Count my many blessings

This is what we did for Activity Day Girls a couple weeks ago. You can make any type of album with paper sacks, I LOVE it! I'm making one for the baby shower I just did for a coworker too. People write down some advice to the new mom, places for pictures, and a list of the gifts (I'll take some pics before I give it to her). The possibilites are endless! So here is our version, as we recognized our blessings (well 10 of them) that our Heavenly Father has given us! The girls where told to bring 10 pictures of their favorite things. So either collect some old pictures or with help/suppervision take the pictures, but bring them developed, and then we'd be doing something "FUN" with them!

So here is the cover. Sacks cut and the bottom part is thrown out. It worked great with the fold of the bag doubled as the fold for the album (on the left). After putting 11 sacks together (10 pictures + 1 cover = 11 pages) I punshed two holes in the left side (my crop-a-dile it went through it like butter!) and tied it with ribbon. Made a cover with one of my 1,000+ fonts, colored it, and decorated the page.



On the left side they would fill in the blank with their blessing. Yeah I spelled marriage wrong, I know! I'm a BAD speller!

On the right side, paste their picture of their blessing and using decorative paper, punches, and decorative scissors (not too many embelishment choices for them, trying to keep it simple) they decorated around the picture.

Inside the pocket (or inside of the bag) was some card stock cut to fit where they are to journal about how their picture is a blessing in their life or how it has blessed their life. I then cut a small square and stapled it to the paper like a tab for decoration. Stapling the next paper in the middle, then bottom, then back at the top.

Garrick was one of my blessings. He's such a big helper and learning so much at school it's amazing! He's become such a good reader and he loves to read to me as I cook dinner!

Oh Aleksia! She brings drama to our house, in good ways and some bad! But she is a great big sister who loves having a little sister now to share a room with and wear matching dresses to church!

Trestin.... my little "helper." Helps with dishes, laundry, making messes while I clean, and taking care of his little sister while his other siblings are at school. How can such a small package have so much energy?


Cassiah has such a mellow personality! She loves to watch the craziness of her siblings and tolerates all their hugs, kisses, and them holding her very frequently! She only fusses when she's tired or hungery and either way I feed her and she's happy or she falls asleep.

Than is the love of my life, my helper, my sole mate, my sanitiy after a LONG day with the kids, and my best friend! He's a wonderful husband, father, man, and worker.

Ahh she found her thumb! She gags on the binki most of the time, but when she's really tired, she'll find her thumb, and suck herself to sleep! I wish she'd find it sooner sometimes and save herself the trouble!

Picture of Palouse Falls. I have really grown to love Pullman and the Palouse area! I love the spring when all the wheat fields are green, the rolling hills, and the friends we have met (some of which have moved on and we miss very much, you know who you are...).

I have the best job in the world (besides being a wife and mom)! I get to wear the most comfortable work clothes EVER, work with AMAZING people (from the nurses to doctors to CNA's), beautiful new facility to work in, help people feel better, be present for the arrival of new additions to families, and work at night. Nights actually is a blessing, in the fact that when I'm gone to work, Than is at home with our kids, so no day care, and they get good quality Daddy Time!