Monday, June 30, 2014

Engagement Congrats {Scrapbook Layout}

Engagement Congrats Layout

We were excited to have a Facetime conversation with our grandson Conner on Saturday, along with his sweetie Caroline and the rest of his family, announcing their engagement.

Of course, a scrapbook page was necessary. The cuts are from my Silhouette Cameo. The pictures are from Caroline, the larger one printed at 5x7.

My scrapbook style has changed so much over the years. Currently, I’m into a simple, straightforward style, minus the tons of heavy embellishments that defined my recent style. For me, it’s always been about the pictures and the journaling anyway!

Saturday, June 28, 2014

Fun Family Time at Theatre in the Park

My brother can do anything. Well, almost. Truthfully, he HAS done a lot in his lifetime. He had never been in a theatre production, and since that was on his “bucket list,” he recently auditioned for and got the part of Reverend Moore in the stage production of “Footloose.”

Last night we traveled to watch the 5th of 6 performances at the Theatre in the Park, Lincoln’s New Salem State Park, Petersburg, IL. It was awesome. He was awesome. His solos and his acting were GREAT! Like I said, my brother can do anything. And what he does, he does with excellence. Always.

06-17-2014 Keith in Footloose-Rehearsal

ATT1

(Couldn’t help but be reminded of how many times he “played like” a preacher when we kids “played church,” as our dad was a pastor.)

program

My sister and her husband (who happens to be my husband’s brother) drove the two hours to our house, and then we all four traveled the 2:45 to the park and then back to our house afterwards.

It was a memorable experience. Priceless.

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My brother is amazing. Spoken like the true sister.
That I am.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Watercolor Flower Girl

flower girl 1

In Danielle Donaldson’s class “Land of Light and Shadows,” I learned to draw little creative girls, with their silly little buns on top of their heads! They are the easiest ever, and it’s really quite fun. This little lady is a flower girl. (Sketched and watercolored in my art journal.)

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

My Heart to Your Light {Art Journal}

hand over my heart to your light

This is the last project in the Sunday Mornings Class with Mindy Lacefield.

I do love this little “primitive girl,” and I love her heart, as she gives it to God’s Light.

Still not my “comfort zone,” it is fun to work outside the box.

Friday, June 20, 2014

“Voice of Angels” {Mixed Media Board}

angel voices sing a

Music is so much a part of who I am. Since God made me, I should not be surprised that He uses music to “speak” to me so often. There are always praise songs running through my head, and at any given time, I have a new “this one really is my favorite.” More accurately, I have two or three favorites at any point in time.

Right now, one of my two or three favorites is Chris Tomlin’s “I Will Rise.” Maybe one reason I love this song is because both our mothers have left this earth to step into heaven, within the last two years (my husband’s in 2012 and mine in 2013). We celebrate the fact that they are with Jesus!

But I think that it is also that this song makes me feel so joyous and victorious, not even thinking about “rising” into heaven upon death. I have always loved “the Lamb” as one of the names of Jesus. This song, as the phrase “Worthy is the Lamb” is repeated, just gives so much glory and honor to the Lamb who was slain so that I, so undeserving, might have salvation and spend eternity with Him (“and I will rise, when He calls my name—no more sorrow, no more pain”…Hallelujah!)!

angels sing side

This mixed media piece was created on an 8x8 birch panel. I painted the background and then painted the angel on a piece of corrugated cardboard, cut it out and adhered it to the board. The project was inspired by Susana Taveras (Portugal), as she was a guest teacher in Mindy Lacefield’s Sunday Mornings class.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Happy Birthday, Son!

I’ve always thought that, while a birthday is most certainly a personal celebration for the one whose birth anniversary is being celebrated, in many cases (such as mine), the mother also has a personal (and usually private) celebration of the same event.

Several years ago today, I became a mother. It was and is, without question, the most incredible, miraculously amazing blessing anyone could ever experience. It is a true picture of God’s amazing grace, that he would bless me, so undeserved, with motherhood. My two children are my constant reminder of how much God loves me. My son was my firstborn, and so it is that with his birthday each year, I celebrate the anniversary of my greatest blessing, becoming a mother.

Our son has always been a constant, and when I say constant, I mean constant, source of joy for his parents. It would be impossible to count the ways he has brought us joy.

Being a bit picture-obsessed, there are hundreds of pictures accessible on my computer. But for the sake of the reader, I’ll bring out only a few (and when I say “few,” I mean many).

Happy Birthday, Sweetest of all Sons.

1970 Oct Mark first studio 4 months

1970 (4 months-first studio picture)

 

1971-feb 12 Mark almost 8 mos still blue eyes

1971 (almost 8 months—eyes still blue—later green)

 

1971-Mark's 1st BD June

1971-First Birthday (people trying to sign him up for football—look at that body!!)

 

1972-Mark on Wonder Horse

1972—loved that Wonder Horse (and Dad’s USMC “cover”)

 

1973-Mark age 3 June

1973 (age 3) (People encouraging me to let him be a model—I don’t think so!)

 

1975-Jan Mark

Age 5

 

1982-Mark's 12th BD

12th birthday

 

1982-M French horn

Played French horn in band

 

1982-Ready for band concert

Age 12 (in high school band already)

 

1983- basketball

Age 13

 

1984 Licking Comm Theat musical singing Anything You Can Do

Age 14, with sister, as they were together in several stage productions (this one, singing “Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better” from “Annie Get Your Gun”)

 

1984-First Place Science Fair

Freshman Science Fair, First Place

 

1986 Mark's 16th bd in Argentina-BD Arg style

Celebrating 16th birthday Argentine Style while visiting family in Argentina.

 

1986-a very proud moment for Mark

Christmas after turning 16, driving his Mustang for sister (Miss Merrie Christmas) in Christmas Parade—a proud brother moment.

 

1987 Prom

Junior Prom (picture with sister)

 

1988-Performing Great American Cheese

Performing First-Place Humorous Duet (many, many trips with the Speech Team and National Forensics League)

 

1988-Pic taken for newspaper-M on tennis team

High School Tennis Team Junior and Senior Years (picture taken for local newspaper)

 

1987-040 Mark Senior Pic

Senior Pictures

1987-Mark Senior Pic

 

1988-Mark Valedictorian HS May

1988 High School Valedictorian

 

1988-033 Mark's 18th bd

18th birthday

 

1988-Mark in dorm room 316 Landon Hall SBU Bolivar

Off to college—dorm room

 

1989-big bass lots of fishing summer of 89

Loved to fish during summers

 

1989-Mark returns to SBU-sophomore

1989 Back to College

 

1990-4-21 Bicycle Club for dinner Spgfd

1990-Met the Love of his life, Kristy

 

1991-Scanned in 2014-001

1991-Married the Love of his life

 

1992 May Mark's college grad

1992-College Graduation (with Honors)- (three years later, Master’s Degree from Seminary)

 

1993-Tory's birth

1993-Birth of his firstborn, Tory

 

1995-Conner's birth

1995-Birth of his son, Conner

 

2012-Tory's HS grad

2012-High School Graduation, Tory

 

2014-High School Graduation, Conner

 

Did I mention how thankful I am that God chose to bless me immeasurably with a wonderful family! Thank you, Lord!

Monday, June 16, 2014

Grandson’s High School Graduation

Conner Senior

Conner Senior bw

Conner Russell Ford Sr 2014

We are always so proud of our grandson Conner, primarily because of the person he is. He turns 19 in a few days, and he has committed his life to following God’s call (as a pastor and a future husband/father). He is an incredibly gifted musician (song writing, guitar, keyboard, vocal) and has fun with several sports, including snow skiing and mountain biking. An excellent student, his plans are to pursue a degree from Liberty University online.

We traveled from our home in Missouri to Washington to attend his graduation.

Here are some pictures of our time there.

Conner and his Sweet Caroline

 

Conner and his sister Tory

 

Conner with Mamo and Grandad

 

Conner with his Dad Mark (our son), Mom Kristy, and sister Tory

 

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The Processional (thankful for no rain!)

 

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Diploma in hand!

 

photo 33

Walking on their street

 

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One of several wonderful meals Kristy made for us!