing to know you’re spoiled??

I just noticed this way of posting the photos.  You’ll have to click on them to see them full size, but it’s sure a fast way to get them up with one click.  Wow.

Let me know if you prefer them each embedded or like this when I have a lot of photos.  That’s so much faster, but not sure it’s a easy to read or as visually appealing.

They were probably the only toys she really played with.   Everything seemed to be horse related.

Her favorite movie was Spirit, Stallion of the Cimmaron.  I can remember watching it over and over.  We bought the soundtrack, which I still hear played sometimes.

We owned several different types of stick horses, which she rode through the house for hours and hours and hours (litterally, over the span of many years.)  She chose Halloween costumes around her stick horse.

or anything close, (like being a cowgirl)

Several years ago she got a blanket for Christmas with horses on it and despite looking quite awful today, it’s  a prized possession.  I have tried to get rid of it many times, but she won’t part with it.  It might be one of the only things she still uses from so long ago.

For her 4th birthday she had a Spirit birthday cake (I can’t believe I found these photos.)

The next year for her 5th birthday, she had a Spirit Horse party   notice the stick horse laying on the floor in the background, boy did she log the hours on that thing.)

The party had to have birthday cowboy hats.  I just noticed she’s wearing her Spirit T-shirt, we still have this shirt in McKinley’s drawer.

and a horsey cake that she helped make

(which had to have all those horses on top)

We took her to a friends house on her birthday to ride a horse, even though it was just around the yard, it was enough. (I had totally forgot about this until I found these photos with her cake photos.)

She’s seen every horse movie and read every book or horse series books we can find including the Heartland Series, Canterwood Crest & Chestnut Hill, and the Thoroughbred Series by Joanna Campbell.  I’ve searched and searched until we found every last book and she’s read them all.  Last night I saw that she was re-reading the Heartland books because she loves them so.  (probably more than 100 books in those 4 series alone)

While she’s grown to be such a big girl, there are still a few last toy horses in her room

(like this pair)

We’ve taken out the rest and she lets McKinley play with them now, although she’s told me more than once that I can never get rid of them.

While it’s not a secret she’s loved horses for a long time, she’s always asked to have a real horse.  But then again, she wanted us to put a kitchen in her bedroom for her 5th birthday too and we didn’t give in.   While we’ve listened, we’ve never felt it was time or she was mature enough for something so time consuming.  However for the last year, the signs and interest she took became quite serious.

She left notes in about every place she went.

this was one her door for a while

in my bathroom after my shower

in her room

after her shower

She reminded us daily on the back of my car, in emails, with sticky notes placed around the house.  You name it, she was persistent with letting us know.

So last fall, we decided to let her start spending time with some good friends of ours, who were willing to share their horse expertise with her (Marty and I are definitely not experienced horse people.)  But we are really good at letting people who have knowledge teach us.  So for the past year, Delaney has been spending time getting to know horses and being around them, all the while we were determining her dedication level.  She’s given up nights with friends, ball games, friend parties and more for any chance to spend around horses.

We decided to let her join 4-H and sign up for the Horse Project (which is a pretty big deal considering you have to have a horse to participate.)  We’ve been telling her since enrolling in 4-H, that we would be able to BORROW a horse to use for the fair.  So for the last year, she’s been looking forward to the idea of showing a horse at the fair and all the learning involved with being enrolled in the Horse Project.

She’s been taking lessons on one particular horse about once a week to learn the ropes of everything she needs to learn about horseriding and more.  She’s slowly learning how to saddle and prep the horse for riding, and many of the things she’ll need to be able to do to show a horse in 4-H this August.   It’s been something she’s loved and we’re so thankful to our friends that are so eager to teach a young girl with a love for horses.   She’s learned so much, but has lots more to learn.

The night before her birthday, a trailer pulled in to our drive with the horse she’s been taking lessons on.  Our friends brought him by for a lesson.   Big surprise!   Even bigger surprise was when she found out that the all the riding she’s been doing on this horse, was a very detailed plan (by Mom and Dad) to see if she and this horse were a good fit for each other.

Her Dad handed her the paperwork to sign for the 4-H project because the paperwork had to include the signature of the horse owner.

She spent several minutes looking pretty confused and I think it took her about an hour for it to really sink in.  This horse she’s been riding and loving for months, is going to come live at our house when the time is right…..(which btw, carries a LOT of responsibility and work ahead of her.)

She got the spend the evening with him.  She rode a little and she did a lot of talking, telling him about his new home that he’ll come back to this summer after some more lessons and some farm prep for his arrival.

While this was a plan in the works for a very long time (even though she had absolutely no idea),  after lots of looking at horses to buy, we decided to let her dream  come true around her birthday.     While this really wasn’t her birthday present, she has told everyone she meets she got a horse for her birthday and that is ok because as Delaney has been telling me for over a year, “a girl has to dream.”  You know what, she’s right.  Everyone deserves the right to dream and have dreams come true.

And if you have never seen the movie DREAMER, it’s worth watching again and again.  I can remember seeing it in the theatre as a family and we’ve watched it many times since.   It’s about a little girl and her love for horses and a family who finds happiness in their time spent together with one very special horse.

and here are a few pictures of our little girl, that I can’t believe just turned 11 (how is that possible) and her dream horse….

He’s a beautiful horse and she’s one very excited girl!!

More pictures to come…..(I think I took more than a few.)

Spring is here and that always reminds us of Delaney’s birthday.  We had a busy weekend with her turning 11 on Friday, a gymnastics meet out of town and a slumber party when we got back home.   We had a big surprise planned that we’ve been working on for over a year and she’s still shocked.

I’m excited to share the details….with photos to come.

Hope you’re enjoying a beautiful spring day where you are.

Our hearts are very sad and our prayers are with the family and everyone in the community.

While she was still super excited Saturday morning, at 8:00 warming up before her first event on floor excercise, I could see she was a little nervous.  Her coach told me she was so nervous her little fanny was shaking when she took the floor.

I was sooooooooooo proud of her and the first thing she said to me afterward was when can I do this again.   She loved it.

She remembered all her routines, didn’t fall, or put her hands down on any event and hit all her skills, which is such an accomplishment.   On Wednesday of this week, she did one of her skills for the first time ever.  She’s been trying to learn it for the past year and a half and yet she was able to add it right in to her routine like she’s been doing it forever.   Good timing kid!

She got 3rd place on the beam and scored a 9.55.  But more than anything, she thinks gymnastics is the   b es t   t h i n g now after having so….much…..fun….. and for me as a Mom, that’s all I care about.

McKinley might have been a little nervous, but so was I, which I found a little obvious later when looking at the blurry photos I kept taking.    I wasn’t nervous about what score she got or where she placed, but concerned about those precious little feelings inside my girl.   How would she feel about taking on such a big challenge and putting herself out in front of so many spectators……

and shortly after, I knew…..she was counting the days until she gets to do it all over again…..(big grin.)

Not the best photos (white balance and clarity issues)

but definitely one of the best days.

has been so busy and I just can’t seem to get to the blog.  But I’ve promised myself that I won’t miss getting to the flashback friday.  So in proving to myself that I can be quick (something I am terrible at,) I opened up my old photos file and opened the “matching dresses” folder.  I was just thinking about the fact this week that I might never have another time where I can get the girls in matching dresses, something I’ve loved doing for the last 10 years.  Delaney as you can imagine is far from eager to go along with that and I know that’s pretty normal of her.

I am sure thankful for the fact that I’ve been a die hard camera addict since I became a mom, even though my pictures have always improved a little each year.  Many of my photos from 8 years ago were far from good and even many of them were yellow, which I still have issues with some times when I’m not on the ball.  So don’t feel like if your photos were not great 5 years ago, that you can’t improve them digitally.  There’s some super easy ways to do that and for a special photo here and there, I take the time to do that.  If you’re on a Mac, the IPhoto software can correct things pretty easy, but there are a wealth of ways to do so, depending on what software you have.  So don’t let your skill level at that time, keep you from tweaking some of your photos from being where you would like them to be today, when you open them and use them.  I think that is the key, going back to them and giving them a little time and love (which is exactly why I like having these Friday’s for that purpose.

One of the things I’ve been doing a lot of, is finding themes in the photos that I’ve taken over the years, like matching dresses and photos that show how much the girls look alike, like this one below.  Both girls had really blue eyes when they were little and they changed a little, but I always tried to capture those things when possible in the photo.  (I actually had McK take her pre-school photo in the exact same outfit as Delaney because I wanted to see just how similar they looked at the same age.  That’s got to be a weird Mom thing, but I thought it would be fun and I still love the photo today.  Of course I’m not sure that my girls love that weird Mom thing…..but that’s ok.)  I need to take a picture of both of those and show you….it’s pretty interesting to see them in the same outfit at school at the same age.

Ok, so unfortunately, that’s all I have time for.  McK has a last practice tonight before her first gymnastics meet tomorrow….(I really hope for her that it all goes well.)  I’ll be sure to take some photos….;)

is officially over.

Delaney has been playing since November, which seems like a long season for a 10 year old, but she loves to play.   Unfortunately she’s fighting shin splints this year and so she didn’t enjoy that part of it at all.  After expensive custom made orthodics for her feet, hopefully we’ll correct this issue before next year.  I also wonder if the amount of growth she’s had this year is compounding the issue.

We spent the day Saturday at a tournament.  Note:  I would have given my left arm to play in a basketball tournament at that age…..how lucky to have that available in our area.

Looking at these photos, still just amazes me how long her legs have gotten.  She’s grown 3 inches in 6 months and I think probably about that much the 6 months before.  Those shoes she’s wearing are size 9.  (I think seeing your baby’s feet get as big as yours is hard to swallow.  I expected it eventually, but I wasn’t ready for it by 10 and everything else that goes along with that.)

the good thing about basketball being over  is that means spring is just around the corner….t h a n k  g o o d n e s s.

and just as March hits, we actually have a bright blue sky today….it is beautiful and I will be sure to get outside to enjoy some of it.

——————————

Stamp Giveaway Note:

I asked Marty for the number for the Stamp giveaway and Trudie, it’s your lucky day.  Send me your mailing address and I’ll send you some purdy new stamps.

and….I am working on a post about my albums and books, as a follow up to this post.  What’s changed and what’s still the same….but it’s taking a while to compile.