The Great Train Trip

Ok, I messed the order of these pics. But anyways the girls went on the train from Chicago to Jackson Mich. to visit grandma and grampa for a couple of weeks. We went to a park in jackson since I had about four hours till my train arrived to take me back home. Here I think Natalie is telling her sis to NOT try and walk on the log.


They totally loved the train. Being able to get up and walk around was really cool.


I think grandma is enjoying herself.


Looking out the window of the train.

Salad Starter

Here are the fruits from a tomato plant and a couple pepper plants we have. Who says you can`t grow garden plants in Chicago. The tomato plant is in a big pot sitting mostly in the sun. The peppers are planted in the ground behind our home in a yard filled mostly with flowers.

Here`s a new one

At WindyCity Scrapbooking where I work we have a Design team which I`m on. Now that is funny, me on a design team. But anyway each month I am given a packet from our stores stock with the mission of making two layouts using whats in the packet. I can add minor things not included but it must come from the store and be in stock. Then with the layout done I am to make a recipe card listing the name of the products that were used and a tips card. These go on display with the layout so when people see it at work they will know exactly what was used. This especially helps beginners.Lots of times we hear people say that they just don`t know how to choose paper and things to go along with it. Plus the tips card should really be a help. On this layout I said I used the Xyron 150 on the ribbon. That way you can make ribbon curve without having a mess with the adhesive. So stay tuned I will have more layouts coming!

Its Time

Ok, It seems like just a couple days since I last blogged and here it is a few weeks. Thats not good. So here`s the deal. I may not have pics or new layouts to put up but blog I will do and far more often. One new thing to look for here will be some new layouts. At work I have joined our Design Team. What that means is twice a month I will be making a layout to be put up at work. The supplies are given to me from work. I am also given a theme. After that I can do whatever I want. With about 10 of us on the Design Team it gives the store like 20 new layouts each month for customers to see. Kind of keeps things fresh. So I am looking forward to that and of coarse will post them here on the blog. Also on our thrp to Michigan I found the coolest bead store ever, in Grand Haven. I got all kinds of new stuff to make row markers for knitting. Then the other day while driving down Lincoln ave. my wife pointed out a bead store she had seen in the past and on the window it said among other things "classes". So now I want to check that out. So stay tuned there are alot of new things happening and appearing right here.

Grant Park Fireworks

I am impressed at how well these came out. The Chicago Synphony Orcastra played music all the while the fireworks were going off.




The skyline around Grant Park.











This is the first time I have ever tried to take pics of fireworks. I had nothing to steady the camara on. So these are all hand held.





I think of all that I took pics of this red one is the best.

A Final Thought

Natalie made this card this afternoon for her teacher. Tomorrow is the last day and she is feeling a bit sad because she wants to keep this teacher, she says. She made the card all by herself other than I printed the picture. I thought she did a real nice job.

A Little Sunday School in the Park

The kids in blue shirts, about a dozen in all,are in Chicago this week from Arkansaw. They are staying at our church for a base and the have been going out everyday to do different types of evangalism. Here they are setting up in a park near where we live to do a sunday school. They use music and puppets alot. It really brings the kids in to see whats going on and usually the parents follow. They also gave out lots of frisbies balls and hulahoops all with the churches name and address on. Here Rowan is having some fun with some bubbles that they let the kids play with.






These are all collage kids by the way. Just off from their spring semester. All with summer jobs that they have delayed to be able to come up and do this. Thats pretty cool.






Rowan, looking over the scene.






Here`s the puppet show. They did this along with music to tell the story. There were probably twenty more kids and some adults behind the kids you see.

Happy Mothers Day

I believe mom thinks she hit the jackpot today. She came home sunday morning at 3am from work to find these knitting row markers hanging from the chain of the ceiling fan in our dining room. They really were not very hard to make. The small ones on the bottom needle I whipped out in 30 minutes. The top group took longer because they were my first. The green tote in the bottom picture goes along with another bag that she has. She really wanted this tote for along time and last week they finally came in. Go to her blog, jusfivmoreminutes@blogspot.com to see what she wrote, its really funny.




Then this morning Natalie and Rowan helped me make pancakes, in a heart shape of coarse. Then they served them to mom in bed. At the same time they gave her their creations shown here. They all loved it and me too.