Capturing our Summer with Digital Scrapbooking

It has definitely been awhile since I've shared a digital scrapbooking post. A fun little hobby of mine is capturing our memories by putting photos together on my laptop with digital scrapbooking. You can read about the way I do it later in this post ...

But since it's been awhile (my last post about this was in April), I'll catch up by sharing one page from each month since then.

From the month of May: some photos from our oldest granddaughter's wedding in Texas ... a beautiful day!

From the month of June: memories of a special three-day visit with our youngest granddaughter here!

From the month of July: a wonderful visit with family home from Texas, and celebrating a special birthday!

From the month of August: an end-of-summer treat -  a very fun day with family on a nearby lake!

And now, we are heading into September in a few days! It was great to have some time during our vacation week this summer to catch up with a lot of pages. Always a joy for me when I can work with photos, capturing memories.

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Note: Most of the page templates and digital products that I use are purchased from Digital Project Life. About seven years ago I switched from paper scrapbooking, and took some online lessons from Digital Scrapper to learn how to digital scrapbook using Photoshop Elements. (You can also click here for some great tutorials on the Digital Project Life website - maybe a quicker way to learn than the site that I used six years ago.) Also, besides being able to share my completed pages online, I also print them out at home in 8x8 inch size to fit in the albums that I purchase from Michael's.

On My Heart: Never Stop

Always,

every day, all

through the year.

Letting our roots grow down deep

into Him - reading His Words,

quieting our hearts, listening ...

soaking up every word, every thought

that comes from Him.

Remaining in, abiding in,

sharing all with Him.

Never stopping to pour out

our hearts to Him ...

"Never stop praying";

a continual, constant

relationship - what He came for,

what He died for; the greatest

of all relationships - a gift.

All year long, every day -

letting our roots grow down deep;

never stopping.

"Stand firm and secure.

Live your lives with unshakeable

confidence. We know that we

prosper and excel in every season

by serving the Lord, because we

are assured that our union

with the Lord makes our labor

productive with fruit that endures."

(I Cor. 15:58 The Passion)

"How do we remain steadfast?

Certainly, not by our own might or strategy.

Our only hope is to anchor ourselves

to the steadfastness of God,

who calls us to abide in Him."

(Ruth Chou Simons)

(Thoughts from my heart and my journal, overwhelmed with gratitude for relationship. Renewing my heart to the continual, constant listening and letting my roots grow down, to the "never stop praying" - what it means, what it is: the greatest privilege of being in relationship with Him.)

And the photo above: 

taken in 2016 while in the beautiful seaside town of Carmel by the Sea, California. 

A Few Summer Recipes

A few more recipes to add to my collection here at home, and also to my Family Favorites collection here! I've tried out all three of these recipes in the past month, and definitely want to keep them in my collection.

This macaroni salad recipe made quite a bit - for just the two of us! But I found out that it kept well in the refrigerator. I also added a variety with some of the servings for the two of us ... adding cubed cucumbers and tomatoes, or even sliced kielbasa. Any way we had it was delicious!

Click on the "source" link below the

photo to print ...

The Best Macaroni Salad

Source: thestayathomechef.com

Course: Salads

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Total Time: 20 min

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1 pound elbow noodles
• 4 ounces cheddar cheese cubed or shredded
• ¹⁄₂ red onion minced
• 4 ribs celery diced
• 1 red bell pepper minced
• 1 cup frozen peas thawed
• ¹⁄₂ cup mayonnaise
• ¹⁄₄ cup cider vinegar
• ¹⁄₄ cup minced fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook elbow noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water until pasta is cooled. Drain well.
2. In a large mixing bowl, toss together cooked noodles with cheese, onion, celery, bell pepper, and peas.
3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, cider vinegar, dill, sugar, relish, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
4. Pour sauce over pasta and toss until everything is well coated. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour before serving.

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Two more new recipes that I tried out in the past month used zucchini as one of the ingredients. These two recipes were a perfect way to use some of the zucchini that one of our daughters gave us on a visit the middle of July! (Thank you, Carrie!)

I made two loaves of each ... some to eat, and some for the freezer for another day. And we loved both of these recipes.

Click on the "source" link below the

photo to print ...

Parmesan Zucchini Bread

Source: tasteofhome.com

Course: Breads/Rolls

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 1 hr

Total Time: 1 hr 10 min

Yield: 1 loaf (16 slices).

Serves: 16

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon baking powder
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• ¹⁄₃ cup sugar
• ¹⁄₃ cup butter melted
• 1 cup shredded peeled zucchini
• 1 tablespoon grated onion

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cheese, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
2. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, sugar and butter.
3. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in zucchini and onion.,
4. Pour into a greased and floured 9x5-in. loaf pan.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

Amount Per Serving (16)

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Click on the "source" link below the

photo to print ...

Banana-Zucchini Bread

Source: tasteofhome.com

Course: Breads/Rolls

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 50 min

Total Time: 1 hr 10 min

Yield: 2 loaves.

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 medium ripe bananas mashed (about 1 cup)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-¹⁄₂ teaspoons baking powder
• 1-¹⁄₂ teaspoons baking soda
• 1-¹⁄₂ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1-¹⁄₂ cups shredded unpeeled zucchini
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

1. In a bowl, beat eggs. Blend in sugar and oil.
2. Add bananas and mix well.
3. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; stir into egg mixture.
4. Stir in zucchini and pecans just until combined.
5. Pour into two greased 9x5-in. loaf pans.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Cool for 10 minutes.
8. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

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Near the End of Summer and the Start of a New School Year: Stand Firm

Our focus

at the start of a new season,

a new school year,

or wherever we find ourselves ...

Stand firm. Let nothing move you.

Always give yourselves fully

to the work of the Lord,

because you know that your labor

in the Lord is not in vain.

(I Cor. 15:58)

Our focus is not the fruit;

our focus is the standing,

in the depending on God alone.

In the depending solely, completely

on Him to produce the fruit;

on giving ourselves fully to

whatever He places in front of us.

"We stand firm because our identity is secure: we keep standing because the outcome and fruit are His alone to produce. ... Keep standing, keep serving, keep working diligently unto the Lord." (Ruth Chou Simons)

Yes, I am the Vine; 

you are the branches.

Those who remain in Me,

and I in them,

will produce much fruit.

For apart from Me,

you can do nothing.

(John 15:5)

(Sharing thoughts from my journal at the start of a new school year of ministry with Cru, serving and loving middle and high school students, introducing them to the greatest love they can ever know ... to Jesus. The fruit comes from God alone as we live and work in Him ... no matter what God has called you or me to do.)

Photo above: taken of a page of the beautiful and inspiring Gracelaced book by Ruth Chou Simons.

Welcome August!

What will this new month bring?

For me, for you?

A new school year, a new job ...

new opportunities, new challenges?

Even at the season of life we are in -

empty nest, grown children,

and ten grandkids ... 

our lives revolve around the school year ...

with our family, and also with Cru -

loving and serving students.

Whatever our season,

whatever our life looks like today ...

these words are true.

Grabbing my heart this morning -

an invitation to bring every part 

of this new month of August

to the One who longs to be with us,

the One who gives peace to

guard our hearts and our minds.

Today, and each day ...

Photos: from an amazing and beautiful book, Gracelaced.