Faithbooking Inspirations

Friends Forever

My husband surprised me Saturday with a 40th birthday party with my college friends from over 15 years ago!!!  Words can not begin to express my thoughts as I came in my front door, and, looked up the top of the foyer to see those who shared the most transforming days of my life ~ Some I haven't seen or talked to in 10 years!

Our husbands let us sit and just talk for 2 days straight ~ Allowing us to catch up on how life had blessed us and dealt us some hard blows.  And, throughout the weekend, at various points, someone could be heard saying how nice it was to be around those who were like-minded in our faith, our family, our parenting, and our purpose.

Between the 6 of us girls, we have managed to supply MVNU with a good number of potential students :~)  And, it was truly beautiful to watch these kids, many whom had never met, come together and play so well that they were asking if we could do this every weekend!  Guess it was just in their genes :~)

Those 2 days were such wonderful reminders that there are others like me ~ women who love the Lord with all their heart and just want to serve Him while raising children to love Him too.  He reminded me that I was blessed with such beautiful friends.  He reminded me that He loved me enough to bring them into my life not only for those short 4 years, but, for the rest of my life! These women shaped me and impacted my life as much as my parents.  These precious souls taught me the good and bad about myself, about true friendships, and, about faith in Him. They truly made me who I am today.

After they left Sunday I had a couple of hours to sort through a box of pictures my dad had just brought me.  And, in that box were my college pictures!  I couldn't believe it.  It was so surreal for me to look at these pictures of the girls who had just left.  I truly laughed and cried as I held these snapshots of moments that changed our lives forever. 

To be honest, I was a little disappointed in myself that I, the one who preaches "get those memories preserved and moments journaled," was not able to pull those pictures out at the moment we were all together.  I didn't even know where to begin to look.  How much fun it would have been if we could have looked at those together.  So, here is my challenge to each of you......

Get your pictures gathered up tonight and get sorting tomorrow.  I'm not saying scrapbook yet ~ that mountain for many of us is too big.  I am just suggesting you get them together and get them organized enough that you can at least know what 100 pictures to grab if you are in search of a particular one.  Here are a few organizing tips to get you started:

• Bring all your pictures together in one place ~ don't worry yet about which pack or box is which
• Get a photo-safe box ~ these can be purchased for pretty cheap at a craft store
• Many photo boxes come with tabbed inserts, or purchase some
• Create some tabs relative to ways you can organize your life
• I use my schooling (high and junior-high, college, graduate), houses (Glendale, Woodrow, apartment) and moments (wedding, graduation, birth of each child, vacation)
• Grab a pile of pictures and start sorting ~ adding appropriate tabs as you find new divisions
• Don't worry about some cross-over, just try to think how you think...If you know you are looking for a particular picture later, you will find it, if you just think like yourself :~)
• If you want to use post-it notes to jot down notes and stick to the back of the pictures as you sort, you can, but, I don't take the time ~ I figure if I remember it now 15 years later, I'll remember it when I scrapbook it  :~)
• Sort while you watch TV, while you are sitting on the deck, waiting for the water to boil, or, set a goal of even just 20 a day ~ just start sorting now, not after you wish you had known where those pictures were!
• Once they are sorted, get them in albums ~ don't fancy-dancy the pages ~ just get those pictures in and those memories and words preserved.  You can bet I won't get caught again with my pictures stashed :~) 
• If you are looking for wonderful scriptures about friendship, Christmas, or children, we are offering all 10 Pure-D-Scripture Stickers, usually $2.50, on featured sale through June 23, for $1.50.

I also urge you to call your special friend(s) today ~ they are such precious gifts that we don't open fully up when we allow ourselves to get caught up in the day to day.  You can bet I was already back on the phone with my roomie last night ~ my husband just shook his head and said "You're talking to her already?"  :~)

And, to my precious friends, I love you, and, thanks so much for coming this weekend, and for being a part of my life (again)!

Preserve their Favorite Web Site

With the amazing growth of the World Wide Web, our children now have another favorite.  Along with their favorite movie, cup, song or bedtime story, many children now have a special web-site.  Whether it is Starfall for learning, Club Penguin for on-line games, or cheat codes at a favorite gaming site, our children are now spending hours on the internet. 

My eight year old spends hours on Very Best Baking.com ~  yes, believe it or not, whenever he has a few spare minutes, he sneaks away to the computer and, as a result, I get "Mom, check this recipe out" emails daily.  I think I have enough new recipes to try for weeks.  I just know, when he opens his "hotel with awesome food for Christians" he would love to see the web sites that inspired him even at such a young age. 

So, while we are sure to record pictures of our loved one's favorites, don't forget to capture those web-sites that will one day bring memories full of discussion and smiles. 

• Once you are on the home page (or other favored page) of the site, you can just hit print, and, then you will have a snapshot of the site, and, can then record the stories behind that site.
• Document the reasons the web-site is so enjoyable / special
• If it is a site that has a fee, print off the receipt
• Let your loved one add to the scrapbook page
• If a loved one has a blog, be sure to print off the entries and put them in a binder ~ what a treasure to read later (I did this for my brother's Arms Wide Open, and, he loved it!!)

Some sites I am going to print and save the info on my Journey Jots until I get to scrap them:

1. Starfall ~ My daughter's site that helped her learn to read
2. Very Best Baking ~ My son's "cool website" ~ he is even saving his 'brownie points' and submits comments :)
3. Nathan's Cooking Ideas ~ My son's site he created.  In fact, he is finishing his entire school year early so he can build a "real web site to give people recipes" on a site "with tabs"  :)
4. Career Builder Monkee Email ~ This talking monkey card email is too funny ~ we love this one!
5. Club Penguin ~ The site my kids read 300 pages a month to "pay their fee"
6. Lucas Arts ~ A great site for cheat codes for their new Lego Star Wars Play Station 2 game
7. NeoPets ~ My kids get their own pet, and, I don't have to clean up after it :)
8. Kids Health ~ A great site for info about the human body ~ we use this for science and it is awesome!
9. K12 ~ The home page for our homeschooling material

So, watch your family as they cruise the internet, or click on history to see the most frequently visited sites.  The pages we visit are just another part of our daily life that create the memories and make us who we are.

PS ~ One real quick note that is very important to me ~ it is a good idea to check your browser history anyway ~ even when our children are innocently cruising, you never know what they may come across.  We need to be pro-active with our blocks and active with our history searches. I do not want this to happen to anyone else .

A New Year Note

I actually scrapbooked a ton this weekend ~ my stuff came out of my scrapbooking room and I took over the kitchen table.  My poor family had to eat on the floor or stand up for 2 days!!  :)

I have finally hit the point in my past pictures where I started making notes, such as Journey Jots.  Man, was I thanking myself for doing so.  I know there were things I had written down that I never would have remembered by the time I finally got to scrap them.

One of my favorite things was a New Years Note to each of my children.  It kinda was a "year in review" and "prayers for the coming year".  These are a great way to end a year in your scrapbook. It helps capture key moments and growth from the previous year and gives an opportunity for me to be sure I document my prayers and hopes for the coming year.  There were soooo many things I wouldn't have if I had not taken the short 30 minutes or so to capture my thoughts.

So, I thought I'd encourage each of you to take just a few minutes to make a quick New Years Note to each of your family members and then, plan on capturing these in your album.  Here are just a few ideas to help get you going:

• Favorite / special toys, shows, friends, clothes, music from the past year
• Physical, emotional, and spirtual growth or milestones from the past year
• Any specific trials or mountains and how they were met / beaten
• Bible verses or stories that are relevant to the past year / coming year
• Prayers for growth (physically, emotionally, and spirtutally) in the coming year
• Your respect or admiration for the loved one

Even if you are not a point that you can scrap them now ~ just get your thoughts down.  Type them or write them out real quick.  I just scratched mine down with abbreviations I didn't even know what I meant 2 years later :)  Then, when you do get to a point you are ready to put the notes in your albums, here are some quick ideas on how to use them:

• Type, or even better write, each one out as if you were sending them, and, stick them in a pocket page or envelope taped directly to your page
• Type out the letter, embellish the paper or page you place it on so it can be easily read as others look at your album
• Use the past year moments as page embellishments.  These can be written or even typed out in different fonts and paper
• End the year, or start the next year with the Notes ~ What a great front page for a new year!

Hope this gets you thinking and writing!

On a personal note ~ 2006 was a year of overwhelming growth for Scrapbookers Bubble Bath.  I am speechless and humbled.  To think that He would use me, an internet-afraid and techy-dumb nurse :) just really amazes me.  I passionately pray that SBB can, in 2007, continue to help each of you capture your legacy and leave that eternal impact.   

For each of us 2006 was a different mix of trials, growth, pain, love, blessings, and change ~ Only He knows what 2007 will bring.  But, one thing we do know, it will be a year of His Work and His Love ~ and, we wouldn't want it any other way!

To each of you, thank you so much for being a part of my life and for blessing me ~ You inspire me with your love for your families and the Lord.  May we each draw closer to Him and learn more of His Woundrous Love and Amazing Grace this year!

Much Love,

Tina

Rerun ~ It's OK to Be Out of Order

This post is so important for those of us who are bent toward obsessive-compulsive perfectionism :)

Enjoy another rerun post as you cherish your family this weekend, and, next week I'll post a great new one I have brewing in my OCD mind :)

********************

So, for days, I was looking forward to last night ~ I was going to s-c-r-a-p-b-o-o-k!!! I ordered my pictures from, sad to say, August through October of 2004......I even ordered doubles for the kids to keep them busy.....I even gave my daughter some of my punches for her to have a new toy to experiment with....I even skipped dinner in my excitement to finally get to open my huge suitcase of supplies.

I sat down, opened the bag of pictures....only to find.....August was not there.  I frantically looked in the van (3 times), sent all 4 kids searching for the missing red envelope, and, got so worked up that I found I was talking to myself as I searched.  After way too long, I realized, I did not get them from the store, and, the store had no record of receiving the order from yahoo.  Let me just admit that, it ruined my night.  My husband came home, I told him the saga, and, in his husband way he said, "Well, why don't you just work on the ones you have". 

Ahhh - doesn't he understand, my books have to be in chronological order - the 13th can't come before the 2nd, let alone September before August!!!  :)

Well, needless to say, I only got one page done ~ but, at least I got September and October sorted :)

My point?  We, well, for sure I, should not worry about if the pictures are in order.  If you don't have the next date, if you forgot to journal that moment shared between your children, or if you find a straggler picture it really does not matter.  What matters is that you put the legacy in.  Generations from now, no one will care if the fishing trip was scrapbooked before the new bike or if in the year 2004 Halloween came before the All Star baseball game.  Of course, what they will cherish is the stories and the pictures.

I challenge you ~ ME ~ to just stick those memories in there. 

~ If you find a picture of you and your husband when you were dating and you have been married for 15 years, who cares, stick that picture in between the 2005 pages, and journal of your lasting love. (If you're like me, you probably will never get to the "pre-kids" pages anyway)

~ If you find a receipt in the bottom of your closet from your child's first hair cut, but, you forgot to bring your camera, just stick the receipt on a page next to his most recent hair craze (In my house it is red hair spiked up-yikes!)

~ If you read in the paper that your favorite high school english teacher has passed away, cut out the excerpt, and create a page in 2006 around how she influenced your life in the 1980s.

~ If you already scrapbooked your daughter's 5th birthday, but, found the Barbie napkin stuffed in her drawer, make a page with a picture of her with all her Barbies and let her journal of her favorite ones.

Do you see where I am heading here?  Our books don't have to be in order ~ they just have to be done!  Don't leave something out just because it wouldn't fit in the timeline or those pages are already completed.  So, think of me tonight, I will be attempting to sit down and work on the Great Wolf Lodge pictures in September without first doing the baseball champions from August :)

Eternal Expressions #3 ~ The Beauty of the 4 Seasons

I have a Magnolia Tree in my front yard that is just beautiful in the Spring.  But, if you miss those 2 weeks that it is in full bloom, you've missed the beauty until next year. 

We all have beauty in our yard that peaks at various times of the year.  Whether it be the blooms in Spring, the vibrant colors of Fall, or the pure white of Winter, He shows His creative workmanship year round. 

Challenge yourself to take pictures of your yard throughout the year and make a few pages, or, even dedicate a small album to the seasonal beauty of your home.  Include pictures with journaling to describe your home and the feelings the seasons bring to your spirit.

Ideas

• What is your favorite time of year
• Do you have a favorite tree / plant
• Take pictures of the leaves and buds in various stages of bloom.  (A partially closed rose is as beautiful as one fully opened)
• Describe treasured smells or moments (I know when I smell the Magnolia through my window that spring is here and a summer with my children is on it's way)
• Include special memories from the plants and trees (One tree is treasured to me because that is where my children love to climb.  Our butterfly bushes have lots of stories and memories circling them)
• Designate an envelope for developed pictures or file on your computer for the images ~ This time next year, bring all the pictures out and make an album
• Write your thoughts on your Journey Jots and keep them in the envelope or a special place
• GIve your children the camera through the year, and let them make an album as well ~ It would be so treasured to see the yard from their point of view
• Don't forget pictures of creatures such as frogs, snakes, birds, and squirrels

Scriptures

• For this is what the LORD says - he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited - he says:  I am the LORD, and there is no other.  ~ Isaiah 42:18
• Oh, visit the earth, ask her to join the dance!  Deck her out in spring showers, fill the God-RIver with living water.  Paint the wheat fields golden.  Creation was made for this!  ~ Psalm 65:9
• How many are your works oh Lord!  In wisdom you made them all... ~ Psalm 104:24
• He has made everything beautiful in it's time... ~ Ecclesiastes 3:11
• The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever ~ Isaiah 40:8
• ...Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow... ~ Isaiah 1:18
• And ~ there are sooo many more!!  :)
• Scripture inspirations taken from the Unto All Generations Volume I~ Families and Heritage Scriptures

** This picture is from Steela B's website - there is some kinda cool stuff on there :)

Journey Jots

With life catching up to me, I am not catching up on my scrapbooks ~ as I have mentioned, I am over 1 and a half years behind.  And, I have found that, as I get my pictures printed and sit down to scrap them, too many times I have thought "now, why in the world did I take that picture".  Sometimes my kids know, but, I am not planning on taking them with me every single time I get to get out and crop.  So, I a few years ago, I created a Journey Journal to try to record some of the moments and memories for when I was ready to scrap them, but, I have just not been great about keeping up with it, and, working with the pages can be a little cumbersome. 

Last week, we introduced Journey Jots (Jots for short) into our home ~ and, I am LOVING them!!  So, I thought I'd share a couple with you, hopefully helping someone out who is as far behind as I am, and, who has as horrible a memory as I do :) 

As these cards have been around, I have found myself grabbing one and writing down words and moments that I know I will never ever remember otherwise.  I have created cards for the day my son discovered he could shoot a basketball backwards, a precious moment between 2 siblings, and the details of the discussion with my 5 year old daughter about why they call Christ the Lamb and what the word sacrifice means.  The kids have started to give me words to write down, and, have even created a couple of their own.  These Jots can be such valuable and easy tools to help you record more of your legacy and your children's moments.

To give you an idea to get you going on creating your own Jots, I tried to grab 3 different kinds without too many of my abbreviations or codes.  You, of course, can totally make up your own.  Remember, these are notes for you, so design them however you want and abbreviate and code in whatever way is quick and easy so you will use them.

My 3 Journey Jots Samples

1. Nathan's Chocolate Factory ~ The * is my code that there are pictures to go with the moment.  1 of 3 tells me how many cards I created about the subject.  I included the date and the initial to the right tells me who the Jot is about.  I recorded how he earned the chocolate factory, what he said, what he made, and his excitement.  The smile face is my code for a quote he wanted me to include in the scrapbook.
2. Ian's PS2 Car ~ * for picture, date, and who the card is about.  I just jotted down some quick notes to describe the car he made on Play Station 2 in case the pictures did not turn out clear.
3. Nathan's Dream ~ While there was not a picture for this, I want to preserve one of his dreams to own a hotel for Christians, with lots of chocolate and a huge kitchen.  This can be used on a Nathan page with a selection of pictures of him just being cute :)

Quick Info on Jots

• They are just cheap index cards ~ I think I got mine 3 packs for $1.00
• Keep them in the kitchen, in your purse, and in a few other places scattered throughout the house - and, don't forget your camera bag!  Make sure they are put within plain view and easy reach ~ Mine are in the glasses cupboard and beside the microwave in a decorative box
• Everyone can grab one and "Jot" down something they want in mommy's scrapbook (plus, you have their writing right there to save and put directly on the page if you want)
• Store the completed ones with your pictures and scrapbooking supplies.  You also can file them with the Precious Papers that I have previously written about
• If you can write neatly enough on the fly, cut some lined photo-safe paper to use as your Jots, and, then you can place the journaling directly on your page ~ I'd rather write more now and make it messy and rewrite it when I am ready for my album, but, you may like to have your journal boxes ready to go as your crop
• ****Be sure to make them easy and quick to use!!

When to Use Jots

• When you take a picture to record why you took it, what was happening, a scripture or song that comes to mind, or anything else you want to journal about on your page
• To jot-down a sweet saying, moment, or action
• As you hear conversation going on between siblings / friends that would be wonderful to have later
• Funny pronunciations, words or phrases that children say or family members use
• If you read a saying, find a scripture verse, or hear a song that you would like to include in your album
• Write down answered prayers, praises, or moments when the Lord has revealed His beauty and glory to you

How to Use Jots While Scrapbooking

• If you pre-sort or lay-out your pictures put the cards with the corresponding pictures or Precious Papers.  This gives you the foundation for what you want to journal and decreases the time you are left staring at the page unsure what to say
• Bunch cards about the same subject (person, game, activity) to create a page
• These words can be great fillers when you are unsure what to say on a page and you want to add something more than stickers

Don't know if this will help anyone ~ I know I have fallen in love with these, and, they have become my new favorite scrapbooking tool to help my pages be pages that leave a legacy.  Now, if only I can get myself caught up to 2006 so I can actually use them.....

It's OK to Be Out of Order

So, for days, I was looking forward to last night ~ I was going to s-c-r-a-p-b-o-o-k!!! I ordered my pictures from, sad to say, August through October of 2004......I even ordered doubles for the kids to keep them busy.....I even gave my daughter some of my punches for her to have a new toy to experiment with....I even skipped dinner in my excitement to finally get to open my huge suitcase of supplies.

I sat down, opened the bag of pictures....only to find.....August was not there.  I frantically looked in the van (3 times), sent all 4 kids searching for the missing red envelope, and, got so worked up that I found I was talking to myself as I searched.  After way too long, I realized, I did not get them from the store, and, the store had no record of receiving the order from yahoo.  Let me just admit that, it ruined my night.  My husband came home, I told him the saga, and, in his husband way he said, "Well, why don't you just work on the ones you have". 

Ahhh - doesn't he understand, my books have to be in chronological order - the 13th can't come before the 2nd, let alone September before August!!!  :)

Well, needless to say, I only got one page done ~ but, at least I got September and October sorted :)

My point?  We, well, for sure I, should not worry about if the pictures are in order.  If you don't have the next date, if you forgot to journal that moment shared between your children, or if you find a straggler picture it really does not matter.  What matters is that you put the legacy in.  Generations from now, no one will care if the fishing trip was scrapbooked before the new bike or if in the year 2004 Halloween came before the All Star baseball game.  Of course, what they will cherish is the stories and the pictures.

I challenge you ~ ME ~ to just stick those memories in there. 

~ If you find a picture of you and your husband when you were dating and you have been married for 15 years, who cares, stick that picture in between the 2005 pages, and journal of your lasting love. (If you're like me, you probably will never get to the "pre-kids" pages anyway)

~ If you find a receipt in the bottom of your closet from your child's first hair cut, but, you forgot to bring your camera, just stick the receipt on a page next to his most recent hair craze (In my house it is red hair spiked up-yikes!)

~ If you read in the paper that your favorite high school english teacher has passed away, cut out the excerpt, and create a page in 2006 around how she influenced your life in the 1980s.

~ If you already scrapbooked your daughter's 5th birthday, but, found the Barbie napkin stuffed in her drawer, make a page with a picture of her with all her Barbies and let her journal of her favorite ones.

Do you see where I am heading here?  Our books don't have to be in order ~ they just have to be done!  Don't leave something out just because it wouldn't fit in the timeline or those pages are already completed.  So, think of me tonight, I will be attempting to sit down and work on the Great Wolf Lodge pictures in September without first doing the baseball champions from August :)

All These Precious Papers

My 7 year old son made this precious card for my 10 year old's birthday - It was such a sweet moment watching him play with the font, color the Steeler's emblem just right and go through 3 yellow markers to color the entire background yellow "Cause the Steeler's colors are black like the letters and yellow like the background"

Then, there is the receipt for the bag of 360 suckers that my son saved for weeks and earned on his own by reading and doing little chores around the house.......but, he would want me to tell you it only came with 359!  :)

And, I can't forget the letter from my son thanking us for helping him with school, that is as special as literally hundreds of other little pieces of paper that I want to save and put in my albums

But, there is a problem - I am still only scrapbooking the end of 2004! - I am not ready to put those treasures in their eternal place of album pages.  So, what to do?

Easy!  I have 12 folders, each marked with a month and the year.  I keep them right in the Blessing Room in my house for easy access.  And, when I find that receipt, precious note, or special doodled picture - I write the important info on a sticky note, put it on the back of the paper, and, place it in the appropriate month's folder.  Then, when I finally get to that month or time of year, I have the papers dated, and the moment's special memory written down.

What are some things you may want to jot down about the paper?

• The date!!!!
• Why you are saving it
• What was said about the paper - include quotes - their words are priceless
• Any special work or effort put into creating / earning it
• Feelings about the paper (pride, love etc)

What papers could be saved?

• Receipts
• Drawings
• Notes
• Schoolwork such as tests, reports, artwork
• Newspaper articles
• Ticket stubs or pay stubs
• Advertisements
• Programs
• Food or toy wrappers
• See, it is endless!!

So, find 12 folders, while you watch TV next time, date each folder for the entire year and put them in an easily reached area.  Put a pile of sticky notes in a central place or close within reach as well.

I promise you that you will find yourself saving more of those 'special moment papers', and, you will be loving yourself when you do finally have the opportunity to preserve them, that you had taken the extra minute to write why in the world you saved this!

Legacy Pass It Ons has begun!

Legacy Pass It Ons Started this morning!  I am very excited to hear how many precious words of thoughts and memories are now at least recorded on paper to be put into albums later. 

If you have not signed up for them yet, it is never too late.  When you purchase the subscription, you will receive all past questions so you can be sure not to miss a moment!

As you gather the answers, I thought I would answer some questions that have come in along with some suggestions on organizing and using the treasured words.

Organizing:  As the answers are received, print them off.  Make folders to file the answers by person, then put each email in order in the folder so you know exactly where which specific answers are.

Using them: This is the fun part!!  The answers can be used in tons of ways!  Here a few to get you thinking....1) Use the answers as filler beside pictures of your loved ones in those empty spots on your pages.  2) Assign each person a color and sprinkle the answers throughout your pages coordinating with that month - kind of like a Where's Waldo search :)  3) Use 1 page with the question(s) at the top and everyone's answer written in different colors, writing, or even fonts on the computer  4) Include the actual printed email answers in pocket / sleeve pages with each coordinating month. 5) Use your imagination!!!!

I really do pray this service brings a blessing to many family members and friends ~ I know I am excited to hear the answers from those I love!

I'd love to see some pages created from your ideas, so pass them on to me :)

Legacy Pass It Ons

Legacy Pass It Ons are here!

With the fast pace of today's world, it is so hard to sit down and gather the thoughts and memories of our loved ones ~ but, we want to preserve those words to pass on the legacy. And, so, Legacy Pass It Ons were created.

Legacy Pass It Ons is an e-mailed service sent weekly that is formatted so that you can just hit forward and send them to anyone who you would like to begin preserving their words, thoughts, and memories.  Those you send it to can hit 'reply', answer the question, and send it back to you.  Once you have their answer, you can print it off and use it when you are creating an appropriate page.

This idea came from my desire to gather the thoughts from my family members that live far away and, from the fact that there are those who are no longer here and I will never know their favorite color, hear about their first love, or know how they chose their child's name.  My vision is that we all will have folders full of words from those we cherish that will help us fill our pages with Legacy Leaving Love! 

For more info, go to the Products page at Scrapbookers Bubble Bath.  The emails will begin Friday, November 11th, so sign up, and Pass It On! :)