July 2020 CKCB Kit-Challenge #2

This month, Master Forger Clair has taken over the reins at the blog and has given us a beautiful kit to curate as well as a couple of challenges to play with.  I was tasked with Challenge #2:

You can choose to take this literally, and scrapbook about the 'adventures' you have had in your own back yards; or you can take it a little more loosely and talk about the local adventures that you've in your local area. While we're not able to travel as widely as we normally can, it's nice to focus on the fun to be found closer to home.

I actually did two layouts for this challenge.  The first one is just so so but meets the challenge in a more direct way.  I scrapped some photos of my family making S'mores in our backyard.  It's a two page layout that features lots of product from my Color Add-On Kit as well as some neutrals. 

One of my goals this month is to use up those large block letters from my kit.  They've actually appeared in several CKCB kits over the past couple of years.  There was only one letter of each and I hate that!  LOL!  I chose a grid design for this two page layout. 

If you came to my blog from the CKCB, then the above layout is not the one that you viewed for this challenge.  I did a second layout which I truly love.  I played with my stencils, inks, spray, paints, etc and created a layout of my youngest child "tolerating" a photo session in our backyard.  This poor girl has sat still and posed for me as I learned how to use the manual functions on my Nikon DSLR. 

Lots of details added to this layout.  I even broke out my sewing machine.  I decided I hated that lower right corner of my layout, so I tore off that corner and added a scrap of the neutral patterned paper from a previous layout and I used my sewing machine to tack it down fully.  Then I decided it needed a line in the upper left hand corner as well.  LOL!! 

You can see my gel medium and stencil work a little bit more in this photo. 

The extra line of stitching that I added.  ;) 

So, this brings me count from my July kit up to ELEVEN layouts!  Thank you for stopping by my blog today!  I hope that this beautiful Saturday finds you well rested and ready to take on next week!! 

School Stuff

We are about 5 weeks or so into this school year.  It’s been a hard and productive year for my older three students….but they’ve done well and are learning.  More about the future of this homeschool towards the end of the post.
Sharing some pictures….
Tyler and Garret have completed their first experiment in Biology.  They made four cultures with pond water and egg yolk, rice grains, hay, and soil.  We got the pond water at the pond in Baumholder.



While there, the Littles and Courtney did some nature journal stuff…LOL…for lack of a better description.




This was a nice day…although it was chilly.  It was nice to be out and about during our schooling time.

SEEE…look at these smiles.




See ya all later gator…..

OH yeah…I said I had something to tell you about the future of our home school. 
Pat and I are having major issues with Tyler and rebellion…this is only putting it mildly.  Some of you know what is going on.  Some of you don’t even know the half of it.  I am not going to air dirty laundry on my blog…so to speak.  Pat and I discussed putting Tyler in public school.  He won’t work for me anymore.  I  can’t get him to DO anything…and we’ve tried EVERYTHING in our parental arsenal to get him to comply.  He won’t.  He has to have an education.  Period.  Pat enrolled him in public school this week.  (with my blessing in the end)  Garret wanted to play football with the high school and to do this he has to go to school there.  So he’s going as well.  Garret will be fine.  He’s a good student.  Tyler has the POTENTIAL to do fine…whether he will or not…is up to him.
Starting Monday, I will be down to just three kids in our school.  It’s going to be strange.  It was necessary.  For my sanity as well as…well I will leave it at that.

Bernkastel-kues (Weinfest der Mittelmosel)

Last night we loaded up with our church family and caravanned out to this lovely German city for a fest and fireworks.  Our pastor said that it was the BEST fireworks you had ever seen.  He was right!  The town was absolutely lovely…would love to walk the streets when it’s not so crowded!





Here we are, all cozy…the extra kid sitting next to Tyler is his newest girl.  (Stephenie)




Come on DAD (I didn’t have the camera!!!) leave me alone…Garret’s exact words….

UMMM…Garret when are you going to learn that hiding from the camera isn’t even feasible?


Pat was playing with the settings on his camera….as you can see from the first picture of the castle ruins, it’s getting darker.

And darker still….


Either it doesn’t take much to impress me, or this smiley face is WAY COOL.

Night all… I have to get back to my lesson plans!

Happy First Day of {Home}School

Our school year has officially started.  We didn’t do a full day’s worth of school due to an Allergy appointment for Emily.  It was right in the middle of the day, so really messed it up.  However, we put together notebooks, talked about expectations, and did a science objective.  Courtney is doing her math.  Garret went out to play for a few minutes before football practice.  The Littles are taking a very LATE nap.
Tyler-age 16, Junior Year of High School:

He refused to smile…no he’s NOT mad.  It’s uncool to smile or some such nonsense.  ROTF

Garret-age 14.5-Freshman Year of High School

Garret will be playing football this fall. 

Courtney-12.5 years-7th grade

Seth- almost 7 years old, 1st grade

Seth is playing soccer with CYS on one of their Minor Teams this fall. 

Emily-4.5 years-Preschool #2

Emily is playing soccer with the CYS as well, a Bambino Team.

And the whole crew:

And if you wanna see a genuine smile from Tyler….ask him if Stephenie is cute….

Nope, Momma doesn’t play fair.  ROTF.  But he’s so handsome with a smile…a REAL one.

I hope all of my friends have a wonderful school year, whether or not you are homeschooling or have children in the public school system. 

Parting Shots of Pisa

So much for way cool professional shots….someone should have told my children they were going to be born to a mom who loves to take pictures.  But they didn’t get the memo.





Next few pictures are of some very old, but KEWL building.


(sorry I needed a UV filter but I don’t have one that fits this lens)





 


And this is someone’s apartment building….hoping they don’t mind…

And that’s a wrap!  Four days in Pisa!!!  All in all I think it was a good time with a few bumps, possibly a bruise or two.  :wink: