Winner Winner

Congrats goes out to Shelle! She's the winner of my random drawing for my "Give and Take" blog giveaway.

I'll be contacting you to get you your prize. Congratulations!

And if you still want to leave comments about what you like about this blog so I can work it in for my future posts.

THANKS for visiting my blog!

Featured.

On Liz Qualman's blog.

Again.

So cool! Here's a sneak peek at my layout designed from her sketch. Visit her blog to see the whole layout.

It sure is fun to be a part of her sketch guest design group!

My Minds Eye Sketch Challenge

Something about the My Minds Eye Blog draws me in to their challenges. "Challenge 12" is no exception!

The current challenge is based on a theme "I Remember" using My Minds Eye product and this sketch:

And here's my take:

One "tricky" addition to my layout is my hidden journaling. I had a hard time finding a spot to write my story, and my dear and talented friend Anita suggested a hidden journaling spot. I'm really happy with the way it turned out!

Wish me luck in their contest!

"Give Me Info" Giveaway!!!

So, let's give and take a little.

You give me a comment I want, and I'll give you the chance to get something!

Here's what I'm giving away to one random commenter-- a great selection of Daisy D's scrapbooking products (valued at almost $30)!

So, how can you win? One lucky random winner will get the prize simply by leaving a comment on this post by 8:00 PM PST on Sunday, June 27.

Please comment about the following:

What do you like about my blog? Why do you come visit? What do you look forward to? Crafty/ scrappy stuff? Personal stories? Photos? Prizes??? I am curious about what draws you here. Sometimes I feel like the bloggy stuff I spend the most time preparing is not what others are interested in anyway. So let me know what you like!

I'm going to take a look at what you share and decide where to take Mom-e-Memoirs from here. I may be "in and out" for the summer, so don't be surprised if I'm not totally consistent in posting for summer. But I'm not leaving!

Thanks for your input. I really appreciate it. And I can't wait to award someone the big prize. :) (Prize available to commenters in the Continental US. One comment per person. Winner will be announced here by noon on Monday, June 28.)

Friday Fave-- Peonies

I heart peonies.

And I finally have a lovely bush with a plethora of blossoms in my yard. So thankful.

This particular bush is a "decendent" of my Grandma Viola's peony bush. I remember as a child pulverizing her blossoms-- taking a tightly closed bud and separating out the petals. Or taking one fully in bloom and dissecting the flower.

I don't ever remember Grandma chastising me for picking her beautiful flowers. I wonder if it is because she had two large bushes that could stand to lose a few blooms.

My Grandma died 18 years ago. I can hardly believe it has been that long. Her daughter, my Aunt Kathleen was blessed to move into the homestead and lives there today.

Knowing the peony bushes were overgrown (and somehow knowing my love for the flower), she split the plant and came to my yard 5 years ago (when I was 7+ months pregnant) and she transplanted some of Grandma Viola's peonies into my yard.

It took a few years and we'd only had a few meager blooms until this year. But being patient until this year has paid off. A full bush of puffy fuscia flowers. Their season is short, just like our time here on earth... but they bring joy when they are here!

Wordless Wednesday

Friday Fave-- Small Town Newspapers

I've loved the little neighboring town's newspaper "The Eagle" for many years. I once even worked for its sister publication (The Boomerang) selling ad space.

These small town papers always share the best news. The writing isn't superb (I imagine that as a reporter your writing abilites come second to your gossiping capabilities), but there are tidbits of joy to be found in each issue.

I remember in junior high when a friend and I went with  my mom to visit my Grandma over near Troy. Nothing out of the ordinary, but when a local "reporter" called my Grandma the next day the "news" of our visit (complete with our lunch menu) made the next issue.

My recent passion is photography, so I love to see what the news photographers capture here on the Palouse.

On the front page of their last issue, their photo was spot on.  Wanna see it?

Yep. That's my son. :)

Grant hung out with Grandma and Grandpa that day. The photographer doesn't even know it, but he caught a photo of the epitome of my son. "Grandpa's Side Kick" hat, "fast pants", and snow gloves as "work gloves". Mouth open, joyfully working in the dirt with farm/construction equipment. NOTHING makes my son happier than this scenario. This photo is Grant.

The caption reads: "Baseball tournament? What baseball tournament? Four-year-old Grant Lenssen, grandson of John and Betty Sawyer of Potlatch, finds pushing gravel with a toy bulldozer is far more interesting than watching the Loggers play in the 1A State baseball tournament at Lewiston's Airport Park May 22."

I'm enjoying the passion my son has for dirt. I wonder where it will go as he grows older. Will he always love it? Is it a glimpse at the way he'll live his life???

I'm good with that. But I DO hope that one day he has enough interest to watch baseball or even play it. It's one of mommy's favorite sports. :)

Do your kids (or did your kids) ever have a particular consuming passion? What was it?

Wordless Wednesday

Friday Fave-- my favorite Hatley photo

(A little over a day late... I needed to let Mommy and Daddy see photos of Itty Bitty before I posted them...)

While on Saipan, we took advantage of many photo sessions to catch 3 week old Hatley at her sweetest.

We shot on many locations and learned just how unpredictable babies can be. Just when we thought she was asleep, she was a wiggly worm! Thankfully we had 12 days to use as optional photo shoot days. :)

I'll post more later, but at least wanted to share what I think is my favorite shot (pretty hard to choose... you'll see when I share more of them later). We went out and picked a bunch of plumeria and laid her in a bed of blossoms. She smelled so pretty when we were done! The rest of our shots were outdoor shots. I'll share more soon!

Wordless Wednesday