Riding for Relaxation........

Jacob has been going to therapeutic riding for almost a year now. Although he often does not want to go....he needs it. Some people might question how horseback riding could be therapeutic.....I did myself at one point. Let me assure you....it is very therapeutic! Jacob does not like going, but once he gets there and gets working with Donna, his occupational therapist, and the horse he is a calm, relaxed and focused. I was so happy that Becky took some pictures of Jacob while he was at riding......thanks Becky!

Life is Better at the Beach!

We have been very lucky to have some great weather lately! Maine can be known for its harsh winters....but is equally famous for its beautiful summers! Last year we didn't have a summer to speak of, so we are taking complete advantage of any good weather we have this summer! I am loving every photo opportunity that I have!

Today I choose to scrap a page of just Carter.....This is his first mobile summer. Boy, does he love the fact that he can move around! He loves being outside and loves playing! It seems strange that just 1 year ago I was pregnant with him, awaiting his arrival and wondering what type of child he would be. It has been an awesome year watching his unique personality unfold! I am excited to see what the next year brings.

Lots of Fun!

What a beautiful day it was yesterday! We just couldn't waste the evening sitting home when it was 82 degrees in Maine in May! So, an early dinner was in order to head to the beach. We now live less than 10 miles from the ocean, so a quick evening trip wasn't out of the question. We headed to Bayview Beach in Saco to play in the waves and check out the ocean temps! I will tell you that the water was bone chilling cold....my feet were aching it was so cold, but that didn't stop the boys from getting really wet! We had a great time! This was Carter's first time playing in the sand at the ocean and he loved it! I try never to forget my camera for outings such as this and had lots of opportunities to take some great pictures. One thing that is very difficult with 3 small children is to get photos of them together. Today was no exception! I did manage to snap one picture.....at first I was a bit disappointed that none of them were looking at the camera......but I looked at the picture and noticed that all of them look very happy and had their attention on something that made them all smile! How could I ask for more than that in a picture! We had a wonderful time at Bayview Beach and are looking forward to lots more last minute trips to the ocean this summer!

Our New Home

WOW! What a super long week! It seems like we have had weeks to prepare for this move, however, those weeks didn't seem to prepare me for just how difficult both mentally and physically the move would be. The good news is......we did it! The bad news is.....I now have a garage full of boxes! LOL.....We are working through unpacking them but are trying to do it in the orderly fashion that the boxes were packed in. So far, we have found only 1 item that was broken. I am still exhausted from the move. I have yet to appropriately thank those who took time out to help us make the move happen in a timely fashion. To my brothers: thanks for your strength: without your help I think that I would have left my piano in Waterboro. To my Mom, thanks for organizing my kitchen! I am still waiting for blueprints of where you put everything! To my Dad, thanks for keeping Nolan and Barrett working! LOL and last but not least....Becky....we could not have done it without you! Words can't express our appreciation to your countless hours of help....You sure know how to make a miserable job like moving fun! I love how you keep me smiling!

I will close by saying that I am looking forward to many happy years in our new home. We spent 12 wonderful years on Crescent Drive in North Waterboro and are hoping for more of the same on Tapley Road.........

A Day in the Park

Today I participated in my first "speed scrap"......it was lots of fun! The basic idea: you get an instruction every 10 minutes or so for an hour and after that you get an hour to complete your page and subit it. This speed scrap was hosted by Ziggle Scraps and it was lots of fun!!!!

Just a Day on the Farm.....

Today was a field trip day for Jacob. Since I am the crazy camera lady I had to find a way to get some photos of his field trip! I handed my Nikon to his teacher this morning and asked her if she would mind taking some photos for me......she looked at me like I had 3 heads and said, "I couldn't take this camera...." I said, "Sure you can, it is super easy to use." I gave her a quick lesson on using it and ended it by saying, "If you can't figure it out, feel free to let Jacob use it....he knows how." Once again, she looked at me like I was crazy and said, "He knows how to use this big thing?" I just laughed and said, "Of course he does!" I was anxiously waiting to pick Jacob up from school to see how the pictures came out! He had a great time at the farm and his teacher was able to get a few cute photos! It was worth the risk of leaving my Nikon with her! LOL I can't wait until their field trip to the ocean next week!!!!

Sentimental Journey.......

What a crazy week it has been for me! My family is moving to our new home next week, so the packing and preparations for moving have been crazy! My 35th birthday is on the same day that we will close on our new house. Because of the craziness that moving brings my friends decided to surprise me with a birthday party at the Weathervane Restaurant. What a fabulous time! In the short time that we were able to spend together laughing and reminiscing, I was reminded just how important friends are....this was while I was eating a cake that looked exactly like a Coach purse...I will scrap that page later!!! Spending time with all of them just laughing and sharing what we have been up to was so much fun. It has caused me to reflect on the fun times that I have had with each of them and the fun times that we have had with each other. I am a lucky girl to have the best friends that anyone could ever ask for!

Capture the Magic

Most people know my passionate love for all things Disney! I love Walt Disney World, Disney movies, Disney memorabilia and Disney trivia. I love Disney! As far back as I can remember I was a fan of Disney (for those of you who aren't aware, my license plate is DSNYFAN). My first drive-in movie was "The Fox and the Hound". I love to share the magic of Walt Disney World with my children. My love for Disney grew even more (if that was even possible) when we realized that it is the only vacation spot that we are aware of that caters to my son, Jacob's extreme food allergies and autism. Jacob eats better at Walt Disney World than he does at home!!!! LOL They have a way of making our family feel like we are royalty. I hope they know just how appreciative my family is for making Walt Disney World the happiest place on earth for us!

Captured Moments....

I love photography and I love capturing moments that are special. Because of this, I am rarely in photos when my family goes on an adventure or has a gathering. This really makes me treasure family photos even more!

Make Something Beautiful!

Make Something Beautiful......when you hear those words I bet your mind immediately drifts to art class. I am not much of an artist, but I do enjoy creating things! My favorite creation medium is digital scrapbooking (with quilting a close second!)......I love the digital feature because of the cleanliness factor! I am a busy mom of 3 young boys and I don't have time to get out, organize and create traditional scrapbooks! I do want to document the fun times and experiences that my family has and digital scrapbooking with Polaroid's My Memories Suite program allows me to do just that!!!! I chose the title of my blog "Make Something Beautiful" because I love to make beautiful albums for my family, but also because I really believe that God is trying to "Make Something Beautiful" of my life! Here are the lyrics to Laura Story's song with that same name!

When I'm at the point of breaking at the place where I resign,

And I'm at the stage of shaking my head as I look back on my life.

When I'm halfway through the grieving, but not quite through the ache,
When I cannot see the ending, or which road I'm supposed to take,

All I know to do is lift my hands to you....

Take all of my life, all of my life, And make something beautiful.

I open my hand, trusting Your plan. Make something beautiful so all will see

Your work in me, as You make something beautiful.

When I'm tired of pretending, and I can't recall my lines,

Do I say, I'm barely breathing, or just say, I'm dong fine.

I admit there is a yearning for the hurting to subside,

But not at the risk of missing what Your doing with my life.

All I know to do is lift my hands to You....

Take all of my life, all of my life, and make something beautiful!

Take all of my life, all of my life, and make something beautiful!

Go "make something beautiful" today!!!