The Porta Place

Dog Days of Summer

2011-08-10T16:21:00.000-07:00

These have really been the Dog Days of Summer. We have had record highs, and incredible droughts in the midwest. We can't complain too much. While Arkansas was suffering record heat, we were on the Gulf Coast soaking up the sun and relaxing.

As it turned out it seems I ended up as the official photographer for this trip. Mike pulled FLIP camera duty for the surfing exhibition/training course.

But, the party must come to an end. School will be starting in less than a week. Can't believe the little man will be in 4th grade. I know this will be a fun ride.....I hope.

THE POOL IS OPEN

2011-05-09T16:37:00.001-07:00

...and it is almost crystal clear. WooHoo!!! Almost 2 months ahead of where we were last year.

May, already?

2011-05-04T20:39:00.000-07:00

Spring in Arkansas seems tohave flown by -- ok it did with the tornados and straight line winds. We were very fortunate here, and are saying prayers for our neighbors that weren't so lucky.

May brings with it a season of change. New beginnings and bittersweet endings. This is a crazy time of year for all of us, but this year it seesm to have taken on a surreal sense of calm. I think I know why - but I am not certain. It is sad that I am winding down as the Den Mother for B's cub scouts. I love each and every one of those little boys, who are on the brink of becoming young men. It is time for me to let someone else have a turn and continue them on their path. I will miss seeing them at each meeting and when I do attend, I will be B's mom and not the line leader.

Which brings me to another ending. A friend of mine, my age, passed away today. She is the person that initiated me to the term 'line leader' long before days of preschool and kindergarten. Although we were not besties, she always had a smile and a twinkle in her eye. She will be missed by her family and friends. MG - practice at being line leader so when we get there you can show us the ropes. We're counting on you.

Beginnings -- spring always brings with it the thought of new beginnings. This is the first time in many years that we have a garden. We are all so excited about having fresh tomatoes and peppers.

I hope to check in more frequently than I have recently. Have a Happy Cinqo de Mayo!!

Playing with downloadable files and PSE

2011-01-18T21:10:00.001-08:00

Christmas Wrap Up

2010-12-29T20:34:00.000-08:00

It is four days after Christmas at our house. Mike has been sick for three of them............ I went back to work to get some rest (ha!). Here is a quick video of the day after Christmas. B playing an on-line game with M (from Dallas) talking on the phone with the speaker attachment. It was priceless. They did this two or three times this weekend.

Long Weekend

2010-10-14T19:06:00.000-07:00

The kids are out of school tomorrow. Wish we were home to play, too.

My little man is growing up WAY too quickly. this has been a great first 9-weeks of Third Grade. He is learning so much. Monday starts a new adventure -- BP starts the Chess Club. They meet once a month. I think this will be a great activity for him and for his daddy.

Big Weekend

2010-09-18T21:57:00.000-07:00

For a relatively 'unscheduled' weekend we have been really busy. Last night, we had family movie night (after a fashion - since someone was in timeout). This morning was soccer followed by lots of exciting college football. WOOOO PIG SOOOIE!!! This was all followed by a wonderful meal of salmon, risotto, fresh asparagus, and homemade yeast rolls.
Yummy!!

Oh - back to the rolls. I made a recipe from the Pioneer Woman (chocolate chip cookie sweet roll). I will report back later - but things are looking very promising.

Church tomorrow and more cub scout and PTA paperwork and website updating.

Big League Dreams

2010-07-14T20:58:00.001-07:00

Today was day 3 of Vacation Bible School and SLUFY. Mike was off work so it was his turn to take BP to the church for VBS. I went to wake up BP.

He was stretching (or so I thought). I mentioned that was a big stretch for a little boy.

He asked, "Is he out?"

My response, "Is who out?"

Answer: "The 3rd baseman."

"Yes, you threw him out."

"OK."

Then he rolled over and went back to sleep. My goodness, my little man LOVES baseball!!

Easy Like Sunday Morning........

2010-02-21T14:08:00.000-08:00

Although it was an early morning, it has been a great day. By 1:00 PM we had been to church, I had been to the gym, we had eaten and cleaned up lunch, laundry was started, and I was in my scrapbook space. Add to that, we have had a great weekend - basketball game, watching the Olympics, church, and Benjamin planning and cooking dinner last night.

Benjamin had to complete one of the final requirements for his Wolf Advancement for Cub Scouts. We had cheeseburgers and cheetos (see a theme here) for dinner. Dessert was Trix yogurt (he thought he would win the Grand Prize). he still thinks he will be the big winner off the marketing come-ons. Here is a shot of he and Mike cooking the burgers....

When we went to the grocery store yesterday, we tried tog et some groceries for the coming week. No Can Do. All we were there to get was ingredients for Benjamin's dinner. It was all we could do to grab milk and get it home.

Storms this afternoon - but it is clearing to the west......hope Spring is on the way.

Virginia

Felicity Layouts

2010-01-29T09:40:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of Layouts that we will be creating in February. The kit is the Felicity Paper Crafting Pack. I will be posting cards later.

Trying to make the most of our 'snow' day.

Virginia

2010-01-04T07:40:00.000-08:00

It started showing last night. I didn't think much of it. Well, while I was in the shower getting ready for work this morning, Mike came in to tell me that schools were closed for the day. So, I decided to make the best of my extra day at home.

Here are three cards I made. I built on the theme of Cricut Card #1. I am still learning how to makethe cards (and how to post photos to the blog).

These were made with Wild Card and Home Decor.

Off to tame the grocery jungle....Got to get the Velveeta and Rotel, IT'S SNOWING!!!!!

Cricut Card #1

2010-01-02T18:07:00.001-08:00

Well, I am finally in the production mode with my Cricut. My friend Jill does beautiful work with her own talent, inspiration, and Cricut. I am trying to learn from her. I am a slow learner. Her blog is DivaInPink's Thoughts and Ideas.

This is my first completely Cricut card. Used the Wild Card Cartridge, and D1198 The Gift of Love. This is a sympathy card for one of my friends who lost her mother just before Christmas.

Jill - Thanks for the patience and the lessons.....

Virginia

Christmas Time is Here........almost

2009-12-21T10:30:00.000-08:00

It is almost Christmas now. Just two more days of work and then off for four days. Shopping is finished. Wrapping is almost wrapped up. Now, to sit back and relax.

Hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas season as well.

~V~

New Computer…..

2009-11-20T20:37:00.001-08:00

Working through the kinks of a new computer, new OS, and then resetting all of my stuff back the way I like it. Hey, in the big picture, it isn’t that big a deal, but it sure is annoying.

The Christmas tree is in the house and has been almost completely fluffed. Lights will go on tomorrow followed by the ornaments. I know it seems early but we are ready to get into the holiday spirit around here. Maybe I will post photos…..who knows??

Headed to Abundant Life to visit and then to a class at the Corner on Sunday – making an Advent calendar. Should be cute.

Hope everyone is staying nice and dry tonight. Glad we are not involved in High School football playoffs.

Later!

Vacation Update!

2009-07-21T21:25:00.000-07:00

Here we are - Fort Walton is really nice this time of year. The weather has been in hte high 80s/low 90s. No rain since the little showers on Sunday.

We worried about B (and his not wanting to get into the big waters - there are animals in there!!). On Saturday night we bought a body boards (giant kick board). We didn't even take it down on Sunday.

On Monday, the water was so calm - it was like a lake. We took the body board out as a family. We were one of about eight families in the immediate area. BP was talking big about the third grader wearing floaties.....I told him that was big talk coming from a boy on a body board that wouldn't let his mom let go. With that: BP said, "Then Let Go!!!" He has not stopped since then.

This morning, I got up and had breakfast before 7:00. BP was already awake, playing Nintendo in his bed - such a vacation thing. Mike got up and started getting ready to go to the beach aroud 8:30. With that, I said something about going back to bed. I managed to get out of the bed aroud 10:30.

By the time I got to the water, this is what I found......

....followed by this.....

New Slideshow

2009-07-17T21:39:00.000-07:00

Hi guys -

A couple of months ago I spent a weekend cropping with some friends. I love going to crops but I find I always, always, always take too much stuff with me. So, to combat that issue I decided to take a SINGLE project - albeit a biggie. I had promised a friend I would make an album of the cadid shots from her daughter's wedding (11-08). I did this for the other daughter about a year ago.

Well, I traveled with very little that weekend and this is what I have to show for it. I used about 4-5 packs of cardstock from CTMH (Cocoa, Taffy, and Sweet Leaf, 5 loose sheets of the prettiest copper/bronze paper I have ever seen, and 1/2 - 1 pack of white and colonial cardstock).

I spent the first night random stamping paper. Then, I used a couple of the xx pages from 1 pack type layouts that are shared on the CTMH bulletin board.

By keeping the colors consistent and limiting the embellishments, this was a pretty fast project. Hope you enjoy!

New Laptop

2009-07-12T20:49:00.000-07:00

Well, in the last eight hours I have purchased a new laptop and gotten almost everything back like I want it. Still working on getting one more piece of software authorized to the new machine and getting some files back where I can get to them.

We made pizza tonight for dinner. We used a premade pizza crust. Lightly brushed it with EVOO - baked in a 450 oven for 3 minutes. Then, topped it with fresh spinach, tomato/pesto mixture, proscuitto, and mozzarella cheese. YUM!!

Bases loaded at the Trav's Game

2009-07-04T17:17:00.000-07:00

Cool breezes, nachos, ice cream, and ahead in the game. Good times!

More Championship Baseball

2009-06-27T06:16:00.000-07:00

As the trophies were being handed out last night, there was much discussion about a party. Many suggestions were made about Wild River Country, the City Pool, etc. Mike caught my eye and nodded "yes". I spoke up - we have a pool. Then a little louder - we have a pool. Then finally,WE HAVE A POOL! Coach turned to me - you have a pool? Yes. OK - Party at the Porta House - tomorrow at noon. TOMORROW??? Oh gosh - good thing I had been a little more responsible this week and the house was sort of picked up. Now, off to help decorate for VBS for a few minutes and then on to Sam's for paper good and a cake. WOW!! You just never know where things are going to take you! More details later...

Benjamin is so excited.....he thinks the party should start NOW - since he is awake.

Little League Champs.

2009-06-26T16:35:00.000-07:00

Dinner out!

2009-06-25T17:51:00.000-07:00

We had our picture made for the church directory tonight. Then dinner
out! Almost the weekend!!

2009-06-20T21:33:00.001-07:00

Hot Night at Dickey Stephens

2009-06-20T18:52:00.001-07:00

We came to the game tonight. Travs not doing so well. BP has had a vast array of junk food in an attempt to stay awake. Hope the game tomorrow is better. Later- The Travs won!!!

Finally Pool Time

2009-06-20T12:50:00.001-07:00

It has been cleaned and is finally warm. Max has even been in a couple of times.

Tower Class trip to the Travs game

2009-06-19T22:47:00.001-07:00

Jacque had it together with her fans. Hot weather but fun times!

Summer Time

2009-06-19T22:24:00.000-07:00

It has been some time since I have been here. Sorry for the absence.....but since you know me you know where I have been and what I have been up to. I am experimenting with uploading a slide show from flickr or something else. We'll see what I end up with.
Later!

FINALLY FRIDAY

2009-01-09T18:47:00.000-08:00

Five days ago I thought today would never get here. This has been one wild week. We are back to school and back to work. This is the last week before the Legislative Session begins. So, we were pretty busy at the office getting last minute stuff finalized.

Mike missed directing a game a couple of weeks ago so he agreed to direct tonight. Benjamin and I went to McD's and then by the Bridge House to have dinner with Mike before the game. Then, the little man and I went by the store for ice cream to celebate another 100 on his spelling test. Both the Wii and DS are in time out due to behavior at school today (and at home last night).

We are watching Star Wars: The Clone Wars before heading to bed in a minute - if he makes it that long.......getting ready for basketball tomorrow - go flash!!

2009-01-08T18:23:00.000-08:00

Tonight I am back to scanning in slides while I watch the Oklahoma-Florida football game. Glad the gators won. I am working on getting all of the slides from Mom's basement into a digital format so we don't lose the images. Also, there will probably be some Christmas gifts coming out of this project. There are 31 carousels of about 80 slides to be scanned. I am about a 1/4 of the way through the project. There are some great shots in here I have never seen before. It is a blast to see the 50 years styles for clothes, hair, and makeup.

"Mario" world

2009-01-07T18:15:00.000-08:00

This Christmas was a MARIO event. Santa brought a MarioKartDS slot car set to Benjamin. I am not sure who has had more fun - Benjamin or Mike. We also have a Nintendo DS with Mario on it, and Mario Galaxy for the Wii. J-Doc and Bevie sent MarioKart for the Wii, along with an extra steering wheel. Benjamin loves playing MarioKart and it pretty good at it. Mike likes it too.

Facebook

2009-01-06T18:06:00.000-08:00

Well - Mike and I are trying to play catch up with everyone. After much peer pressure - we are both on facebook. I didn't do it for the longest time. We are going to have to be very careful. It can be such a drain on time. But, on the other hand I have gotten back in touch with Carol Garreau and Tracy Rode. What fun 'talking' with them again!

I have joined a bunch of different local groups (JLLR, working moms, etc.). I also have 'freinded' a ton of people. It is kind of fun - but you do have to be careful what you say and how you say it.

Taggie

2009-01-05T17:42:00.000-08:00

We still have Taggie at our house. We have had offers for the 'taggie' to get lost. I am not really ready for my 'baby' to lose his security blanket. After all, I still have Snoopy (in the cedar chest).

First day back at school - and a long one at that. Basketball practice tonight. First game is Saturday. Go Green Flash!!

Bad Idea, Very Bad Idea

2009-01-04T20:49:00.000-08:00

In an effort to keep the little people busy and happy yesterday, I decided to tell them about Cops and Robbers and Cowboys and Indians. Well, that is now one of our favorite games. It was rainy and muggy here today. So, my big boy and my little boy played C&R inside. The loot? My camera, and anything else near me. Loved hearing the discussion about splitting the goods. Hope that is not a conversation that EVER really happens.

This is not a great photo - but it is one......

I finally am in the 21st century with a Facebook page(?). It is a blast hearing from people from high school and college. Even heard about the Youth Symphony reunion tour in 2010. Mike suggested I start practicing now. Wonder exactly what that means............

I also made some killer Turkey Noodle Soup leftovers. Got to use the super cool ladle that Mom gave us for Christmas. Check it out - it is made to hook on the side of the pot and rest there.

Back to school, work, bball practice, and scouts this week.

First of Many

2009-01-03T09:24:00.000-08:00

We had our first sleepover of the year last night. We picked Scott up at his house around 5:30. The boys barely got still enough to go to sleep.....then BP was up and down for another 45 minutes. This morning has been a medley of Wii, DS, and movies. Now, I am scanning in slides from 1959 listening to the sounds of two 6 year olds hammering a "Keep Out" sign on their 'castle' in the back yard.

Photos will be coming later -

Finally, a DS

2009-01-02T20:45:00.000-08:00

All we wanted for Christmas was a DS. It was not the first thing seen on Christmas morning. We have had some BIG BIG fun with it (all members of the family). I am excited that my Brain Age is only 41. Woohoo! Take the little victories.....

Oh! And ya' gotta' love the oversized feet pajamas. Two pair under the tree. They are a size (or two) too big but to quote the big man..."They're cozy!"

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T20:19:00.000-08:00

I am starting a new project this year (imagine....). I am planning on taking (and eventually posting) at least one photo a day for the entire year. Hope I make it!!

Here goes.. BP and Scott were 'sharing' an all-day sucker from Santa Claus.

Just Keep Working, Just Keep Working....

2008-10-06T20:43:00.000-07:00

I have had some time to get some layouts completed. Here is one I did of the boys' trip to the Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock for the Grand Opening of the new ball park and the season opener for the Arkansas Travelers.

I also managed to complete another layout from the first Junior Deputy 2007 Pirates Practice. The layout has 25 photos on it. Mike loves to take pictures and I love printing them and scrapbooking, so there is a recipe for disaster there.

And the winner is......

2008-10-01T20:36:00.000-07:00

ME! I actually entered an on-line contest for scrapbooking layouts and cards. I submitted the following layout. We all submitted Layouts based on a single concept. I had fun making the layout - it was using the Cherish Layout Idea Book from Close TO My Heart and one of the CTMH paper kits.

Thanks for looking!

Mike -

2008-09-06T14:48:00.000-07:00

Here is one of the best pictures I have seen of Mike. He is usually behind the camera so it is a treat to get him in front of a camera.

September Saturday

2008-09-06T14:22:00.000-07:00

Today was the first Saturday for fall soccer. I was worried since we had not had a chance to practice as a team. I didn't think that the other team had not had a chance to practice either. All it all, it was a success. The BLUE DRAGONS won the game.

This year we are playing on the lower fields - which are larger fields and the boys run more.

When we got home, we did some work around the pool. Benjamin found this float that was used when he was two or three years old. He was determined to get into the float. He looked SO silly. That's OK - he's having fun.

Slideshow

2008-09-02T19:58:00.001-07:00

First Week of First Grade

2008-08-23T20:19:00.001-07:00

We made it through the first week of First Grade. Can you believe all the 'stuff' they have to get for school. I am excited to see the homework folder/lesson notebook.

BP is excited about school. At first, he was not sure about his new teacher. He really liked Mrs. Bradberry. Mrs. Cross will be great too - once they all get adjusted.

Unfortunately, since the last post, Mike's machine has officially died. He is in the process of rebuilding the machine. Well, now, he is almost starting from scratch. Two new hard drives (one to replace the one that died and one for additional space) and new Operating System software.

Ended up putting up new shelves in my scrapbook/sewing room. I had a Dr. Seuss-type set of 'shelves' that collapsed on Wednesday. The collapse included my scanner and an open Diet Coke. Couldn't get to Target fast enough to get the shelves. Hopefully, now that more of my 'stuff' is up and visible I will use more.

End of Summer

2008-08-19T20:03:00.000-07:00

The afternoon before the first day of school was dedicated to working on out cycling skills. There are still plaintive calls for training wheels....but, gee, I can't seem to find them.

After much cajoling and frustration by all, we almost made it ---- I know, practice makes perfect but I think the people at the park just wanted us to go home!

The efforts were rewarded with a trip to Old McDonald's. We have watched a ton of Olympic coverage. One of the most frequent ads is for the new 'perfect chicken sandwich'. We ordered one for each of us. Went home and ate lunch. After BP deconstructed his sandwich by eating the bun and then the chicken he asked, "Hey, where is my toy?" We'll see if we have anymore chicken sandwiches.

Vacation Update

2008-08-12T14:51:00.000-07:00

Well - Here I am on the Tuesday afternoon of my vacation week. So far, I have:

Organized the photos on my machine
Downloaded images from Mike's machine
Re-organized the photos on my machine

Cleaned up my scrap room - ok, straightened up...

Ran Soccer Camp shuttles, refereed Rainy Day Bowling, went to Playtime Pizza, ran a ton of errands, and watched endless hours of Olympic coverage. Here are some pictures of the activities so far......

Play Time at Home

2008-08-09T19:21:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of my boys - the first two are from a reenactment of the Pirates of the Caribbean sword fight and the last is my speed demon at the park.

Vacation

2008-08-09T19:03:00.001-07:00

This is our first day of vacation. We are not going 'away' for vacation this year. Instead, we are staying around home - getting some things done around the house and going to soccer camp for Little Man.

Benjamin asked last week about vacation...he knew he was not going to care next week. When I told him we were not going 'away' - he said that wasn't a vacation. He may be more astute than we realize.

I told Mike that even though we are not leaving town I announced that I would NOT be cooking this week. We went out to dinner tonight....not so much fun - would have been much more fun in Florida!!!

Starting Again...

2008-08-09T10:18:00.000-07:00

....I am trying to start blogging again - not that I have time, but it is something I want to do. Hope that I can use this place to share family photos as well as scrapping and stamping projects.