What Did YOU Get for Christmas?

We had a fabulous Christmas this year.

I had the best gift of all.  When my Grandson arrived for the festivities, he was all dressed up in his holiday best.  Everyone kept urging me to "take off his vest".  TAKE OFF HIS VEST!

I obliged.  I unzipped that little red flannel vest and found the absolute best gift written there on his Christmas Onesie.

 

Not gonna lie...it took me a minute to soak in the news.  I was flabbergasted, really.  I had thought they were going to wait a bit longer...seems the mom is the last to know...

We did have a little fun with the news.

We adore this little kid more than anything.  I sometimes wonder how big my heart can get...will there be room enough for another? Surely, my heart might explode.

I could not be more thrilled.  

Secretly hoping for a girl this time...

Reminder...Please vote!

In honor of Throwback Thursday (#tbt) and Gavin's run at winning a photo contest, thought I'd share a winning photo of my own!

TA DA!

Yours truly...1961

I'm told this photo won $50!

Yes, that was a lot of money...

Don't forget to vote for Gavin (you can vote once per day).

Voting ends Sunday, December 14.

click anywhere on the logo

We thank you very much!

My Dad

Ronald Day Thomas

12/2/34 - 4/19/87

Today would have been my dad's 80th birthday.  I can hardly fathom what that would be like, but boy do I wish I was lighting up 80 candles on a homemade chocolate cake...

I lost him when he was just 52.  Not fair.  Not fair at all.

I have very few pictures of my dad. I fear they are forever lost.  This makes me so very sad and is the number one reason why I take pictures.  Why I record memories.  Why I scrapbook.

1960
I'm guessing just before I was born.

He was so very handsome.  I can remember watching him craft that classic duck-tail hairdo and the smell of Brylcreem.  Carried the little black comb in his back pocket.

He was very strong. I used to hang from those tattooed biceps (aka guns).

He was a charmer.  He'd never met a stranger.

He was the life of the party. A  funny man.  He used to write down jokes and keep them in his wallet.

He was a wanderer.  A nomad.  He traveled the Continental US in an 18-wheeler.

He died in that truck.

He was my dad.

Man.  I loved this man.

This is one of my very favorite pictures...even though it's blurry. That picture on the table? My mom.

Yes.  He was a smoker in his early years, but would later quit.
Yes.  That's a real newspaper, pretty sure it was the comics.
Yes.  Loved a good cup of coffee.

Very "Leave-It-To-Beaver-esque" right?

He was 26 when I was born.

I was 26 when he died.

And today...I have lived exactly 1/2 of my life without him.

My First Published Layout!

I am officially a published scrapbooker!  Yahoo!

Fifteen years of scrapbooking.
Numerous tries.
Many rejections.

 

You will find me on page 205 in the June Issue of Scrapbook Generation's CREATE magazine.

Only one teeny, weeny, itsy, bitsy problem…

...they spelled my name wrong!  

Ack!  

Oh well, any press is good press, right?

I seriously could not be any happier!  It's a great feeling to see your work in a magazine!  Even if they're not really printed anymore...

Here is the LO in all of its glory:

I remember Gavin’s 3-month photo shoot…trying so hard to capture his new baby grin and new emerging personality and his first "tummy" pose.  So, when I was finally able to get it scrapbooked, my mission was exactly the same.  Imagine my delight when I found baby boy papers/stickers to match the stuffed-monkey-growth-measuring animal we’d been using all these months!

The LO was actually based on the April, 2014 Scrapbook Generation sketch.  They release new, FREE sketches every month.  I simply answered the call for submission.

Take a closer look at the detail:

Is that hand stitching you ask?  Yes.  It.  Is.  Painstakingly poked, threaded and stitched with three-ply embroidery floss.  But, I love the dimension it adds to the LO and it is so perfect for a kid-themed project.  If you are as old as me, you might remember the yarn stitching cards we practiced on when we were kids...with a giant needle!

I have mentioned plenty of times how much I love Scrapbook Generation Sketches/Books.  They really help me when my creativity goes on hiatus.

Most of the products I used were from Doodlebug Design (they make the cutest darn kid products -- bar none).

 

Products I used:

• Snips & Snails Icons cardstock stickers
• Snips & Snails Cute Cuts cardstock die cuts
• Snips & Snails Cardstock:
• Monkey Business
• Nursery Stripe
• Bazzill Cardstock
• Fancy Pants Royal Blue Large alpha stickers

Now, I just need to do the LO's for Gavin's 4 month shoot, 5 month, 6 month, One! etc. 
Get the picture?

Have a very safe and happy 4th of July!  See you on the flipside.

Any Day Now...

...we are gonna have a walker!

Our grandson just turned 10 months.  He is taking his first wobbly steps all by himself.  He thinks it is great fun.  Lots of giggles. Purely a coincidence that he is wearing that particular onesie.

Pay no attention to the grandma in the background.  She's just there to get him started.  His mommy was catching him on the other side and got some great photos of the new activity.  (I just had to animate them!).

I give him two weeks.

@ 9 Months

@ 9 Months, he:

• is a crawling machine
• pulls himself to standing on almost anything
• puts every "thing" in his mouth
• says "ma ma" and "ba ba"
• stands alone for about 5 seconds
• make "ooh ooh ooh ooh" indian noise (if you pat his mouth)
• is very curious and investigates non-stop
• first tooth is barely visible (but has broken through!) hence, the jaw grinding instead of smiles
• learning to wave
• had first "spaghetti & beef" (Gerber) last night!
• will walk almost any day
• will no longer sit still and pose for pictures
• somehow knows he is wearing a sticker.  Rips it right off.

And is loved beyond words.

Oh Baby!

OM Gosh.  Does time fly or what? Gavin is 5-months-old already.  Getting to be so much fun! Had our photoshoot yesterday.  Got lots of smiles.  And drool. I'm trying something new on Photoshop.  Love that program and need to learn how to do more.  So... here are my first animated photos as a .gif file.  Cute huh? I simply followed this very easy tutorial from Amanda. And, I also created a more "scrapbook-ish" layout/photo ready to print for the baby book.

Collage personalized with Smilebox Gosh.  Am I having fun!  Lots of photo opportunities makes Judy a happy girl!

A Hunka, Hunka Burning Love

Happy belated Halloween!  Can hardly believe it's November already. 

Today, I wanted to share some precious memories of our dear sweet Grandson's first Halloween.

When my daughter announced that she had ordered a baby Elvis costume for Gavin, I was definitely a "thumbs down" on that idea.  I thought he needed to be a bunny, a cow, or a monkey for his first Halloween.  Something furry and cuddly.  Something more baby-ish.  It took me quite awhile to get on the "E-train".

Additionally, I thought we should hold out on the Elvis costume until he could walk. If we waited, I was sure we could teach him the "thank you, thank you very much" for trick or treating.  Right?  Dancing would also be cute.  And, what about the lip curl? 

When I saw the first two pictures she posted on FB, I about died!  He was so darn cute.  No need to wait!

Of course, I am biased.

More Elvis love.

Grandpa was helping to get the hips loosened up and do a little lap dancing.

The guitar was actually a (new) dog toy...with the plastic bottle removed, but so perfect for the costume, and he was starting to fuss with Grandma's obsessive photo taking. But, I think I captured his best Elvis wave.

 

 Isn't he the sweetest?  Everything goes in the mouth!

Caught in the candy!  Maybe next year...

Everything that was old is new again.  And we are having so much fun.

God Bless This Baby

How tenderly He loves them,
the children of this earth.
How carefully He guides them,
from the moment of their birth.
How lovingly He looks upon them,
sweet and fair...
May He always keep our little one safe
within His care.
Amen.

This past Saturday my grandson, Gavin, received the Sacrament of Baptism and we celebrated and embraced God who first loved us from the moment of our conception. We celebrated the gift of this child, our family, and our faith.

 

Truth is, it is no small feat to get a child baptized these days.  Takes a lot of planning, preparation and paperwork.   There are new clothes to buy, classes to take, and godparents to select.  And a party to plan!

One of the benefits of waiting a couple of extra months, is a quiet baby.  Gavin cooed and squealed (to the delight of the crowd) and didn't utter even a whimper as the cold water doused his head.  Oh, and I think I noticed a yawn or two.

God, we love this baby.
We are thankful.

 

And I don't know why, but Grandma, may have shed a tear or two...

Baby G's Digital Scrapbook

My daughter has received so many coupons and freebies from Shutterfly.  Just exactly HOW do they find out you have a baby on the way?

• A coupon for her birth announcements
• Two photobooks
• Two $20 gift cards

Not bad (and no, this is not a paid endorsement).

Well, some of the coupons are starting to expire, so I decided to create this little book for her...going back to the birth day and through some of the first days of this precious new life.  Granted, it is not my best work, but it was super easy!  The Shutterfly software is somewhat limited as far as the creative process...but it is FREE.  Free, that is, if you can stop at the 20 pages. No.  I can't. 

With the eight extra pages, shipping & handling, this hardcover photobook cost just $15.  Free?  No. But a pretty great deal.

Enjoy!

Click here to view this photo book larger

And...if you are yet to stick your toes into digital scrapbooking, give it a try.  You will like the outcome.  I promise.

PINKtober

This past Sunday was the 2013 Race for the Cure.  I still haven't found out why it was on September 29...it is always the first Sunday in October!

Oh well. We walked.  We supported.  We care.

As in the seven years past, it is a special day of celebration at our house.  The big C touched our lives and we will never forget.  I am always full of emotion on Pink Sunday.  I have a really small family who walk beside me, and my love and gratitude largely goes unsaid during the entire 5K as I walk with a seven-year lump in my throat.  However, we have a great time together -- lots of chatter and laughter.

 And we CELEBRATE! 

It feels really great to be the center of their universe for just a short 3.5 miles.  I let them dote on me. I feel S P E C I A L (the 1 in 8).  (The other 3,000 pink t-shirt gals will understand).  It's personal.

We had a new walker rider this year...my grandson makes the day just a tiny bit more special!  

The weather turned so nice, we had to invent a hat for him.
Seemed fitting he wore one of my old
Ford Warrior-in-Pink scarves.
Argh!

Meet Mr. Three Months Old

Oh my!  Time is flying by...we no longer have a newborn. 

Three Months Old Already!

He's such a good baby.  Super sweet and starting to get a personality.  Grandma sure loves her boy!

Official Birth Announcement

Better late than never, right?

It only took 8 weeks for us to get our ducks in a row and get some official announcements out in the mail to family and friends.

Truth is...there were just so darn many choices out there (and they can be a bit pricey!).  Oh, that and the fact that I had exactly 118 really cute, newborn photos to choose from!  (Gosh, he's gonna hate his shutter-bug Grandma.)

We are really enjoying our new little man.  He is changing daily and putting on some weight in a hurry.  Truth is...he doesn't look a day over 11 weeks!

Front

 

back

 

He's so darn sweet.  'Specially when he's sleeping...

 

Gavin's Baby Book

Oh, the pictures...they are a piling up!

I'm still undecided as to the format of Gavin's baby book.  Will it be a traditional scrapbook?  Will it be in the Project Life format?  Will the pages be filed in our chronological family albums?  Will it be for him?  For April?  Or, for Grandma?  Gosh, I can't decide!

I did get some cropping time before the 4th of July holiday, and got the title page done.  These pics are from his first photo session at the hospital.  I loved them both!

I used this sketch pulled from the piles on my desk my "inspiration" folder.  It was designed by Diana Fisher and originally published April 2012 @ Scrapbook Circle.   Although it called for different photo orientations other than what I had to work with, I think it turned out okay.

The products are from the new Fancy Pants line called Park Bench. When I saw that blue & yellow measuring tape paper, I fell in love.  I knew it would be perfect for our new baby boy.  The rest of the line is just so darn precious.  Love it!

Background cardstock:  American Crafts Nickel
First Photo sticker:  Bella Blvd. We're Expecting Baby's First Miniatures
Twine:  Stampin' Up Island Indigo
Corrugated Letter Stickers:  American Crafts Vanilla Thickers

Confession time.  I'm not really a good layer-er (is that a word?); but based on the sketch, I just kept going, cutting, and placing.  A matched set of patterned papers makes it a tiny bit easier.

Care to weigh in on what kind of baby book I should be making?  What'cha think?

I'm a Grandma!

For those of you who don't already know, just five days ago at exactly 2:01 a.m., my amazing daughter, April, gave birth to our precious grandson, Gavin Thomas.

Currently, all is right with the world, and I am catching up on a missing night of sleep, but...oh...my...gosh...are we happy!

Last week was a blur.  I've got lots of stories to go with the birth of the most perfect little boy in the whole world; but for now, I just want to revel in the miracle of tiny baby feet and hands, the sweet nape of his neck, long eyelashes, and the deliciousness of his new baby smell.  Intoxicating!  Can't get enough!  Oh...and hair!  He HAS hair!

I am so proud of April and her fiancé, Beau.  As a first time mother, things did not go smooth for her but she kept working like a trooper (and thank goodness for a "vacuum assist".  Is that too much information?).   Beau was so great with April, very accommodating and a strong coach when she was struggling. Watching your daughter give birth, is definitely not for everybody, but what a blessing to bear witness to your grandson's first breath; and because Beau is a tad bit on the squeamish side, I got to cut the cord!


The first "official" photo.
Notice the blanket?  Yep, it's the one I made!

I'll admit, I do think he is on the tiny side measuring in at just 6 lbs. 3 oz., but rather long @ 19.75".  Being nine days early, his arrival had us all in a bit of a twitter, lots of last minute things to do, and I wasn't quite ready...as I could just kick myself for waiting so long to shoot the final pregnancy pictures.  I'm trying to get over the lost photo op.  But...now I've got a real, live subject!

I take this Grandma thing very seriously.  It's my job to cuddle, rock, spoil, love and adore this little guy. 

Welcome to the family Gavin

(it's a cra-zee one)!

Expecting Gavin - Part 2

When I say that my dear daughter, April, had a fabulous shower...well I ain't kidding.  No sir.  Her family and friends really did shower her with love and affection...and so many of the cutest darn baby clothes I've ever seen.  My grandson will be very fashionable.  And, boy-oh-boy have some things changed since I had babies!  There's so many do's and don'ts.  So many things are not even allowed!  And, there are some newfangled things...that...well, I don't know how we got along without them.

The guests began to arrive.  The "sign in" was a giant picture that I had designed.  I blew it up to 20" x 30" (@ Costco for cheap) and mounted it to foam board.  (P.S. It is now hanging in the nursery...turned out to be a great keepsake.)

We ate.

 We drank (fresh fruit juice Mimosa bar).

We played the aforementioned games.

Ms. Bossy Pants.  Herself.

The cake was so darn cute, I could hardly stand to cut into it!  The moist, delicious inside was just as cute as it was blue/white checkered!

April modeled the "bump."

April awe-d and ooh-ed over every single gift (more awe-ing than ooh-ing). Every single line of every single card. Every piece of gift wrap. Every. single. detail. Nothing got by her on her special day.  In fact, we had to suggest she might want to open and play with everything when she got it home.

Grandma's gift?  A travel car/seat-stroller system.  I suggested April take a practice lap around the room to see how it maneuvered, but really, it was a set up for the shutter bugs me.

I still can't believe I'm gonna be a Grandma!  Gosh...it makes me feel so old...but oh, so happy.

These next five weeks are gonna fly by. I'm so pleased and excited to see the changes already beginning in April.  She's gonna be a good mama, and I'll be holding my grandson before we know it.