How is it Wednesday already?

Ok and in about 45 mins I could ask how is it Thursday!

I know I know time does not stand still. But do you ever feel like you are?

After a Month of working almost everyday, it was nice to spend a weekend with the family. Just the 3 of us.



It was CKC, then S.A.V.E. , then mlpa's Anniversary Weekend, there was two people I was missing alot. So Sunday we headed out to one of our great family spots. The PA Ren Faire! It has brought us great memories for many years. We missed not going last year, due to life being a bit too busy. So this year we were going to grab a day and go before it was another year pass and we were wishing we could have gone. It was Pirate weekend, and we had so much fun!! I just love the ERA you step into once in the gate. The volunteers and actors make you feel like you are right back there. I love how they talk to the kids and how they are just all there having a GREAT FUN TIME!



Josh got into the spirit of things and he was in full pirate mode. I was so happy the Daly's joined us again this year, it is always fun to spend the day with them.





I loved how Josh played the part here, altho he cracked up in the next second after the picture.






I have been finding a time to scrapbook, or is that making time to scrapbook. We have been getting alot of great papers into the store and it is just too hard not to have some fun with it. I did a few layouts about the Game on Saturday while it was so fresh in my mind.

So it is almost Thursday, busy week. only a few more days till Josh is in school again. I just can't believe he is going into 2nd grade, he will be 8 years old in a short 5 months, and I know how fast that can go!

We are having opening weekend in Football, (last week was preseason) So we will be heading out on Sunday to the game. I hope all goes well for the team, and they play hard and have fun. I will be sure to blog about it.

Well time to get this tired body to bed. I leave a clean scrap table, which was not that way after last nights scrappin. Hopefully do some scrapping tomorrow night, the rest of the weekend will be too busy.

What a game!

Ok so it took me a day to compose myself enough to write about Saturday's game. I know there will be some out there that just think I am a bit over the top about this whole football thing, but hey I am who I am.

I was so excited about Josh's first tackle game, nervous for him and just wanting it to be here and see what happened. So you know that fantasy world you live in for your kids, come on you know the dreams you have for them....the ones where it is the perfect moment and it all plays out in slow motion. That one where he is winning the Pulitzer prize, or getting his doctrine...or scoring the winning touchdown. Just insert your own little fantasy dream here.

Well most of my thoughts about his first game were, I just hope he has fun and plays well, remembers his plays, (he has 6 to remember). Hoping he wouldn't fumble, or get hurt. Then the other side of the brain had this dream of him getting the ball and sweeping out to the right and running for a touchdown. Ahhhhh to dream it is good!

For those dreams to happen right in front of you is FRIGIN AWESOME!!!

Opening play the hand off is to Josh, he sweeps right....makes the turn....runs down the sideline......HE





MAY



GO



ALL



THE



WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



TOUCHDOWN!!!!!!



Yep I got a picture of him as he broke thru and got to about the 40 yard line(He started at the 50 yard line) and then it was hands up in the air and camera up in the air as I cheered for my son and yelled RUN JOSH RUN!!!!

As that little tear came down my cheek, all I could do was stand there and watch as his teammates all came down piling on him and high 5s were everywhere. All I could see was his smile shining thru his helmet as they all ran to the sideline together. I get choked up just writing about it still. As I sit here all alone and just see him running down that sideline, I know that he is only 7 years old and I love him every day of his little life, and I know he is a superstar.....but he was a superstar today for everyone else to see. And nothing else could put a bigger smile on my face then to see him being the shining star even if it is for one moment.

Josh had such a great day, he played alot, it was SOOOOOOOO Hot! He went on to score another TD in the 2nd Quarter and he also had 2 sacks. He was in on almost every tackle for the 1st half also. 2nd half they didn't run to his side so much!

The WHOLE team was just amazing, watching these little guys practice for 3 weeks/4 nights a week we really didn't know they were going to kick it up a notch and play like they did. They were holding back a bit! I loved how they all were a TEAM, and they all worked together. They ended up scoring 4 TDs and Qtown didn't get any. We don't keep score on the scoreboard at this level, but believe me these kids knew the score.

Josh called Grandma & Grandpa, Grandma , and Uncle Steve. It was so fun to listen to him telling each of them about his game.

Below is some of my favorite shots from the game of Josh. I took 190 Photos (after editing) of the game and the parents were so happy with the shots I got of their kids.

It is here................

Football season!! Wahooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! I just love it, time to get the telephoto lens out and take 100 pictures in the span of 2 hours! I got a little giddy today knowing on Saturday at noon I will get to watch my son take the field and finally get to play his first game of the season. He has been practicing for 3 weeks, 4 nights a week to get to this day. I have been so impressed with Josh on the field. He has blown me away this year. Believe me that wasn't an easy thing to do.....when it comes to football I have very high expectations, I really want him to have fun, and just give his coaches the respect they deserve. All I ask him is to give it 100% at all times, ( the same I expect from him with everything he takes on).

Josh and I have had lots of conversations this summer, he is a very smart boy. He knows how to charm you, he listens to EVERYTHING, and he analyzes alot. Sometimes he will hear something and in a few hours he will come to you with questions that will blow your mind.

Of course then other times, he is a 7 year old "man in training" This is where you just throw your hands up in the air and realize somethings come pre wired for boys and there is just nothing you can do about it. Moms of boys know exactly what I am talking about!!

Tomorrow night we are going to opening night for the Greenjackets and watching the 135lb team play under the lights at the field. It should be lots of fun and Josh is so excited to go and see some tackle football in person. He will probably be analyzing the plays and watching the running backs and what they do. He will be the Running back on Saturday and also the Safety or corner on the defense. He looks so handsome in his uniform.

Now for the fear part....as always there is that little thing in the back of my heart and mind that also will be squinting and worrying when someone goes to tackle Josh. That is going to be the hard part for me this year. He enjoys tackling so much, and I have never let him know how I worry just a bit every night, but I know more on game day. This isn't going to be his teammates hitting him, these are kids that don't know him, except that he is the "other team" the "enemy" .

So here is to FOOTBALL SEASON! Bring it on!

Rock on......

That is what ya gotta do! I just look at this picture and it makes me smile.
It makes me think of what a great childhood Josh is having.
It makes me smile to know this.
It makes me happy to have friends like Julie.
It makes me giddy to know they love music , as much as I do.
Pictures are great for the eyes, heart and soul.
Scrapbooking rocks, it has changed my life.
It only takes a simple picture like this to remind me of this.
So Rock On!! Keep Scrapping and keep taking pictures!

fun to celebrate

Proud owners of memory lane, pa

It is fun to celebrate something that you work so hard at day in and day out.

I got to do that this weekend as the store I co-own had its second anniversary of opening on Aug 19, 2005.

2 years seemed to go by very fast. I sometimes can't believe it has been 2 years, when you are in the day in and day out it doesn't seem to move that fast. When you are there 5 or 6 days a week it just seems like each day comes and goes. Then it has been 730 days later and you are celebrating 24 months of your life.

It has been an interesting 2 years. Scrapbooking is a wonderful sport and I love it so much. That is the one factor that keeps you going each day, the love of it.

As I reflect back over the past 2 years, there are great times. Every time someone walks in the store and is so happy to be there. Every time someone tells me how important the store is to them. Every time someone says it is the best scrapbook store they have ever been to. (never get tired of that one).

It is a labor of love also. This weekend I missed my family, I don't like to be away from them on the weekends. The weekends are our time to be together. With Kate's schedule during the week and leaving at about 5 am and coming home around 8 pm, doesn't leave us much family time. Everyone has their own stories about how hard it is, whatever they may be doing. I know intellectually that I am doing what I want to do right now. But the heart doesn't always follow the mind in that department. My heart just missed my two loves this weekend.

So tomorrow will be one of my last two Mondays of summer with Josh. We are going to hang out, play some Yahtzee and have some fun. I can't believe school starts in 2 weeks. He is going into 2nd grade, it just doesn't seem possible.

A big thank you goes out to all the ladies that came and spent some or all of the weekend with us at the store. It was great to be in the crop room just listening to the the laughter and all the great girlfriend time going on.

Mr. Football

It is amazing how much Josh is growing thru his sports. He is becoming such a leader and developing great listening skills. The coaches are all so impressed with him and they can't say enough great things to Kate and I about him. I can also see what it is doing for him. He is just beaming with pride and also just wants to do better every day. I like the respect I see in him and the manners, it is like everything we have been trying to teach him in the last 7 years has finally caught up to him and he gets it. I know there are also days where I just throw up my hands in the air and wonder where did that boy go I was just talking about. But for now I will ride this train!

In not so good news Kate is at the ER right now, she is having such a hard time breathing. She has been on medication for everything this year and is just not getting any better. I am so worried. I hate to see her coughing all the time and she is just worn out. She has no energy. So with a little push she is at the ER trying to get in for a breathing treatment. It is crazy but that is the only way to get one. When she called the doctor today they told her to go. I am hoping this will help and she will start healing. It is so stressful, I am a worrier anyway, so when I really have something to worry about it is just worse. So if you can send good thoughts her way , Thanks!

Peace....do you acheive it?

Tackling!

That is what it is all about right now. Learning how to tackle. Josh is in the #40 shirt. He is getting the hang of this quite well. I think all the wrestling has helped him. Some of these kids are having a harder time, but they will all eventually get it.

I really love how the coaches are with all the kids on our team. They have a great approach, very positive with the kids, rewarding all the right things. Teaching them how to do what they need to do. It is so important to have those type of coaches in your sons life.

So that is about all there is in the Stillings house going on. Football 4 nights a week, not much room for anything else right now. By the time Friday night rolls around we are ready for a night of sitting and watching a movie. I asked Josh last night if he would like a pj day on Sunday and there was a shriek for joy.

Some crazy summer days this year, I can't believe it is August 9th and in just over 3 weeks the school year will be here. That is just crazy!

S.A.V.E. .....the name says it all!

WOW!!!
I could have named my company that this weekend!

I did name it S.A.V.E. , and love it.
Scrappin Away Vacation Events, every time I look back at how that all started I get a little teary eyed.


Every time I think...why do I do this?


It is alot of work....is it worth it?


Do I keep doing it?


All I have to do is spend a weekend with 90-220 woman and know that I am doing the right thing.


Just hearing how important these weekends are to these ladies, how they look forward to these all year. How much they thank me for putting it all together so they just have to pack up and come and crop. These are the reasons I do this.



Altho exhausting I want to give a big shout out to all the girls that helped me this weekend, Trish, Deena, Connie, Patti, Shirley, and Stuffie!! I couldn't have done it without you this weekend thanks for all your hard work!



Here are a few visuals from the weekend. Thanks for all the friends pictures. I know there are more out there but these are the ones I had on my camera.





Julie and me
Deb and me
Denise and me
Kate and Josh dancing! So glad they came up for Saturday and Sunday!
Nancy, myself and Bridget ( Nancy you are looking great, it is your year!)
The Gang, (well those who came out for the photo gang) So fun!!