OUT ON A LIMB...finale.
Thursday, January 10, 2008 at 06:43PM First off, sorry for the missing in action action going on lately (no good excuses, just working on getting my ducks in a row for the new year and all that, ya know?). Gonna do better now. :)
Secondly, after my holiday break from Out on a Limb, I'm back. But. I've decided after much deliberation to stop my weekly challenges on this topic. I know that part of it was just the holiday busyness and all. But part of it is that it was starting to feel like work...coming up with weekly topics and layouts. And I have enough scrapbooking that's technically work and this particular topic is so dear to my heart that I just feel the need to keep it *mine* for awhile longer. Does that make sense? I'll still post inspiration and ideas from time to time, but I just can't commit to doing it on a regular basis. I hope you understand.
That said. Here's a layout that I finished about my dad's birthday last month. It's not the coolest looking layout in the world, but I really love the journaling. It came together so well and was just perfect.
For those who don't want to squint at that, the picture is of my dad and his twin sister on their 20th birthday and the journaling reads:
Happy birthday, Dad! You’d have been 58 today. I’ve been trying to think of something we can do as a family every year to celebrate your birthday…some little tradition we can start so that we can feel together even when we’re not. When I asked Joe if he had any ideas, he mentioned that every year he’d ask you what you wanted for your birthday and you’d say simply “go to church and say a rosary.” So very like you. I wasn’t able to convince all the others, but I did go to church today for you. Nathan came home early so we could go to the evening service as a family. The homily was amazingly fitting. The priest talked about advent and the word “prepare.” He emphasized how we must prepare not only for the material trappings of the season but how we must prepare our lives for God…how we must live a life of faith and service. Dad, I can’t think of a single person who was more prepared to meet God than you. I wish you were here to blow out your candles, but I know that you are in a better place and that you are at peace. The way you lived your life simply leaves no alternative. So, even though we were not at all “prepared” for your death, I find comfort in the fact that you were. And so, today, I celebrated your prepared life. I have no present for you, but you’ve given me a priceless one…your example.
What number was I on? I think it was three. Yes. Three. So, thirdly, things here are going fine...nothing too out of the ordinary. Boys are still heavy on the Transformer stuff (as I type they're playing Transformer Risk with Uncle Zach in the next room and have declared that while playing you must talk in a robot voice). Micah continues to delight and is now a self-proclaimed copy cat. He likes to pat his own chest and declare, "me, cat!" (meaning copy cat). Uncle Zach's wife and youngest daughter came out to visit last weekend and Makenna and Micah (both 2) entertained us with some good robot dancing (ala "Robots" movie dvd bonus features). I had a grand girls' night last weekend...fun times. (So have to remember to take the camera next time, gals!)
Fourth, dude. Scrapbooking is exciting me lately...so many ideas! I've been finishing up a few deadlines (still have a few to go) and am looking forward to doing a bunch more non-deadline stuff...gotta use up all these cool goodies I've been accumulating! :) I feel a little like I've been on a "scrapbooking for me" hiatus lately...focusing instead on memorial layouts and gifts and deadlines (which hasn't been at all bad). Getting excited to be excited again. :)
Okay, I have more to say, but will save it and actually blog some more tomorrow. ;) Happy night!
Reader Comments (2)
This layout is so great . . . I think your work is amazing!
AWESOME page! I really love the design and the simplicity of it.
BTW--I am SURE you have heard this before...but...you are tagged (read my blog for further instruction)