Ican't believe time has flown by so quickly and that it has been more than 2 months since my last post. I find myself with mixed feelings because summer vacation is almost over for me as I go back to work in two weeks. We start school before Labor Day in Colorado. My feelings are mixed because I'm disappointed that I didn't get as much stamping done as planned, but I also feel proud that I've accomplished a great deal this summer.
I got out of school the second to last week of May. My mom arrived to help finish the final details for my daughter's wedding which took place on June 20th. She stayed with us for a month. Mom and I baked approximately 8 dozen of 13 different kinds of cookies for the wedding. Definitely a regional tradition for weddings. I hail from northeastern Ohio and cookies at weddings aren't usually done in Colorado. Everyone that attended enjoyed the "dessert bar" and the owners of the reception hall said they are seriously considering adding such a thing to their list of items provided. I told them I was definitely NOT INTERESTED in providing that service for them! :)
It rained the day of the wedding, but I believe it was my dad who passed away 5 years ago, crying for joy on his only granddaughter's ( his little princess) wedding day. The ceremony was beautiful, if I do say so myself. I haven't seen two people so deeply in love and passionate about each other in a long time. The date of the wedding would also have been my parent's 56th wedding anniversary and the officiant did a wonderful job in bringing us all to tears as he wove that event into his talk on this special day.
The week after the wedding was activity packed as I had 10 house guests staying with us. We did a lot of sight seeing locally and even managed to get in some white water rafting on the Arkansas River. That was something I had always wanted to do, and if it weren't for my young and adventurous niece and nephew, it probably wouldn't have happened. But feeling it was part of my duty to participate as a good host, my husband and I participated int he event. It was pretty scary at first getting the safety briefing. I even remember literally crying and saying "I don't want to do this!" But I caved to peer pressure and, let me tell you...I'd do it again in a heart beat!. In the photo, I am the one sitting in the second row in the middle between my husband and daughter, holding on tightly. I opted not to row. I am glad I had the option. My daughter almost fell out. The water was frigid, but it was a BLAST!
A week after company left, I flew home to Ohio for a week to spend with my sister and Mom who had just returned from Colorado. (We have a very close family connection.) I got to visit my other nephew's new child, Gino, who is only 4 months old. I can't get over how much he looks like his daddy and I cried when I held him. I got in a good rest after all of the other activities just in time to get home and...
redecorate my daughter's old bedroom. I turned it into my stamping room. If you've ever stripped wallpaper, and ripped up wall-to-wall carpeting, you know how much work it was to get started. It took about a week to complete from beginning to end. I repainted it, added a few of Stampin Up!'s home decore to the walls, got myself a flat screen tv and a new leather love seat. My hubby and I find ourselves fighting over who gets to watch tv in there at night. The love seat is for him to keep me company while I sit in my stamping chair.
It was only this week that I actually got to sit at my desk and make a few things which I'll post in another entry today. I wanted to let you guys know what my summer has been like and to apologize for neglecting this thing that I love...stamping.
Oh, and next week I'm going to Stampin' Up!'s convention in Utah. The week after I return I head back to work for another fun filled school year!
Josie
P.S. I've added some pics of the happy bride and groom and white water rafting.
I've never been to a Stampin' Up! Convention, but people tell me to go armed with gifts for room mates, swaps and business cards. So...these are what I came up with. I hope they're good enough and people will want to swap with me. I had fun making these, but I do detest remaking the same card over and over and over. 
