crossrhodes

According to my photo archive, I have been regularly making cards for my family since 2004.  I can’t believe it’s been 5 years (plus 5 more kids added to the family) and I haven’t run out of ideas yet (crossing my fingers!).

I do hope I NEVER EVER have to make this many condolence/sympathy cards for my family… EVER!!!  I cranked out about 4 dozen cards in approximately 3 days for Gilda’s Club of Westchester.  *whew* And a couple of Stampin’ Up ladies helped me fulfill the commitment by donating 2 bags of handmade cards.  They even wrapped it so nicely.  Thank you, Donna and Tracy W!

I was running way, way, waaay behind!  We were in South Carolina for James’ graduation, then Layla’s birthday came right before Mother’s Day, etc, etc.  I didn’t have time to make Mother’s Day cards for the entire family nor handmade cards for Father’s Day.  I had to get on these cards before we leave for vacation this week.

Anyway, there you have it!  Click on the image to view the rest of the album.

My brother left for the Philippines today on a medical mission trip.  For someone who hates heat, humidity, and sweats like a pig, he volunteered to serve in one of the hottest, most humid places in the world.  We’re really proud of him!  He’s an IT guy (not healthcare), but he’s going as the official Team Coordinator and unofficial photo journalist (I’m more worried about his camera and gear than I am of him).

They are serving in Payatas, a mountain of garbage that underprivileged families call home.  Needless to say, there is a great need for healthcare in a community atop a dump site.  (Did I mention he’s also sensitive to smell?)

Have a safe and blessed trip, dogg!  Layla says, “Bring back some cornic, Uncle!”

She loves this touch and feel book called B is for Bear. When I learned there was a Build-A-Bear next to the restaurant where we took my dad out for Father’s Day dinner, I took Layla to find a look-alike bear.  It was a first trip for both of us to this craze of custom stuffies.

First, you pick a lifeless shell of a bear (or lamb, bunny, Hello Kitty, etc.).  Then you can choose an optional voice box or even record your own message in an enclosed sound booth.  Next, you choose a heart (a 2-inch stuffed heart covered in various fabrics) then take the bear to the stuffing machine.  An employee sticks the “fluff tube” up the bear’s derriere, filling it to your desired consistency, places the 2-inch heart inside, and sews up the back end.  Next, you take it to the “bathtub” for a “shower” of air to blow away any debris.  Then you take it clothes shopping among the extensive racks of bear fashion, including accessories such as sunglasses and flip flops, to name a few!  To make your bear official, you then scan the tag barcode and create it’s online identity.  Finally, you take what began as a $10 bear to the register and pay upwards of $20, depending on the clothes and accessories you chose.  I chose a voiceless, naked bear just as it is in Layla’s book and named her “Boogie” because Layla loves to pick her nose right now.

It was kind of fun for me but Layla couldn’t care less.  She still prefers her book.  At least we chose a classic, timeless looking bear to preserve as a keepsake, if we never go back to Build-A-Bear again.  But I am told she will gain more interest as she gets older.  My 8 y/o nephew and 4 y/o niece were there to add to the excitement.  They especially loved being our tour guide and helping since they knew it was our first time there.  Let’s just keep them away from the American Girl stores =)

Just a quick post of pictures from yesterday afternoon.  It was a cloudy, open shade kinda day… perfect for natural lighting photos… so I brought my DSLR to the park.  We have a park down the block from our house.  I’d never actually set foot on the park until I had Layla.  When James was living at home, I would sometimes drive by the park to look for him at the basketball court or check to see if he was where he said he’d be.  These days, I stroll to the park… literally, I take Layla in her stroller.  Click on the image to go to the album.

She has a “touch and feel” book of pets that she loves to read: dogs, cats, rabbits, goldfish, and parakeets.  I thought she’d enjoy a field trip to a pet store to see her book come to life.  Turns out, they don’t have dogs for sale anymore and we even went to a large chain store.  They had a few cats up for adoption, a wall of fish and birds, some reptiles, but no dogs or rabbits for sale.  The only dogs we saw were there for grooming or training.  She enjoyed it nonetheless and mommy likes it because the admission is free =)  Then we went to Costco and burned a hole in our pockets. LOL!!!

We’ll visit a different pet chain store later to see what they have.  This is still a good time to take her before she can verbalize, “Can I take it home… please?”