Ok, softball isn't quite over...

...but this weekend marks the end of softball for the year, for sure. Rileigh made the 8U Slammers red team (it is like a rookie all star team) so we've been going to practice after practice for the past 2 weeks. Tonight is a scrimmage against the Slammers blue team and Friday is our first game of the tournament. Who decided to hold a softball tournament on 4th of July weekend anyway?

The family just returned from vacation which was MUCH needed for all of us. With hubby working third shift and me being a stay-at-home mommy, we were getting close to going insane! We camped at White Lake State Park, a family favorite. The lake was sooooo nice to swim in upon our arrival -- we went there with a friend and her 2 kids while hubby set up camp with her husband. Unfortunately, it was the only swim time we would get throughout the entire 3 days in the mountains, as it was overcast and stormy all weekend long. No worries -- there's always something to do indoors! We rode on the Wildcat Mt. gondola and enjoyed the view at the top, despite the whipping winds and impending thunderstorm. Afterwards, it was off to theHartmann Model Railroad Museum which was amazing! They had display after display of model railroads, assembled and working. You just push a button in front of the display and watch the trains whiz around the tracks. So cool. Patryk loved the train ride. We finished off the weekend after returning home to unload the van by going to the Urban Forestry Center in Portsmouth, NH and Fort McClary in Kittery, ME. I was impressed to see the kids enjoy identifying types of trees along our nature walk, and actually learning what the different types of trees end up becoming after being forested. It was cool that the forest was right there along the marshland as well, I just wish there had been an ocean breeze. What a hot and muggy day it was!

Before leaving, I had the opportunity to make this layout for sketches4all and get it uploaded to their site. I can finally post it here, and let me tell you, it was a fun one to make! Now, it's off to the scorching hot craft room to come up with a few more creations...hubby's birthday is coming up, and I have the perfect card sketch in mind!

The end of softball season, the beginning of my life as I knew it...

Ah, spring...the birds are singing, the sun is bringing to life the flowers and trees, and the sounds of softball season fill my nights. Unfortunately, with all that I do outside, I don't get a lot of crafty time inside. I have so much to do out there! There are the flower beds to tend to, and the veggie garden to prepare, not to mention windows to wash and kids to play with! Softball season is the real hassle, although I really enjoy watching the girls play. I just hate those rushed nights, flying through homework and throwing food down the kids throats so we are not late to the game, so you can imagine my excitement that the season has come to an end! They finished out the season as the #3 team in the league (way to go girls!)

Yesterday was the first day in the craft room for a long time. I had been really stressed as of late, so it was nice to get my creative release! I usually do what I call a "warm up layout" to get myself back into the scrappin' groove, but this time I just jumped right in and completed a layout for a challenge on sketches4all, which felt fantastic. I took a sketch that used strips of paper, and decided to use ribbon instead, as the background paper I had chosen was pretty "busy." I love how it turned out!

Background paper: We R Memory Keepers paper pad, Teen Angst

Ribbon: random scraps from my stash

Rub on "Family" on photo: DCWV Rub-on Doodles, Daydream in white

Random paper clip

So here's to a summer filled with time for scrapping! I'm hoping to post some tutorials with examples on different techniques, let's all try something new together!