The Video

This is the video Kase and his brothers and friend, Brad, made together for a contest. Why, do you ask?

Well, because any opportunity to show off Ryan's short shorts is a good one.

Because Brad is an awesome drummer, and lip singer... I mean back up vocalist.

Because Tommy looks like he could possible chop down a forest after rocking out.

Because Kase is an awesome director/editor and husband I might add.

Because Scott is carrying on the wayward son.

Because Kase's dad is in it and he cracks me up everytime I watch it.

Because I am in the video. For a split tiny instant half of a half of a half of a second. (Hint: the bar scene.)

Oh and because these boys rock. What else?

When I Graduate...

Every year I have a "Summer" to- do list.. On the list are things that I just don't have time for during the rest of the year because of school. The list always gets longer and longer, but I always think that I will have enough time to get it all done. Usually I end up with only a few items on the list actually done, and before I know it summer is over.

In December, I finally graduate. So now I have a "When I Graduate" to-do list. (I know you probably don't care but) Here it is:

1. Clean my house. Give it a really good scrubin' and get rid of accumulated stuff we don't need.
2. House repairs: paint outside doorways, paint the porch, replace that one outside light that is 20 feet in the air, fix the hole in the family room ceiling from the water leak. I am sure there is more (ok my house sounds really icky but it's nice. I promise!)
3. Paint our bedroom a new color. I am tired of blue.
4. Walk the dog. Every day (mostly).
5. Do craft projects.
6. Visit family more.
7. Spend more time with friends.
8. Go camping.
9. Go on weekend trips that are cheap.
10. Join the book clubs at work and church.
11. Go to yard sales.
12. Have babies (Ok this one is more of a long term goal.)

So, we'll see how many of these things actually get done. I mean, surely most of them. I do have the rest of my life. No more school. You know, I have been in school for the last 21 years. I am not sure I'll know what to do with myself with out school. Oh wait.... I have my list.

Addiction

I have an addiction: Scrapbooking. It's kind of a love-hate relationship. I love it but it costs me lots of money and time, and I hate that. I am pretty sure my love of scrapbooking stems from my love of school supplies. Even as a kid, I loved those little erasers that looked like little animals or stars. You know the ones that were really cute and you didn't want to actually use them to erase because then the puppy's head would start to rub off. I also loved sticker books. You'd go to the store and buy these little cardboard books with colorful pages and then you'd collect stickers to put inside. They had all kinds of stickers: fuzzy ones, glow-in-the-dark ones, scratch and sniff ones. I even had a favorite ruler (and I still have it. don't tell anyone). Sad I know. But the ruler was purple and advertised for a paint factory (or was it a juice factory) and.... it smelled like grapes. In fact, it STILL smells like grapes after all this time. (it's probably made with lead paint). sighh.... i love it.

So back to scrapbooking. Recently, after spending a weekend at a scrapbook retreat with my sister-in-law (who rocks) I thought about scrapbooking and what it has become. I don't really remember begining to scrapbook. What is it really? I spend all this time making pretty pages to put pictures on. It's basically just an expensive and colorful photo album. Right? Why don't I just buy a photo album and stick the pictures in it? It would be cheaper and faster.

My grandmother had a scrapbook. Although, you might not recognize it as that. It was a REAL scrapbook, vintage style. As a kid, I always loved looking at it more than the regular photo albums. It wasn't fancy. No fancy stickers or colorful pages. No rub-on letters, fancy titles, or ribbons. It was a basic carbboard book with pictures, cards, newspaper clippings, scraps of cloth, and other items glued on each page. Next to each item there was the name of the people in the photo or what the news article was about. This was handwritten by my very own grandmother in her delicate cursive handwriting. When I looked at the book, it was like a story that my grandmother was telling me. I loved it.

My grandmother passed away last spring. I miss her. One of my favorite things that she left behind was her scrapbook. Eventually, I plan on going through it and restoring some of the falling out pictures, and covering it in a photo safe acid-free cover. Once again I will look through it and feel like my grandmother is there, telling me a story, and showing me pictures of her wonderful life. I will imagine her cutting out the news articles and writing on each page. It shows me what she thought was important and what she enjoyed. I love that.

That is why I scrapbook (besides enjoying the fancy stickers and such). I try to remember that each page doesn't have to be perfect. It doesnt' matter if I have a good theme for the page or if the colors on the page go well together. I try to write about each page and tell a story. One day, I hope that my children and grandchildren will enjoy reading my story. They will get to know me and what I enjoy. They will have something to look at to remember me, just as I remember my grandmother.