Scrapbooking Day

I thought I finished working on a scrapbook for Sarah's first year today but then I just discovered this photo on my computer, too. Hmpf. Guess I'll have to add another page to her book. Or two. We'll see. She's just so darned cute that we took lots of pictures of her.

I don't get to the scrapbooking very often but when I do I like to get the pictures in the book and move on to the next batch. I'm not really into embellishments and such. It's all about getting them done for me.

This weekend I finished the boy's books for their school year prior to the one that just ended. Yep, so for Jason that would have been 1st grade and Evan that was 4th grade. They just finished 3rd and 5th (yes, Jason skipped 2nd). I also finished Christmas 2008. The one I was working on for Sarah is digital. I've made several of these types and I really enjoy the way they turn out. I also enjoy that so much is done for me already. I would like to add a family tree page and maybe one of these birthday cake pictures. I haven't found a family tree page yet, though.

My guess is that I finished well over 50 pages last night and today. I counted this afternoon at some point and the total was at 42. I also worked on another project that's not exactly a scrapbook but it involves pictures and crafty stuff. That's all you get to know because it will probably be a Christmas present for somebody. You'll forget by then anyway. Right? You will, won't you? Cause I want you to be surprised. Well, if you're not just pretend to make me feel good. OK? Thank you.

What have you been up to this weekend?

Chives

From my garden today. They smell yummy.

What's in the Garden Today

This is a photo of our backyard before we moved in. A little later today I'm going to take a photo from the same spot and we can compare. Jon has the camera and is not home or I would do it now.
This will be a fun comparison.

So far we have growing in our garden this year:

potatoes
tomatoes
cauliflower
cucumbers
cabbage
purple pod beans
"ideal market" beans
cilantro
chives
basil
lavender
carrots
onions
nasturtiums

Ok, so this photo doesn't look that impressive because it's far away. But, we have added, the clubhouse, the lilly garden at the back of the house, the Square Foot Garden in the alcove created by the sunroom and the back of the house, the firepit, and another garden to the left along the fence (not pictured), and another garden behind me (picture below).
















photo of garden at back fence. this is one of my favorite gardens. it feels like a park with lots of green and it's very full after just a few years. it's time to thin some of the hostas, even.














close-up of lilly garden at back of house.

I'm proud of Evan

Evan was nominated to be a patrol for his sixth grade year at Hums Elementary. He is so excited, he doesn't even mind that he'll have to get out of bed and be at school early every day. After his training and first day "on the job" yesterday, he rushed home to show me his new patrol belt.

I'm especially proud of him because typically, Evan is not a joiner. Being involved in extracurricular activities really does not interest him, even if his good friends are participating. For whatever reason this opportunity has appealed to him and he has accepted the challenge.

As we pulled up to school today I saw all of the other students Evan will be working with as a patrol. They're good kids. He'll be keeping good company. This sixth grade class at Hums is impressive. They are all growing and maturing so quickly now. Keep an eye out for these guys over the next ten years or so. I'm predicting great things from the Hums class of 2010.

all men are created equal

I'm sure there are many things I don't know. And I'm sure that this is a subject I am not at all qualified to address. But I'm going to anyway. At least a little bit.

I don't understand why everything has to be such a big bad argument. Take for example, moving the prisoners from Guantanamo Bay. Yes, I understand that they are really bad guys. Yes, I understand that nobody wants them to be near where they live. But honestly, don't we have people imprisoned within the United States already that are at least as bad as these guys? And doesn't it seem to make sense that if our elected officials decided that bringing them here was the best option that they would find a way to do it so that the rest of us would remain safe?

A long time ago in my history class I memorized part of the Declaration of Independence of the United States. We hold these truths to be self evident . . that all men are created equal. Yes, it's out of context. And yes, there's more to it than that. But here's the bottom line for me as I see it today.

I believe in God.
I believe my safety and security is in Him alone.
I believe every person is valuable.
I believe that all men are created equal.
I believe that includes these people nobody wants.
I believe we owe them the same human dignity I would expect to be given myself.
I believe we would be outraged if another government held our citizens without trial indefinitely.
I believe we make decisions harder than they have to be.
I believe sometimes you just have to make the decision and let it play out the way it will.
I believe we have to make the decision based on the best info we can get and trust the results to work themselves out.
I believe we can't know what WILL happen, we can only know what IS happening, and must act accordingly.
I believe we need to do unto others as we would have done unto ourselves.

Not my usual topic of conversation but hey, there it is. Take it or leave it, it's up to you. There are sooo many things we make harder than they have to be, both on a personal level and a national level. Maybe just for today, we should practice making things easier for ourselves and for those around us.