Prayer Request

Please help us pray for our friend, Scott, who was in a motorcycle accident this weekend. He was flown to Columbia University Hospital and will endure a marthon surgery tomorrow, approx. 12 hours with 7 different surgeons, to repair his pelvis and leg. Pray for God to work through the Doctors, Surgeons, Nurses, Aides, and everyone to help heal Scott. Pray for his strength~physically, mentally, and emotionally~to endure the pain and trauma. Thank you!

UPDATE 10-1-09: Thank you for all of your prayers! Scott has had 2 very lengthy surgeries and is doing well. He has a long recovery ahead of him, so please keep sendng prayers his way!

Treasure Bottle

As the season is changing and my little boy has been a preschooler for 2 weeks now, (post to come-I promise!) I have been relishing the little end-of-summer moments with Mason. A few weeks ago, he drew pictures with sidewalk chalk, rode his tricycle, and then decided to do a cute little boy thing...collect "treasure" in an old apple juice bottle. He dug it out of the recycle bin and started searching for little rocks, pretty leaves, tiny sticks, anything that he could dig up to put into his Treasure Bottle. It was so cute. I snapped way too many pictures and tried not to say anything about how dirty he was getting.

Searching...

The Booty

Making a deposit

The recycle truck is coming up the street...

Doing a little happy dance!

I Am, You Are

Blowing bubbles during the last days of Summer...

If you personally know me, then you know I am a scrapbook addict (although I haven't gotten much done since Mason has been in our lives!) I have been subscribing to the scrapbooking magazine Creating Keepsakes since 2001 (!) and up until recently, I have kept them all! That's right~I'm a crazy scrapbooking pack rat. For me, the magazines are filled with such great ideas and inspiration that I just need to flip through a few pages and I'm ready to get scrapping! I've never creased a single page and would never DREAM of tearing a page out of one of them!
Well, until recently.

Several months ago, I decided that this magazine collection was quite ridiculous and that I'd go through each one and tear out the pages I wanted to keep, slip them into sheet protectors & add them to a huge "Inspiration Binder." I love it! Now ideas are at my fingertips to browse at any time-minus the ads & stuff I didn't care for. I have filled almost 3, 3" binders so far! And don't worry~I throw the remainder of the magazine in the recycle bin!

So WHY am I telling you all this, you ask?
The other night I was going through one of the magazines from August 2005, B.M. (Before Mason) There were several layouts, us usual, about kids and babies and I always thought they were sweet but at the time (in 2005) I had no use for them personally. Well, I came across one layout that really hit home for me. It amazed me that it didn't mean anything to me in 2005. It had a poem written fairly large and had a photo of a mother and child. Here is the poem:

I am your parent, you are my child.
I am your quiet place, you are my wild.
I am your calm face, you are my giggle.
I am your wait, you are my wiggle.
I am your finish line, you are my race.
I am your praying hands, you are my saving grace.
I am your lullaby, your are my peekaboo.
I am your good-night kiss, you are my I love you.

~by Maryann K. Cusimano

Wow~this is so my life right now with Mason and I wouldn't change it for anything! I instantly connected with this poem and plan to make a layout with it as well.

A few more random pictures (from July 09)

Our Favorite Kiddie Songs

Mason and I love to sing and dance to these songs from Noggin! Some of these we've been singing along to since he was a baby. This morning I decided I needed to look them up on YouTube so that they would be at our disposal anytime we felt the need to break into song and dance~so I thought I'd share! (Even if you don't have kids, these are really cute!)

The old go-to fave


Mason literally had me play this 5 times in a row this morning! He loves the part about eating your own feet...
UPDATE:He has now listened to this song about 25 times today!!!!



Love Love Love this one! (I sang it all summer-Wayne was so sick of it!) Mason knows how to sing this one.


This was popular this summer, too. Mason knows the words to this one & it's so cute to hear him sing it! I MAY have sung this on the way to Vegas...


This is so sweet~Mason requests to hear the "night-night baby song" at bedtime



Yet another David Weinstone masterpiece-I just love his songs! (The "Taxi" song & "One Magic Kiss" lullaby above are his, too)

Well, I could go on & on but I think I'll stop there! Hope you enjoyed them!

"Honest Scrap" Award!

I've been nominated by my friend Alison, for the Honest Scrap Award! It's an award where I share ten things about myself and then nominate ten of my blog friends.

It's ever so convenient that it's called "Honest SCRAP, " huh? Goes right along with this blog, Scraptacular (which, if you haven't heard me explain many times before, started out to be about scrapbooking, thus the name. I've managed to modify it into our family blog as best as I can!)

Anyway, Thanks, Alison (aka the Tool Woman)! This is only my second award ever & I'm so excited! Now you have to listen to 10 random things about me...

1. I do NOT like hair that isn't attached to something. It's disgusting. My poor husband has to clean out drains, etc. and I have to use a comb to get the hair out of my hairbrush. Gag!

2. I really would love to visit Europe and especially Paris someday. Oh, and New York!

3. I'm so proud of my sweet boy, Mason! (bet you didn't know that one!)

4. I'm a night owl. I go to bed around midnight every night. (I'm not a morning person!)

5. I think about creating things every single day. Scrapbooking, painting, crafts, decorating....

6. In Kindergarten, I stuck one of those friendship beads up my nose & couldn't get it out. My teacher sent me to the principal's office and she had me blow my nose. (what a genious!) Came right out!

7. I like all kinds of movies, but there's a special place in my heart for silly ones like Billy Madison, Napoleon Dynomite, Dumb & Dumber....

8. I love music & singing...& dancing!

9. I'm so thankful that God has a plan for me & He's working on improving me everyday!

10. I love laughing with my bestest friends~you all know who you are!

Ok-I'm tired, so not all of those were too deep or informative. But I got to 10! Now it's YOUR turn! I picked the following blogs because I enjoy reading them regularly.

Ladies, I present you with the "Honest Scrap" award! Just copy the award picture, add it to your blog & let us know 10 random things about yourself.

Lela-After the Bubbly

Christy-The Jobes

Melissa-The Tyndalls

Sherri -Sherri's Southern Style

Mitzi- The Traxsons

Becca- Four Rowdy Rogers

Lisa -Seams Sew Simple Embroidery & More

Amber - Lanning Photography

Amberly -The Bakers

Cameron's 12th Birthday Party

My awesome nephew, Cameron just turned 12 a few weeks ago. He had a Razorback-themed birthday party (I foresee one of those in Mason's future!) for our close family to celebrate. Of course we all dressed in Razorback clothing (with the exception of the non-compliant teenager...ha!) and ate a razorback cake. Cameron had fun and loved all his gifts. I can't believe that he's already 12 & will be a teenager next year!

The birthday boy & his cool cake


Mason is ready for some punch!

Love this pic!

Me trying to get my hand untangled from Mason & a balloon string mess!

A really great pic of my parents!

Time to unwrap!

Chloe' (complete with stickers that Mason stuck all over her legs)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CAMERON!

Botanical Garden of the Ozarks with Family

A few weeks ago, we had family visit us from 2 different states! My Cousin, Troy, from Colorado and my Great Aunt & Uncle from Kansas, Delmar & Deanna. We went sight-seeing and visited downtown Bentonville, the U of A Campus, and then the Botanical Gardens.

A group shot (minus my Mom) at the Confederate soldier fountain


Don't fall in!

Lunch at one of my faves, Mimi's Cafe

Mason taking a liking to Aunt Deanna
Then we all really enjoyed the Botanical Gardens!
Mason in the Japanese Garden by the Koi pond

I love this picture! My Grandma (known to Mason as "Gigi") showing him a sunflower. My family is from Kansas and sunflowers always remind me of my Grandma, so I'm glad I snapped this shot!
Another Kansas girl...
This bumble bee posed for me
A sweet hug

A turtle ride (the Children's Garden was our fave!)
Love this one!
My Mom up in the bird's nest
...and Mason coming down
Cute chair
Grandma & Aunt Deanna
Looking up!
Yet another fave!
This was a huge sculpture, that from above was a butterfly~her wings were the flowers & bushes.
It was great to get to spend time with out-of-state family and get to experience our local amenities!