Daily Life Week 47: Almost No Photos!

Daily Life Templates 12 by Scrapping with Liz
Thankful by mle Card and Tracie Stroud
Kraft Paper Pack by Etc. by Danyale
Must Watch Templates by Scrapping with Liz

I almost forgot to take pictures last week. It was just one of those crazy weeks where I just didn't pick up my camera or even really use my phone a whole lot. I think I just had too much on my mind! We were getting ready for a big trip, lots of doc appointments and I was trying to finish up school with the kids so we could take a week off. I did manage to put together enough for a page. I did replace one of the spots with a QR code.

This week, though, we are visiting family in Florida (by the way, Happy Thanksgiving!) and I've already taken enough pictures to fill a whole album. It's going to be tough figuring out what to put on my weekly page.

Anyway, I'll let you read about last week below. Make sure you grab the free journal card template.


Journaling: This week was kind of normal with some special stuff thrown in. Here’s a photo at the grocery store as we were checking out (pretty normal). I have a lot of little helpers. I took a photo of me scrapping (it’s sort of what I do for fun!) I’m trying hard to work on Matthew’s album. It’s what I do if the work is done and the kids are in bed. Ashlyn and Emmie babysat a couple of kids this week. I just love this pic I snapped of Emmie looking over the baby. She was definitely in her element.


Journaling: Lydia almost always grabs a book and ‘reads’ first thing in the morning. I love it.
We had an early Thanksgiving meal at Grandma’s house which also included taking family photos. Here’s a sneak peek at all the cousins and an accidental picture of Shawn and Matthew that I happen to love. We also attended a Borrower’s b-day party. The girls had so much fun making their own little Borrower’s homes out of shoe boxes and misc. household items. They came home and decorated it even more.

Here's your free journal card templates. 

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-Liz


Just thought I would share some of my pages....

I've been trying to pump out pages for Matthew's album, and I thought I would show you what I've worked on since the last time I shared his pages.

Let's get started.

Okay, to be honest, I got a little sidetracked. Mostly by these templates (Zine Style Templates 1 and Zine Style Templates 2) and then the pictures I took last winter....before Matthew. I had been dying to work with these new templates and so I took a little detour and found the perfect pictures and scrapped these pages, which will be a double page layout in the album. I would have scrapped some of Matthew's photos with them but I'm trying to keep a cohesive look to his album and I'm sticking with my Double Monthly Challenge Templates.

I just love how they turned out....so I had to show you.

Zine Style Templates 1 by Scrapping with Liz
Snowflake Dreams by Tickled Pink Studio

Zine Style Templates 2 by Scrapping with Liz
Snowflake Dreams by Tickled Pink Studio


Okay, now to Matthew's pages. In these first few pages we are still visiting Beijing...but of course all I could think about was how our son would be in our arms in just two short days.

Double Monthly Challenge Templates 9 by Scrapping with Liz
Good Fortune Awaits by Meredith Cardall Designs

Double Monthly Challenge Templates 9 by Scrapping with Liz
Good Fortune Awaits by Meredith Cardall Designs

Double Monthly Challenge Templates 12 by Scrapping with Liz
Big Sibling Adoption by mle Card
Chinese Takeout by mle Card


 Then it was time to move on to Nanjing, the province where he is from. We were so ready.

Obviously I'm loving polka dot backgrounds.

Double Monthly Challenge Templates 9 by Scrapping with Liz
Summer Adventures Gotta Getaway by Bella Gypsy Designs


 Then it was time to explore the city a bit. Such a big city with some fun scenes.
Double Monthly Challenge Templates 8 by Scrapping with Liz
In the City by SO Designers


I have two pages in the works right now of some of the things we did that night before we would get Matthew...and then it will be time to scrap pictures with him. I can't wait!

-Liz

Week 46: Playing, Reading, Surgery & More!

Daily Life Templates 12 by Scrapping with Liz
Snap Happy by Bella Gypsy Designs

I know, I know. I used way too many QR codes on my page this week...but there were just too many cute videos to go along with the pictures. Maybe I'll have to start combining the videos and just making one QR code for the week.

I'll let you read about our week below and make sure you grab the free journal card template too...and watch the videos if you want to.


Journaling: This is what our days usually look like....lots of playing and reading. Our living room and dining room are often a maze of train tacks, buildings, Lincoln Logs and more. This week the kids looked at their scrapbooks quite a bit. It’s one of Lydia’s favorite things to do. She usually looks through them once a week. Everyone joined in this week.


Journaling: Matthew had to have dental surgery (too many years of poor nutrition and poor dental hygiene).  He was such a trooper. He woke up smiling and never complained. We spent Saturday morning raking leaves. We always have lots of leaves in the fall. After raking leaves we visited Grandma and Grandpa for a bit. Grandpa took the kids for a 4-wheeler ride. At one point all the kids piled on...don’t worry, they only went for a very short ride. We also finally finished Kyla’s apron. We’ve been working on it for almost 5 months! She’s worn it every day since we finished it.

Click the image to download. 
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-Liz

How Scrapbooks Help My Kids


This happened last weekend:







It happens frequently at my house.

I thought I would share with you how looking at these scrapbooks helps my kids, namely my two adopted children...and especially my deaf son.

My daughter, home 2 years, loves to pull out her scrapbook and look at her story. She has her own scrapbook just like her sisters. She knows her story is special. She knows she belongs to our family and always will, and her scrapbook helps her see it. Plus, she loves to see pictures of herself! :)

My son, home 4 months, doesn't have a scrapbook yet. But he will! He likes to watch me create pages for his scrapbook. In fact, after the above transpired, he came over and sat on my lap and we looked at his pages together on my computer. He knows he has a special story too. He knows he has a special place in our family.

Scrapbooks have also helped explain things to our son. We can tell him all about people he doesn't know through the pictures and stories in the scrapbook. We can explain to him what special events are like birthdays, Christmas, Thanksgiving, vacation, etc. Whenever we start trying to explain to him a new concept, something that we've done before or are going to be doing again soon, we can pull out the scrapbooks and sign and explain things to him. It's quite amazing. I never dreamed that scrapbooks would help us like this.

Who knew that when I began scrapbooking over 10 years ago that it would mean this much to my family?

How do scrapbooks help your family?
-Liz

Week 45: Sign, Plays and Birthdays!

Daily Life Templates 12 by Scrapping with Liz
Count Your Blessings by Bella Gypsy
It's All Good Alpha by Bella Gypsy
Krafty Paper Bundle by Happy Scrap Girl

I can't believe I just got finished scrapping our first week of November. That means I have less than two months left of this project. I think I'm going to miss scrapping these weekly pages. Actually, I'm already thinking about what I might do for next year. Anybody have any ideas?

I'll let you read about our week below, if you want to. Make sure you grab the free journal card template.


Journaling: So, this week we practiced ASL (always practicing), went to a school Cirque performance (which everyone loved!), Matthew showed me how strong he is (he’s always reminding me how strong he is), and we went to an event in Asheville where we met some other families with adopted deaf children. Emmie made a new friend. She sat down with her and signed away with her....telling her how beautiful she was. Emmie has so much compassion for others, it amazes me.


Journaling: We finally had time to have family over to celebrate Emmie’s 10th birthday. Ashlyn and Emmie made cupcakes together. Vanilla, with raspberry filling and cream cheese frosting and little dolphins and starfish made out of fondant. I did let Emmie have a cup of coffee on her birthday. Occasionally she’ll take sips of my coffee and she always asks for her own. I kept telling her that she could have her very own cup on her 10th birthday. She drank every last sip of it.


And here's your journal card template.
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-Liz

I'm in the Digi Files!


In case you haven't heard I'm featured in the Daily Digi this month. If you aren't familiar with the Daily Digi you should be.  They have daily posts including everything from tips, tutorials, inspiration and more. Basically everything to do with digital scrapbooking. Win!

Make sure to listen to my little podcast with Steph. I must admit that my mind went blank when she asked me about fonts. Maybe I'll write up a little blog post of my favorite title fonts for you all...when I have time to think and process. ;)

You can listen below, download here or subscribe in iTunes.

I know the giveaway is over but you can still go on over there and read my feature, get some awesome inspiration from their team and grab the special coupon I have for the Daily Digi readers.

-Liz

Week 44: Snow, Home and Piercings!

Daily Life Templates 11 by Scrapping with Liz
Best Place to Be by Juno Designs

Since I journaled a lot on my pages this week, I'll just let you read about our week below. Don't forget to grab the free journal card template too!


Journaling: Can you believe there was snow this week? The kids woke up on Saturday morning and there was a little tiny bit of snow on the ground and the flakes were still coming down. Above is a somewhat staged photo of them trying to catch the flakes (Daddy took it). 
   I also snapped a few photos of normal, everyday things around here. Breakfast at the counter, school at the table and Tuesday night guitar lessons with Daddy. This is really what our life looks like on a day-to-day basis. 



Journaling: Look at her face. She just looks so adorable bundled up. We had our first really cold spell this week (along with the snow). So far the kids are loving getting bundled up and playing out side. Mom, not so much. It makes too much extra laundry.
  We celebrated Emmie’s birthday a couple days early. She wanted to get her ears pierced. Daddy gave her permission, so off her and I went to Wal-Mart. It took only a few minutes. When we got home she told Ashlyn that ‘it didn’t hurt at all!' She talked Ashlyn into getting hers pierced too. Since Ashlyn had her own money and said she would pay for it herself, I took them both back and Ashlyn got hers pierced.
   Below is a picture of what Matthew likes doing best. He like to build trains tracks and cities. He gets a lot of help from his sisters. On this particular track he got help from his cousin Joe who came to play one afternoon.


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-Liz
© Scrapping with Liz
Maira Gall