Maniac Monday

    Wow!  What a busy, exciting, frustrating, and fun weekend we had!  Saturday was one of our busiest days we've had as a family so far this year, and actually, in quite a while.  Wesley had a soccer game during a down pour, with our area receiving 0.80 inches of rain that day, when 0.10 is average for our area (according to a local newscast).  Soaked to the bone, he was still very excited about the Cub Scout activities planned for the rest of the day.
     We were planning to camp out with the Cub Scouts for our first and last time Saturday.  Wesley is a new scout, and was going through the ceremony that night to move into Boy Scouts.  Did I tell you it RAINED???  
    After frantically shopping for an appropriate sized tent that the 3 of us, plus my best buddy Dakota, could be comfy in, and that also met up to the hubby's standards, it was SOLD OUT by the time I went to order it the next day.  The website crashing during my order process didn't help my nerves either lol.  Web search again a few days later.... found it back in stock and ordered it along with an LED lantern, "tandem" 2 person sleeping bag, etc etc... A week or so later, driving out of town to pick up the tent, battling the rain schedule to apply additional sealer.....wow.
    Back to Saturday.  We anxiously watched the rain continue, monitored the radar and decided that the tent/camping adventure wasn't meant to happen for us, at least not that day.  The temperatures dropped into the low 40s overnight, and that along with the mushy/muddy ground at the camp site and rain until 8 pm that night clinched the decision.  As far as we know, only those with campers stayed overnight.  After having a wonderful camp and pot luck style dinner, the "Cross Over" ceremony took place, and we proudly watched Wesley receive yet ANOTHER belt loop for yet another accomplishment and walked across the bridge, into Boy Scouts.  He is the ONLY Webelo from the pack who is continuing on to Boy Scouts.
     To help lessen his disappointment over not camping out, I asked Michael if we could set up 'camp' in our living room again (we did this last year when it was too cold, and the two guys did it when we received the tandem sleeping bag the other day).  After leaving him at the camp site to play with a friend for a while, Michael went back to pick him up, and Wesley returned to find that I had completed setting up  'camp', including the Jiffy Pop popcorn awaiting him, as planned for our camp out.  Instead of staying at the camp ground to watch a movie with the scouts (outdoors), we much more comfortably rented a movie about the creator of the first computer.   Instead of falling asleep beneath the stars, the guys slipped off to sleep while I finished the movie, all of us in our soft, warm beds we created with the blow up beds and our sleeping bags, all in a toasty warm house lol.
     Sunday found us waking up in warmth, and Michael had Wesley step outdoors in his pjs, to see what it would have been like if we had stayed at the camp ground.  He doesn't think Wesley even took more than a couple of steps before running back in lol.  At around 11:30 I asked Michael if we were going to our niece's graduation party after all (we didn't know if we'd make it before), and he said he had forgotten all about it amongst the worries of camping with the scouts.  We left quickly and made it about 15 minutes before it officially ended, but stayed for a couple more hours, catching up with his family members and meeting our other niece's fiance.
     Today found me off to my optometrist for my over due check up and need of new lenses, as usual.  The cost of lenses alone is astronomical these days, but I need them, and I don't want to have Lasik surgery until after...... wait for it.... I have cataracts removed in a few years.  Yep.  Happy, happy, joy, joy..... I was hoping that if at all, it would be a while before I got them.  More wonderful medical news to share with the extended family, since I don't know of any of us on either side of the family who has had them done yet.  
     The busy weekend caught up to me after I came home (with dilated eyes as well... yucky).  I crashed while Michael and Wesley went to soccer practice.  Therefore this is my maniac Monday.  Catching up on laundry and chores...
    How was YOUR weekend??? 

Creating more layouts by utilizing Top Page Layout kits by Inspired Inc: Part 2

     Hello friends and family.  This will take a while for me complete, but I am working diligently to play 'catch up' on postings of my projects from 2014-2015.
     Below are 2 pages completed with one of the Inspired Inc Top Page layout kits, followed by a companion page that I created in order to include more of the fun photos from an afternoon of family play time in our home town.  The colors of this kit fit really well with the colors of our clothing as well as the BEAUTIFUL blooming tree which is part of the mini golf course.  I used part of another Top Page Layout kit, specifically the rainbow portions, to pull the colors from the prior two pages into the companion page.

     As you can see, I had to alter the layout suggested to fit my photo orientations, number and sizes, but the colors really helped to pull the pages together.
          

       Wesley joined Cub Scouts this year, and their only fund raiser is their annual popcorn sale which takes place in front of the local hardware store where the scout leader works...brilliant!  When combined with the fees each cub scout pays annually, this fund raiser covers the expenses of some of their activities.   Our favorite popcorn that they sold is the dark and white chocolate popcorn which Wesley is holding in one of the photos... a very popular seller.

    This layout kit featured brown tones along with orange and green accents, which worked well with our annual outdoor chores or activities.  Wesley has been learning to drive our lawn mower on his own, actually enjoying some of the outdoor chores since he's been allowed to drive.  Sometimes Michael lets him just zoom around the yard for fun.... typical kid at this age range.

 

It's a Cub Scout Christmas!

     Wesley became a Cub Scout this year, which meant weekly meetings 3 times per month, including a 'pack' meeting. 

      During the 'Pack' meeting in December, not only did Wesley receive FOUR, yes four, badges but we also took part in several Christmas oriented projects.  They made their own bird feeders, but they also made two ornaments as well as decorated sugar cookies!

     When I had to stop sneaking around with my camera in order to help scouts complete the ornament project I brought, Michael was able to get some great action shots that I would have otherwise missed.
     I can't believe that most of them managed to complete all their projects in the time left following the badge ceremony.

     Using my Cricut and (Christmas) Noel cartridge, I was able to cut out the layers necessary for them to make their own Santa Claus, and I brought pipe cleaners for them to use as hangers.  I also suggested that if they wanted, they could use fishing line as hangers when they got home.  I LOVE using fishing line to hang our snowflakes, angels, etc. from our ceiling as part of our Christmas decorating at home.

     Guess who seems to be in a goofy-face response mode this year???  Unfortunately, he also did this several times on Christmas day.  Oh well, I think they all had fun and I heard the cookies were good too!