Our Glacier Park Trip

Just got back last week from a week-long trip to Glacier National Park and Kalispell, Montana (where we got to visit my brother and sis-in-law). This time we spent our time in the East part of Glacier Park (Pete and I had both been to West Glacier). We stayed at a KOA (Kampground of America) at St. Mary. It was a very long ride (especially towing our trailer)---15 hours...but well worth it. Glacier is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful places we've ever seen. We had so much fun...even Loretta got to come with us (we love our dog!). 

Here are some photo highlights:

Here's the KOA in St. Mary we stayed at--very nice facilities (Ellie loved the pool and hot tub!) and just look at that view! And yes...we're loving our vintage Airstream trailer!

There was a nice little river right by the campground and this was Loretta's favorite part. She loves the water! There was this cute little island area that Ellie decided she wanted to surround with rocks (Loretta provided about half the rocks around the island with her mad rock-fetching skills!)

We made this peace sign out of the pretty red and green river rocks as our island decor.

Some of the beautiful scenery from the drive up to Logan Pass on "Going to the Sun" Road. Absolutely amazing---God is such an awesome Creator!

 This bear grass is so cool!

 Wow! And it's even more beautiful in person!

On our first full day there we went up to the lodge at Logan Pass. We made the trek up to the snow on top. These beautiful yellow wildflowers on the walk up were a perfect backdrop to the snowy mountains (so amazing that there was snow there when it was 70 degrees out and everyone was in shorts!)

Just check out all that snow on top!

This was the view from the top after walking up the mountain (from the lodge) to the snowy area on top:

A cool view of the Canadian and American flags (to symbolize Waterton-Glacier Peace Park) at Logan Pass lodge.

 One of the cool "Red Jammer" tour buses up at Logan Pass Lodge. We didn't do this (it's kinda expensive--but it sure looked like a fun way to see the park (the top roof is open so people can stand up to see the scenery)).

On our second day, we went to Many Glacier and did a Nature Walk with a forest ranger. Really fun and informative.  This was a waterfall (Wilbur Falls) along the way.

Some Indian Paintbrush flowers we saw on the walk.

A beautiful white-tail doe we saw at the end of our walk (the deer in Glacier are apparently used to humans because she was not scared of us at all!).

Ellie sitting on one of the funky trees (they are bent like this as a result of snow bending them early in their more flexible growth years)....pretty cool!

Our family with our tour guide--Ranger Bob (neat guy--full of information!).

This was us at Ashley Lake (one of the most beautiful, clear lakes I've ever seen) during our weekend spent with my brother Cory and sis-in-law Bridget...they took us out on their pontoon boat for some R&R....it was awesome!

It was such a fabulous trip. I'll be scrapbooking a layout with some of these photos in the next couple days...so stay tuned:). 

A Sketch Challenge Layout

This month over at Scrapping Everyday Miracles blog, I was responsible for the Sketch Challenge. This is the sketch I used (from Pagemaps)

And this is layout I came up with.

I had just printed out a bunch of cute photos from our recent (as in last weekend) church camping trip and so I decided I would use them and change the birds to fish. 

Blue background paper (Authentique)

Wave paper (Flair Designs)

Fish embellishments (K & Company)

Yellow journaling tag (K & Company)

Yellow alphas (Thickers from American Crafts)

Altered Photo Canvas

I was the featured Guest Designer yesterday on the Craft Warehouse blog. I did a tutorial on how to make this pretty photo canvas. Check it out here....Cara's Canvas Tutorial

Thanks for looking!:)

My Final Craft Warehouse Project

So sad that my term is ending on the Craft Warehouse Design Team. It has been an awesome year and such a great opportunity! Here are photos of my final projects:

Even though this Altered Canvas was probably the biggest challenge for me, I'm probably most happy with this one. I turned the black clothespin into a dragonfly and used it as my "i". We got to use some fun burlap and canvas pieces from Canvas Corp. And I really loved using the Tim Holtz Kraft Resist paper to stamp my letters on!

 For this layout, I used the 4th of July kit from Echo Park. 

 For this layout I used a Disney theme kit from EK Success, washi tape from Queen & Coi. and baker's twine from We R Memory Keepers. Oh...and if you're thinking "those don't look like your kids"...you're right! (a huge THANKS to fellow Design Team member Mendi Yoshikawa for letting me use a photo of her cute daughters with Minnie for this assignment!).

Our Maiden Voyage

A few months ago we bought a vintage (1957) Airstream trailer. Pete's in love...I'm in "like" (because it means I can go camping without sleeping in a tent...but I'm not entirely sure I really like camping that much to begin with;)). So last weekend we set off on our maiden voyage with fellow Airstream Club members (yep, we joined a club already...leave it to Pete to find a club and join it:)).

We set off for Jordan Valley, Oregon on Friday, June 22nd and got back Monday, June 24th. All the other "campers" from the club were living in luxury in their late-model Airstreams...but us? Not so much! With plumbing problems, heat galore and a ton of mosquitoes...our first trip was not entirely what I had envisioned...but the fun (mostly retirees in the "later" stages of life:)) and super friendly and welcoming other members of the WBCCI-Idaho Unit (the fancy name for the Idaho Airstream Club) made it pretty fun despite all those other issues.

Here are some photo highlights from our maiden voyage:

Our new addition...

Ellie (and her incredibly dirty feet) enjoying her new bedroom:)

A cute photo from the campsite

Ellie, Pete and "Punky" Monkey (who also enjoyed the camping trip)

Joe! (the pampered pet of one of the club members---there were lots of dogs, big and small...nice to know the club rallies are dog friendly (Yay for Loretta!)

On Saturday, we headed on a long and bumpy ride (20 miles in about an hour) to Silver City (an old mining town) with the club (this was our first excursion).

The Silver City school house (under renovation)

View from Silver City

Me and Ellie posing...

Ellie and 4 of her new "grandmas" from the Airstream club:)

The beautifully renovated Silver City Catholic Church

Another photo op for me and Ellie at the Hotel in Silver City (only place to eat--and really good food for a place with no electricity:))

On Sunday we all enjoyed rides in Mike Hanley's (the Jordan Valley resident historian) restored stage coaches---pretty awesome!

Pete and Ellie enjoying being "on the top bunk" for a stagecoach ride

Ellie also got to enjoy a ride on one of Mike's horses...she loved it!

The view of our club campsite from Mike Hanley's ranch...we camped on his property

The campsite or the "rally site" (in club speak)...ours would be the small one:)

The official Goedeking family photo for the Airstream Club handbook;)...taken after we got back from camping and had all finally showered (whew!)

A Beautiful (Thing) Layout

I just recently made this layout for the latest Scrapping Everyday Miracles challenge...called "Created Beauty" (finding beauty in God's creation). I truly feel like one of the most beautiful things God has created (and modeled for us) is wonderful relationships...and the one between Pete and Ellie totally amazes and inspires me!

I scrap-lifted this layout from one of my favorite magazines ...Scrapbooks Etc.--now, sadly, out of publication:(, but made it my own for this special challenge. 

Woodgrain paper-My Mind's Eye

Green paper-Bazzill Basics

Alpha Rub-Ons and Alpha Stickers-Heidi Grace Designs

Heart punch-Stampin' Up!