Ethnic Scrapbooking

Better Late than Never

I have been working on this prayer tag book for three years.  It has been in my mobile scrapbooking bag so long, it's pitiful.  Here's the story...I find it hard to do actual layouts at events, but I like to work on mini-projects.  So three, maybe four years ago I bought these 7Gypsies tag albums with the GREAT idea to make a tag book of the nightly prayers I pray for my kids each night.  The prayers are a xerox copy of an article regarding 31 things to pray for your children that my mother gave me about 20 years ago.  It's all tattered from years of it being on my nightstand (in three different houses).  Now my prayers have a place of honor on my nightstand and the kids even rush to read the nightly prayer each night.

 

This was really a fun project, here are some of the highlights and products that I used.

I inked two 7Gypsie tag books, used two different patterned paper kits, handwrote each Bible verse on textured cardstock and inked all the edges.  The theme of each prayer is on a punched shape and the whole thing is bound together using twill. 

Definitely more work than an old sheet of typed paper, but maybe it will become a family keepsake, already it's become a nightly ritual for the kids.  I sleep much easier too knowing that I've prayed the Word over my family.

Next project:  Through the Years, Our Bryce Family Vacation Album

Yesterday|Today

I love now and then photo comparisons.  Although this wasn't my idea...I'm glad I got to contribute by printing out the photos using my color laser printer (Goodness knows printing these photos out on an ink jet would have cost the PTA over $100 in ink).

 

World Cup Fever

We have been gaga this past week over the Soccer World Cup games.  Thanks to my dad being a sports nut, I grew up watching sports and learning the rules.  All through highschool I was the scorekeeper for various teams, so I like sports.  Then I had three girls and sports went pretty much to the wayside...my oldest daughter tore her ACL playing basketball and then she moved to Crew ...rowing on a quiet river at 5:30 every morning February - May.  Leah tumbled through gymnastics competitively for 5 years...16 hours in the gymn each week, so now it's the boys turn with soccer.  The first few years, I just sat and relaxed while they played and I usually read a magazine.  Last year I decided to figure out this game of soccer my boys are wild about...I kept hearing "off-sides"  but couldn't see it...now I can see it during the game among 10 other things and it's fun and interesting.

We get up to watch games at 7:30 am, I even took them out of school to watch a 10 am game (it was the last day of school) and we always watch the 2:30 pm games and sometimes the repeat of games.  With two goalies in the house this World Cup and the goalie flops that are happening make this game so alive for the boys.

What has most impressed me is how universal a soccer ball is...kids from around the world may not be able to communicate through language to one another, but pull out a soccer ball and everyone understands to kick it with your feet. 

Here I go with my cultural connections...First ESPN showed a documentary on how soccer became a sport among the prisoners in South Africa...this story is a must read.  CLICK HERE for the book

Second, the vuvuzela..the traditional soccer horn of South Africa.  I must admit that sound worked my nerves that first day, but now I don't even hear it.  The reason it got on my nerves is because I'm an overstressed irritated American, wanting everything my way and the horn blowing throughout the game is their way not mine.  I've adjusted my attitude, embraced the horn-blowing tradition and hopes someone brings me back a vuvuzela.

Third, I think I saw this story on ESPN, but I'm not sure, anyhoo check out how you can buy a book and donate an indestructible soccer ball to a child, thanks to Bobby Sager at www.teamsager.org . The singer STING (one of my favorites) is promoting this book "The Invisible Sun" on his concert tour this summer. 

P.S.  For my facebook readers, stop by my blog website sometime.  Also on my navigation bar at the top of the page, I've updated my Amazon store, check out my summer reading under the "Currently Reading" category.