Saturday, April 12, 2014

A Different Season

Yes our family has without a doubt entered a different season of life and it shows. Our boys are now older teens, no longer children and it sure was hard for me to get with the new program. :)  I was just telling J the other day, "you used to call 'mommy, mommy' all the time to ask for help, so how about let me give you some advice about (something)". "Nope" came the answer immediately (at least he said that with a grin). R is already living in hostel, and they both have their own friends and interests and so little time for us, and now we connect with them through sharing videos, interesting news or posts, movies, online and phone games, over ice-cream suppers..... who knew?

We love being parents. As parents we were always very involved, desiring to share and shape our boys as much as we can. And how wonderful that now they share our love for books, movies, travel, the beach, creating, share our sense of humour, our faith in God. Some things did not catch on though, like dh's love of sports, and their taste of music is so different from ours. Of course they are their own person too, with their love of anime, anything quirky (like World Order), and they are continually evolving (J asked for and started folk guitar lessons last week)

What a journey - from their complete dependence on us, to directing their lives in those preschool years, to planning everything, to merely influencing, to learning to take a back seat and let them find their paths, trying to be a friend, hoping and praying simply that they will thrive in what they love and want to do. If you had been reading my blog over the years you would know it was a learning journey for me to let them be who they want to be, and not make them be or do what I think is best for them. Confessions of the over-bearing mom!

I have learnt the hard way that what I think, what I know (even), cannot be pushed down (especially not nagged) to them anymore, but must be experienced and learnt by themselves from now on. Only what we have imparted in those earlier years, and our continued example will speak to them now. And most importantly I am learning to release them into God's Hands for they are His people, as the words of the verse hanging over our dining table says: "will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians - Exodus 6:7" Now that I'm finding myself more comfortably in that backseat (and keeping my backseat driving thoughts to myself) it is more and more fun and exciting to get to know who they are becoming. I'm evolving too!

And so it shows in our Annual Birthday Prayer to them - we write a letter and Prayer to them every year on their birthdays. This year dh wrote them both, handwritten into a journal that he gave to them each at the beginning of the year. I've made most of them into layouts and you can see the past years' ones here, here, here, here, and here. It's a wonderful tradition and one of my most precious scrapbook pages.

This year I decided to try doing it in a more mixed media style, mixing and blending a lot of papers and brushes and paints. It is not my usual style and took very long but I do love the results! Also, I just started using through listening to The Daily Digi Podcast to use the Supply Tracker script by Christy Vanderwall, which automatically uploads to Flickr so you can see how many layers and supplies I used! Click on the supplies list link and you will be taken to Flickr image with the supplies list.

And click on the images below if you want to see 30 second videos of how the layers add and blend up. So fun!

And here are the 8.5x11 templates for you to try out. :)

Project Life - Feb and March

This season in our life shows in our pages too. Our PL contains family gatherings, more of what dh and I have been up to, and rarely do I have photos of what the boys are up to in their own lives. So I've taken to include this month, a page about what we are 'Currently - playing, watching, talking about'. Each month I may take a different focus. Next up I'm planning a page on 'Currently - Loving, pursuing, dabbling'. My PL is evolving too, haha! Still loving this record of our lives, or slices of our lives right now. Are you in similar stage of your life as me? How did it change the way you scrapbook or memory - keep? 




Project 365 - Daily 'Half Monthly' layouts for Feb and March

Still loving my quick and great half months in review templates! This is my third year!


Hawaii Pages

Finally more Hawaii Pages - that you can find in the store too.
I've simplified my process for this album by sticking to only wood backgrounds. I went through my stash and copied all the wood backgrounds to a folder - so that I will cut down on this usually most time-consuming part of my scrapping. Then I just add an alpha for title (my favorites are by Kaye Winiecki and Karah Fredericks) , add a paint or brush, plus an element or two (I limit myself) and call it done!!


Pinterest Galleries for Yin Templates Inspiration

Now the other day I saw a Pinterest link to my blog, did a few clicks and searches, and found to my huge surprise and was so stoked that I found a few Pinterest boards dedicated to Yin Template Inspiration!! I mean, how cool is that? 

I could not find a way to contact these ladies, but since these are public boards I think they wouldn't mind me providing a link to their boards, in case others would like to follow them. Thank you so much to J Austen, Lisa Kelly, and Linda, I'm very very honored!




I myself have tried to keep such a board, to which I have only pinned less than 30 layouts, mainly from my super talented friend Tawn of Homemakingirl - if you like to send me links to your layouts, I will try to pin them here too


Guide to Creating a Digital Genealogy Scrapbook

I'm super excited for Barb Growth, who was one of the presenters at RootTech 2014, and presented on how to preserve genealogy and family history using a digital scrapbook. Her book, Creating a Digital Genealogy Scrapbook is now available for purchase for Kindle on Amazon!!  It has lovely reviews and I'm honored she mentions my templates in the guide :) Do check it out. And thanks Barb for bringing the possibility of creating a digital genealogy scrapbook to so many out there!

21 comments:

  1. Hi Yin! You always have so much wonderful information in your blog posts! I am impressed with how you are parenting your boys with love and grace. I am a few years behind you since my boys are just 9 and 5, and reading your posts about your boys growing up just makes me want to freeze time! :) I know that these next FEW years are going to be full of monumental changes, and will FLY by. Sigh... I just pray that I am able to be present and patient and loving, and fill their hearts with goodness and mercy and joy and peace! Or rather, that I am able to rely on our Heavenly Father to do all of those things through me (or in spite of me)! Thank you for sharing your journey. :)

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    1. Oh Jenny, It's so true, you're so right the years will fly by, and they are going to be giant changes - all part of the adventure and faith journey! You will do very well by being present, patient and loving. Our Father will help you! Enjoy these years :)

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  2. Yin, I love how you make at least a page to commemorate your sons' birthdays. I'll have to start doing that with my toddler. I also love your take on Project Life - it's given me some new ideas to try with my own PL album. Thanks for the inspiration!

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    1. Yes, do start now with your toddler, I started only when they were 5 or so, it will be a treasure for our children and ourselves for sure, not to mention, the Lord will answer our prayers in surprising ways!

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  3. Thanks so much for the lovely template! I enjoy seeing the your layouts, too. :)

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    1. Thanks Sue for always leaving kind words, I really appreciate it!

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  4. Yin, thank you so much for sharing your templates. What an awesome idea! Our son, in fact our only child, is turning 21 this summer. He lives 35 miles from us, so we still see him fairly frequently. I am planning some kind of "21 Things We Love About You" for his birthday...I think I might try using your two templates instead of making a mini-book. I appreciate you sharing your time, talent and love for God.

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    1. Oh that is a beautiful idea, Heather, I shall keep that in mind.. so glad these templates may be useful for his birthday layout, awesome!

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  5. Merci. Kokhine

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  6. Yin, thank you for sharing your heart and your talent. I loved watching the 30 second video, wow, that was cool. I so admire all the things you have done and do with your boys, such great ideas. I am empty nest now and it stumped me for a while with scrapping, even with my purpose in life. But slowly i have come around and realized i do have purpose and more to life than just my kids. That whole relationship has evolved, as you are seeing, into a wonderful, adult friendship that is amazing! And believe it or not there will still be times as adults when they will say "mommy, mommy help me" in their own way. You have trained them and taught them well in life and in the things of the Lord. They are in the capable hands of God. Now is the fun, and sometimes hard part, watching them come into their own in who they are and who God created them to be. And a time of new growth for you as parents and husband/wife! One thing i have now found pleasure in is learning more about photography, that has filled the gap of taking photos of my kids (though i wish i would have had some of these skills for my earlier pictures!). Bless you my sister in Christ! Can't wait to see where God takes you ALL next. Just be ready, the change God brought to us was moving us out of pastoring a church 16 years to uprooting, moving 6 hours away from family to do church planting at 52 years old!!

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    1. As always, I really appreciate your understanding, encouragement and words of wisdom! Will treasure all your words! It's so wonderful to hear from you as someone who has gone before me and knows how it is like and show that it is going to be alright :) Wow, God really called you to a whole new adventure, and you must be so blessed as you obeyed, to step so much out of the comfort zone! Your life is so inspiring and gives me much to look forward to. Thank you!

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  7. Yin, I always have to visit your blog because I love how talented, faithful, and inspiring you are. I used one of your layouts for my cover photo on Facebook and would love for you to see it. Jackie Koskiniemi

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    1. Hi Jackie, that's lovely to know! And I found your FB cover photo - what beautiful pictures! And way cool how your photo angles itself over the edge of the tabs area :)

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  8. Wow. I haven't scrapped in about a year and a half and I'm wanting to start another book... it is awesome to see so many of my layouts in those Pinterest galleries! That is really motivating!

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    1. Christie, your layouts are fantastic - that's why :) Great to see more!

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  9. I really needed your post today. I'm struggling with letting go on my sweet 18 year old son...he is such a good boy, a follower of Christ, a real sweetheart...and it's so hard letting him go to make his own choices, make his own mistakes...I'm trusting God hourly that he continues to make Jesus the center of his life.

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    1. Thank you for sharing, I so need encouragement on this journey too, praying with you that our boys will keep following Jesus even as they figure out life for themselves!

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  10. I want to thank you again for all of the wonderful templates. You have helped me preserve so many of my family's memories. Thank you thank you thank you! I'm not really on Pinterest but would like to share some of my layouts with you. Are you on Facebook? I am "Melissa Hurst Kier"

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    1. Thanks Melissa for that message - I'm so glad! I will go check out your layouts, I have a FB account that I never use :)

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  11. AnonymousJune 22, 2014

    Hey Yin :-)
    I want to ask you, if it would be ok to show your LO "Mission Houses Museum" in a german Forum in a Scrapliftthread. Your Page is the Inspiration and i lifted it. The next girl is lifting my LO, etc... you know?
    Of course i would give you credits and link your blog!!
    Greets from Vienna, Sabine

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    1. Yes Sabine, it is ok! Thanks for checking. It sounds fun, do link me to the thread to see the layouts! Thanks!

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