Melita did challenge 32.

Melita’s journaling:
It was so nice to finally meet Seline. Even at 3 months old, she was already so happy and loving. We all had a great time playing with her and holding her. A baby is truly one of God's miracles and Seline was no exception. We can't wait to see her again. 8-10-08

Melita's blog.

Challenge 33

JOURNALING: Even before I got married, I always knew I wanted to breastfeed. I believe that it is not only beneficial to baby but to mommy as well. I looked forward to the initial bonding with my children.But when I gave birth to Nadine, I was told that I didn't have enough milk each time she cried. I did not have the support I needed. Sadly, I breastfed her for only a month and a half. I will always regret not being able to do it; not trying harder.When I got pregnant with Raya, I vowed to do things differently. I could not accept the fact that I didn't have milk. I know that God did not make it that way. That it is not the natural order of things. So I read books, researched in the Internet and surrounded myself with supportive friends. My efforts paid off as I breastfed Raya for one and a half years!Now with Alyssa, there is no doubt in my mind that I can make milk. And it is enough to nourish her. I have done it before and I will do it again. Yes, I do make milk. What's your superpower?

This challenge is brought to you by Mia, and is the first that needs to be done for the September contest.

We all have something that we're proud of. Something that we've done that we feel is exceptionally great. It might be as elaborate as conquering a fear or reaching a goal. Or it might be as simple as getting through the day. Nevertheless, going through it gives a certain high, a feeling of superpower. The challenge is to journal your superpower.

Stefanie's Challenge 32.

I really struggled to do these layouts and to do the topic justice as I do believe in a prayer answering, miracle working God.

However losing a baby in miscarriage at 11 weeks and then Sarah when she was only 15 days old was really tough, and I struggled with knowing that God had the power to intervene and to heal her, but He didn't.

Having said that our prayers were answered in so many other ways, (too many and too emotionally draining to go into here ) not the least of which was that she would go from my arms into Jesus' arms~ which she did Christmas Eve 14 years ago.



Journaling reads: I am trusting that I will see you again in heaven, that even though you arrived there before me I am still your Mommy and we will have eternity to spend time together.

(this was from digi stuff downloaded at http://escrapade.canal.blog.com The TOU is in French, so I hope that covers it)

Journaling reads: Even before I knew I was pregnant with you, I found a piece of paper outside my bedroom door with this Scripture verse on it;

Psalm 112:2b ...offspring shall be mighty upon the earth... This was a clear miracle as the paper had not been there when we went to sleep. It was my promise from God that you would thrive and be robust, the opposite of Sarah's "failure to thrive" syndrome that resulted in her premature death.

You, my little pink one, are a constant reminder of God's GRACE to me.

I love you and Him who gave you to me.

(this was a quickpage Annie Collection {RRD} by gonewiththewind)

Liza's miracle LO.

Journal:
Alone time after your loss often leads to endless crying on my part. It is still a hard fact to accept even after 3 years has passed. Not a single day goes by when I've wished that you would have been beside me. But HE has other plans I guess. I've asked myself countless times, why me? Why take my baby away? But all I hear is emptiness. He's not ready to share the reason with me. He probably thinks that it will be more acceptable in due time. But I haven't lost my faith. I know deep in my heart that the day will come when He will bless us once again with another child. I just have to continue on with life, continue believing in His greatness. That there is still a miracle waiting for us. In due time...

Tracy K's miracle LO.

MY life is very full. Wife, Mom, work, church, it makes the days fly by but I think sometimes it takes my focus off God. The "busy" of the day, the to do lists, the calls, the challenges sometimes make me overlook the amazing everyday blessings; snuggling with Jason, tickling Joey and hearing his laughter, the simple pleasure of a cold drink and good music. This rainbow was stunning. It reminded me to be thankful for the simple things. It reminded me to be thankful for everyday miracles.

Nicole's miracle.

It started like any other day. You were puttering around outside, tending to some yard work when it hit you: the worse headache you ever had in your life. Only it was much worse than that--it was a severe brain aneurysm. We were on holiday in Florida that day in September 2002. Mom called us and we booked the first flight we could to return to Edmonton. Things looked pretty bleak when we saw you. You had undergone surgery to stop the bleed and were heavily sedated. No one was sure how much damage had been done. When you did awake, we were relieved just to have you with us but months of rehab awaited you. You needed to relearn everything from basics like eating and walking to recognizing your own friends and family. You would never guess any of that looking at these birthday pictures of you taken just over 3 years later. You were our "miracle man". Your recovery was nothing short of amazing. Most people would never guess what you had survived. And though you are different now in many ways , we are overjoyed to be able to turn the page from that fateful day and look to the future. One that has you in it.

Mia's miracles.

Title: Wonder of Wonders, Miracle of Miracles

Journaling:

Wonder of Wonders, Miracle of Miracles...

But of all God's miracles great and small,The most miraculous one of all,

Is the one I thought could never be:

God has given YOU to ME!--- Fiddler on the Roof

Marisha's miracle LO.

Journaling reads:
During my twenty-four years here on earth, I have yet to experience what I would consider as a true miracle. Now there’s no question that God has bestowed countless blessings upon me, but I believe that there’s quite a difference between a blessing and a miracle. Blessings are everyday occurrences in which god’s favor is shed upon an individual while a miracle is a rare event that occurs against seemingly impossible odds. I consider both of them to be genuine acts of God. In fact, miracles are in deed blessings from God, but they’re of an extraordinary nature, life altering. With that said, if I’m ever blessed with a miracle, I know exactly what to do. Look up into the heavenly sky and thank God, from whom all miracles flow.

Mel introducing challenge 32.

My name is Melody and I am a scrapper.

I dont tell a many people that because around these parts its akin to knitting club. (not that knitting is bad - its just bad for me). In addition to scrapping; I work on being a wife and mom.

I have been scrapping for about 4 years; I dont get near enought time to embrace my addiction and rejoice if I do 2 LO's per month! I do love to create mini-albums and am a keen Ali Edwards fan. The most important thing for me is to marry photos and words. Design is fun but not fundamental.

I look forward to seeing all your layouts!

MY LO: My {3}What miracle babies you are; God wanted each of you here despite doctors telling us we would never birth our own kids naturally. They were wrong. Never forget: Each of you have a distinct purpose and my prayer is that you walk closely with Christ listen to His voice and find your way.

Challenge is: do you believe in miracles? Have you received any? Is there anything you are trusting or waiting for?

Ali's

LO details: Background paper is Moda for Daisyd.'s
The metals at the top say "Special Life."

Journaling reads:
Daddy's Grandma: Oma
Your Great Grandma: Ur-Oma
June 13, 2007: 90th Birthday.

Thanks Ali.

Summertime boy by Nicole

The journaling says: I am so lucky to have kids who love the beach as much as I do! While you like the water, you love the sand even more. So fun to watch you!

Real love by Joanne

Erin just loves these ponies, not just these 2 but any ponies. I understand
this LOVE Penny Pie, never be ashamed of loving your pony friends, because
they most certainly LOVE you.

Week of inspiration.

I have to apologise that there will not be a challenge this week, I made a mistake in setting the dates so this week I will be posting Layouts to inspire you from the design team. Starting with this one by me...

But the fruit of the Spirit is Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5: 22&23

If we live by the Spirit let us also walk by the Spirit. Galatians 5: 25.

Last of the : only in.

The journaling reads:

ONLY IN my mind is there a constant battle of being good enough, never feeling as if I measure up, I have a distorted view of myself and have yet to listen to the ones who see the me that I wish I was....well maybe one day I will see what everyone else does....every now and then, I see a glimpse of that girl...maybe one day she'll stay.....

This thought provoking one is from Shannon.

Lovely attention to detail on this LO from Yasu.

Thanks ladies - awesome as usual.

Nicole's : only here

Only here do we order Chinese food because the Olympics are being held in Beijing and it's the Opening Ceremonies.

Claire's :only in my ...wildest dreams.

Journalling is:
I've always known that I wanted 2 children but after one IVF miracle and
being 41, I didn't dare say it out loud for fear of not being able to cope
with the disappointment if it didn't happen. Yes of course I was happy and
grateful for one child, but I just wanted two, so Josh would have someone
else to grow up with. Was that selfish? We were told we had a 5% chance of a
successful IVF cycle, but Sam had other ideas and was conceived on our first
try for a second baby back in Melbourne!

Joanne's: only in ...England

Only in England
1. Pretty houses
2. Quaint cottages
3. Delightful country verges
4. Scenic walks
5. Delicious fish, chips and mushy peas.
6. Stately castles.
7. Informative signs.
8. Hard working cart horses.
9. Inviting doorways.
10. Endangered Suffolk Punches.
11. Amusing signs.
12. Enormous cold bloods.

Tracy's : only in...Marshall.

Journaling reads: ...can you see the "Jim the Wonder Dog" statue. Marshall was his home and now there's a park in his honor. We visit it each time we got to Jason's home town. This dog was able to read among other things! It definitely makes Marshall, MO unique!

Mia's : only in...Mommy's arms.

Title:
Only In Mommy's Arms
Journaling: ...do you find comfort when your are sick, scared or down.
Remember that I will always be here for you when you need me.
I love you very much, Raya!

Challenge 31 : only in...

This was our first port of call. It was weird seeing so many "British" things. The phonebooths, the postbox, the Bobbie policeman, fish and chips with mushy peas, all this on a small piece of Spain. We bought Caleb's Chelsea soccer outfit here as well as the playstation games. I was caught by the statue outside the glass blowing factory~ I stared at him for ages thinking it was a mime. We enjoyed a snow-cone ice-cream and sitting soaking up the atmosphere...only in Gibralter.

The challenge this week is to identify someplace different, special, a unique place and showcase it. Could be your home town, a family tradition, a special time or season and to use the words ..."only in

Reader's roundup.

Thanks ladies for playing along and re-encouraging us to scrap and tell the story with photos.


This very striking LO from Yasu.
I can do it.
Journaling:
Here is a big boy now.
He finally finished his potty training when he was three and three month old.



“Don’t be such a besaur!”

When Daniel was just little, and learning to talk, he called dinosaurs “Besaurs” (pronounced bee-soars)… We thought it was so cute! Soon, we had all adopted this unique name for dinosaurs!

Over time (Daniel is now 8), the word “besaur” has evolved to mean that someone was being a GRUMP!!!

A grump, you say? No-one here is EVER a GRUMP!!
Now… “Don’t be such a BESAUR!”

This charming LO us from Ali McDonald. I'm thinking maybe "besaur" could be catchy...


This is mine. A digi quickpage from raspberry road designs with pics I downloaded from the internet and made black and white. This range of answers is often heard during my scrapbooking classes when the clients want me to make a choice I think they should make. Yep, whatever floats your boat...

Liza's : chumz!

Journal:
Chumz! A word I acquired from my friend and officemate Agnes. I don’t know how it all started but it just really caught on amongst us. If there’s something we like, chumz! If you did something good, chumz! It’s a positive affirmation and it makes the mood lighter. So, scrapbooking about this is actually chumz!

Shannon's Mackenzie-isms.

The journaling reads:

we call it mack-a-nese at our house -- almost daily, new words are created by mackenzie and strangely enough, we find ourselves adding these words to our own vocabulary -- with a laugh to go along because it's funny.
some mack-a-nese explained:
(these are the most common and most loved)
darn-it balls = barnacles(from Spongebob)
gotfor = forgot
can't know how = i don't want to
crouton = fouton
shampoop = shampoo
cuzso = because

Nicole's : slang

Favorite expressions...hmmm...I have to admit, I love a good cliche , if there is such a thing, but I have a tendency to pick up slang and use it far after its trendiness has gone. Want an example? How about phrases like 'coolio' or 'cool beans'? Even I am inwardly rolling my eyes when these slip out, but I swear I can't help it! It's just typical of me. I am always ahead,or more like behind, in these matters. A lot of my favorite catch phrases come from my friend Jaime, much to my hubby's chagrin, because then our kids usually pick it up too. Oopsie doodle! There I go again! Well, at least it's better than swearing...

Mel's : what time will you be home?

Phrase : What time will u be home?

This phrase falls out of my mouth daily. Pretty much as soon as Dad leaves the house...pathetic huh? Lets face it though, life alone with 3 small kids can get tough so I always need an eta...something to work towards.

Its certainly getting easier as you kids get older. A year ago I was a basket case if Dad was 10minutes late. Now I can manage with little fall-out but its always disappointing when I don't hear that Astra pulling up the drive around 6pm.

It's not just me who waits on tender-hooks for Dad - just look at the great enthusiasm as you guys rush to meet him. And can you see the look of love and joy on his face as he sees you charging up to him?

You guys are so blessed to have this guy as your Dad!

Mia's You know what?

Title: You Know What?

I Love You!

Journaling reads:
Not a day passes by without us having this exchange. Sometimes you ask it, sometimes I do. But it doesn't matter who starts it... We both know the answer. I love you, Raya! Age 4

Marisha's Whomp

The journaling reads:

So I’m known amongst my friends as the “Whomper”. Why you ask? Because there’s not a day that goes by that they don’t hear me say the word “Whomp” in some form or fashion. I’m usually caught saying something along the lines of “Whomp, whomp, whomp”, “You get a whomp for that”, or “that totally whomps”. The word has officially been incorporated into my daily vocabulary. Basically, it’s just my way of expressing my disapproval or saying that something is “lame”, And honestly, I also use it to add a little sarcastic humor to each day. I don’t know exactly where I picked the word up from, but I’ve been told many a time that it was often used in the Charlie Brown cartoons. Though I watched Charlie Brown as a kid, I didn’t start using the word whomp until I was in college. Regardless of its origin, I’m claiming it as being my term! So please don’t “Whomp” me for my “Whomp” usage.

Marisha's blog.

Tracy introducing challenge 30.

Challenge: This week's challenge is two fold. First, think of a phrase or expression that you say all the time.
-Journal about why you use it or when, where you heard it, etc...
-Now using that personal phrase as the focus of your journaling use your own handwriting as the vehicle to express it.



Title: Ya Think?
Journaling reads: Ya think? This phrase pops out of my mouth all the time. It has replaced "duh!", "you kidding?" and others. Don't know when I started using it. Must have been while watching "Friends". Ya think?


A little bit about her:

Tracy King is a music teacher, mom and preacher's wife. She lives in a small rural town in Southeast Missouri. Tracy has been scrapbooking for about four years and describers herself as an ecclectic scrapper. "I like to experiment with different styles and trends in scrapbooking. The only thing that is consistent with me is that I tend to add a bit of sarcasm and humor to my creations." Tracy claims to be a blog stalker and loves perusing blogs for inspiration for journaling, page ideas, new paper crafting techniques and photography tips. She finds great inspiration in viewing the world from her 8 year old's eyes. "I view journaling as an integral and necessary part of every scrapbook page. I'm honored to share my work with you here and hope that it inspires you to record your own stories."

From our readers

Really, these photos tells a different story!

Who would realize that earlier, you were
having a fit!
You just wouldn’t go with any
of us, much less, have your photo taken.

Apparently, all you needed was to freshen up
a bit and this cute little bear to cheer you up!

The minute you had it in your arms, you
stopped crying and gamely posed for the camera.

“Say Hi! to the bear” and there you
were gladly waving your hand and looking
oh so adorable.
Thank you Mr. Bear
for brightening up Gabby’s day (er, night)!

Tita Liza, July 28 ‘08

My favourite childhood toy:
Let’s see, I think my absolute favourite must be the rag dolls I made when I was in my early teens. I found the pattern in one of my mother’s Woman’s Values and made quite a few. The best one I made was of a doll in a wedding dress. We had to do an oral about our hobbies when I was in Standard 6 and I took my dolls to school. The boys laughed at me and I was so upset that I got rid of all of them! I actually thought of making another one now that I am an adult, but I must admit that it no longer holds any appeal. My other favourites were paper dolls and puzzles. My sisters and I loved paper dolls so much that we used to make our own as well. We also made clothes for our “bought” paper dolls. I think life was much simpler in the 70’s. I prefer the way I grew up to the way my children are growing up today – more freedom.
From Anita

Final Four

Please welcome Marisha

This is Claire . Meet Flordeliz (Liza)
This is Shannon
Journaling junkie is proud to welcome these fine scrapping journalers to join the ranks.

Announcement pending!

Well ladies I have been so encouraged by the enthusiastic response to the DT call and can't wait to reveal all, however I am just waiting to hear back from a few folk.
In the mean time please pop over to this blog to view all the submissions we have received.