National Scrapbooking Day turns into National Scrpabooking Weekend

I have thoroughly enjoyed this long weekend. Steve had a lot of work to do here at home (clean out his shed after it was flooded from a burst water pipe next door) so I decided to veg out and get some scrapbooking done to celebrate National Scrapbooking Day. Well I was on such a roll, that it turned out to be National Scrapbooking Weekend in this household rather than National Scrapbooking Day and I managed to do heaps of layouts. It seems like I have done very little scrapbooking this year in comparison to other years so it was really great to just be able to sit down and get some of the photos sitting on my scrapbooking table documented. No exciting family news this week. Enjoying the peace and quiet after the last few hectic weeks we have had here, and I already know that this next weekend is going to be very busy. It is Chloe's birthday and she has organised a joint birthday Party with one of the girls from Youth Group. It's a girls night, they are all sleeping over on Friday night. I think at last count , there were 13 or 14 of them. Still not sure where they are going to all sleep (I mean that's if they do go to sleep) and then on Saturday night, the Youth Group are having a progressive dinner and they are all coming here for Desert. The theme is Mexican and I am supposed to make a Mexican desert. Any ideas, recipes or suggestions are most welcome. I can see there will be some great photo opportunities this next week. I am also going on some PD for work this week. The Libriarn and I are going to visit another school to check out their cataloguing program - we are about to change and update ours, so that will make a nice change this week. Chloe is also off on a Year 8 Form Camp for a few days this week (She is their Form Senior) It is a bit sad actually, she will miss her Birthday morning at home. She gets back that afternoon and an hour and a half later all the girs are due to arrive.

Anyway thought I would share the layouts I have been doing this weekend. I have had these couple of photos of Chloe sitting on my desk for quite some while - This first layout is for Challenge 1 of the Scrap of Faith Challenges for May. I didn't have a portrait photo so turned I it all around a bit. Love how it turned out. I am really love the browns and aqua colourings at the moment, and for some reason I really love this photo of Chloe I also wanted to challenge myself to do a couple of layouts using Patterned paper for a change. So both the second and third layouts have been done using Patterned Paper. Nearly all my layouts are done on Plain Cardstock, so it was fun to try and do something a little different. I think these coupld have worked. I love the "Phone Conversations" layout. This is gorgeous paper and it has been nice playing with flowers and do some girlie layouts. The fourth layout was inspired by a digi layout I saw on an online Gallery - have just been trying to find it again to give Credit to the person but I can't seem to find it.

I have some many photos of the floods from January that I wanted to do a page to document it as it is 17 years since we have had a flood and hopefully it will be a few years before we see another one. These last four layouts are just 6 x 6 layouts for my "Joy Journal". They all have hidden journalling tucked away behind the photos. I am really enjoying doing this little album. I am definately going to have to go and see though if I can get sime bigger rings to hold it all together, as the album is nearly full and we are only half way through the year. Not much else to share. I have been reading this blog this week. - Bring the Rain - I have been really encouraged though by reading their sad story - my heart breaks for them but at the same time their faith has been a huge encouragement to me. It is a beautiful story of God's faithfulness especially when life seems so tough and you wonder how on earth you can keep going.

My soul finds rest in God alone: my salvation comes from Him. he alone is my rock, and my salvation: he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. Psalm 62:1-2

I came accross this quote this week and thought I would share them with you.

"Having someone who understands is a great blessing for ourselves. Being someone who understands is a great blessing to others."

"The joy of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship. It is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him."

Just had to Edit to post to show you these photos.

Got to sit on the hillside behind Steve's school with my gorgeous family and watch the sun set this afternoon. We really do have the most amazing sunsets in Rocky

These glorious sunsets bring to mind the words of the Psalmist when he wrote

The Heavens declare the glory of GOD: the skies proclaim the works of his hands.

Psalm 19:1.

Yours O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor for everything in Heaven and earth is yours. Yours O Lord is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor, come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your Glorious Name. 1 Chronicles 29:11-13