We left home on Monday. We are headed to Tennessee for the National Storytelling Festival. Here are some shots of our trip. I thought maybe I'd use this as a trip diary then, when and if I put together a scrapbook of the trip, I'll have a running record of our trip.

We need this trip really bad. We all need to get away for a while.

This is a restaurant that we found in Hays Kansas. It was really good, Don wanted to try and find some more on the road but they were never in the places that we stopped.That night we stayed at the Hampton Inn and ate at the Cracker Barrel. Sam was able to beat the peg game 3 or 4 times. On the second day I was able to lay in the back seat and read the newest edition of Artful Blogging magazine.Here's my cool cute son at Freddy's.

While driving we found the Family Comedy Channel on Sirius and listened to it almost the whole way. We laughed so hard, it was so much fun. It made the miles go by so fast. But when we stopped it felt like we were still on the comedy show because everyone became a comedian.

While reading the Artful Blogging magazine I had some thoughts on what to do on my blog and hopefully how to make it a little better. Each blog that was featured told of how they started it to have an outlet for their art. Some only post pics of their art and a few inspiring words for the day. I'm not sure if my 'art' is that good to host a site only for that. I think this will just be another journal, something to use as an outlet. But and that's a big BUT I never know if anyone will ever read this, anyone that I may know and just how much do I want them to know. So I guess this will be a work in progress. We'll just see how much will be posted.

If anyone is out there and happens to stop by to look at what I've posted would you please let me know. It would be nice to know that my blog did land in the land of the blogs - Blogland. But if not I guess I'll just write to myself.

This last picture is of the decor of a BBQ restaurant we ate at in Cookeville TN. You know you're in the south when they use a Billy Beer can as part of the decorations. funny

Tomorrow I may post a few more things I learned from the magazine.

Sam started his school work this past week. We had to look for some new material for this year. We went to Probasco's Christian Book Store in Loveland and found some new stuff. We have used Alpha&Omega material for just about his entire school history but this year we felt like we needed something a little more in depth. He is officially in the 10th grade this year but some things like his math is probably 11th or even 12th grade material. He actually should be finished with all of his math (all high school math) at the end of this year.

These are the 2 colleges that we will be touring this next week. The top one is Johnson Bible College and the bottom one is Milligan Bible College, both in Tennessee.

I'm babysitting my cutie kids today. Their mom is very very sick today so I've taken them with me today. We're at the church just hanging out.

This is a layout I did for Sam's pic of his new car. I got most of my ideas from Ali Edward's book Designing Eye. He looks so good sitting on his car. Although this is an old car he does like it. He wanted the picture to be in black and white because he like b&w pics best.

I also did a layout for a friend but I think I'm going to change it up a bit. Not liking the way it looks right now. So I'll post that layout maybe tomorrow.

We've got a lot to do this week. We are leaving Sun for Tennessee to go to the National Storytelling Festival and to take Sam to 2 colleges out there for all of us to tour. I can't believe it is time to start looking for a college already.

This Is What I Would Say

This is a layout I wanted to put up to show you my sweet boy, the one who is learning to drive. Here he is up on a trail on top of a mountain in Rocky Mt Natl Park (no this is not of Long's Peak). My husband complains I do way to many layouts of my son and not of him

Hope you all have a great weekend.

This is my sweet son and this is his first car. It is a 1990 Cadillac DeSillve. It has a lot of miles on it but it works really good. He is 15 years old and he is taking a driving course online right now and hopefully soon he'll be able to get his permit. He's hoping to get it before we leave for Tennessee, that way he can get his required driving time in.

Wow, how time flies. It seems like not to long ago I was strapping into his little car seat making sure that he was safe and sound. Now here he is behind the wheel.

Created another card - this one is a birthday card for a friend of ours. It was so simple just cut and folded a piece of cardstock that was in my stash. The flower is just left over from another project and the black center I found at

our church. It must have fallen off of someone's shoe or headband. Not sure but I've left it up on the bulletin board waiting for someone to claim it for months. Then I decided that it would look great in the center of a flower. So that's how this card came to be.

There was challenge on Becky Higgins blog where you put your camera on a table top or even on the floor to just see what images you can get. These 2 photos are of my scrap table in my basement studio. The last picture is of my basement scrap studio. As you can see the room is not finished and I have put it together the best I could.

My sweet husband was asked to come out to Old Thresher's Day to demonstrate shoeing a horse. This morning the school brought the elementary kids out to see the display and all of the other demonstrations that were taking place out there.

I made baby shower invitations for a friend of mine who is having the shower for a really cute and sweet girl in our church. We sent them out today. I hope she likes them. I know these are not the best of pics. The picture behind the vellum is of her daughter kissing her pregnant belly. It is such a beautiful pic.

By the way my wonderful son got back from his hike up to Longs Peak. He is back safe and sound. A little sore but safe. Thank you Lord for bringing him back safe to me. He just got the pics from his trip so I'll be putting them on here at a later date.

My son just left today to go to Rocky Mountain National Park to hike Long's Peak, a 14,000 ft mountain. Yes as a mother I am worried about the whole thing. But he is with very good friends of ours and I know they are very responsible people. So I guess I have to leave it all up to God. So if anyone is out there in blog land that reads this, please pray for my son's safety. I do have a little bit of a good reason for worrying - there have been 2 people die up there just this year. One of which was last week. The man feel 800 ft to his death. Okay now do you see what I'm talking about?

The top picture is of the boulder field that they have to cross before getting to the key hole which after that is the roughest part. The bottom pic is of the mountain that looks a lot more tranquil.

This is a card that I made for a very good friend of ours, Kathy. She is moving to Colorado Springs CO. We will miss her terribly. She was a great servant for our church here in Yuma but we know that God will use her wherever she may go.

Love you Kathy!

I just received this book. I've been reading everything by Donald Miller lately. What a wonderful author he is. I love his take on Christianity. No more formulas only grace! I highly recommend his books if you would like to feel a little more free. Also I highly recommend reading Romans in the Bible along side his books. They go together nicely.