The last day this time around. More than 3000 layouts have been posted in the Load gallery. With the 2588 layouts posted in the Load February group – there are almost 6000 new layouts around the world thanks to Lain Ehmann. Tomorrow there will be no e-mail from Lain – giving me something to ponder during my day, and thank God there is no layout to do. I really hope Lain decide to keep giving these prompts in her blog. I would love that.

For the last day I made a double digital layout. It is 5 min. to midnight and I`m to lacy to get these stiched together so here they are…

Day 30 – Load May 09, originally uploaded by elinjanne.

Oh, he wanted it so much, but his big sister did not budge. Let`s just say that meeting strong women at an early age can be a good thing because he is going to meet a lot of them out there.

Template given to us by Cathy Zielske; Everyone can write a little, Big Picuture Scrapbooking.

Day 29 – Load May 09, originally uploaded by elinjanne.

Once again Norway is moving towards a long weekend with traffic-jam and a state of hysteria. That`s the month of May in Norway. I was totally beat when I came home from work today. Sat down in a chair looking into the air unable to do anything. I finally dragged myself to the bed for a one hour nap. Napping did not do me any good, but it enabled me to make today’s layout for Load. I am not giving up three days before the end. Now I better get my five hours of sleep before going back to work.

This evening I had one of those moments of inspiration. Not for the layout design but for the story this layout could tell. Those three siblings and the years between…but, that is not my story to tell.

It is day 27 in the Load challenge and I`m still hanging in there. I love Lain Ehmann`s Load challenge. Committing to make a layout every day for a month seems like a crazy thing to do, and to be honest I have no idea why I sign up to do this. But I cannot stop my self from doing so. The month of May is the worst time ever to do this and yet I am almost at the finish line. That makes me feel good. Finishing is a good thing, whatever you finish.

About finishing. I had to sign up for Aby Garvey`s free workshop; I don`t know where to start… at Simplify 101. It is a workshop meant to give you a taste of Aby`s other workshop. This free taste is all about decluttering your home. I am good at decluttering when inspired, and I`m even better with deadlines.

There isn`t much storage space in my home. So I am asking my self why I would buy and storage this thing?

Five years – and I have never used this – and I had no knowledge that I owned it.

Day 26 – Load May 09, originally uploaded by elinjanne.

The birdie; seen at the Atlantic Road last Sunday.

I was so close to not making it today. For the first time during May it was really hard to come up with anything to post for the Load challenge. But, I made it, kind of…

How do I feel about that? I am a little hurt. I am a little pissed. And I know someone who is walking very close to the edge of my last will and testament. That`s okay – someone prefer the life on the edge.

edit; Thanks. You are back on the list.

It`s a cutie!

What else? The Library of Memories class is coming to an end. These last weeks we are supposed to work from our categories. The system is new to me, but I feel that I already have covered the different categories and I know how to work the connections you find along the way.So I am not inspired to work with this right now. I know this is an ongoing process and I`m up to date with my photos. Still have some work to do prior to the digital camera, but I will use the time I need to do that properly.

I am still following Kolette and Jason Hall`s yearlong class; A life Well Crafted. Kolette and Jason have a lot of wisdom to share, but right now I do find it hard to adopt Kolettes projects. For some reason I find it difficult to translate the words to Norwegian. The words and sentiments  that sounds so good in English is just awful in Norwegian. At least  in these parts of Norway. ( We hardly talk Norwegian)

I can see the end of the Load challenge. It`s always hard to hang in there at the end. Suddenly there are no photo`s, even if I got 600 new ones in the mail yesterday. There are no untold stories, even if there are hundreds of them. No paper, no sketches, no embellish, no ideas…. You just got a feeling of burned out at the end. The sad thing is to leave this wonderful group of girls. I have never found a community like this on-line before. They are just great.

Day 23 -Load May 09

Now my sister in law and I have one more thing in common- we are both “super-aunts” – or great aunts, but that sounds really old….

…but who needs a baby brother when you can have new toys…

Okay, this might be a challenge for a two year old – on the other hand maybe he needs a challenge right now.

I finished my Load page numero 18 in the early morning hours. Inspired by yesterdays celebrations I found a photo of Jan taken May 17 1981. Two weeks ago his mother went upstairs looking for the “bunad” he was having on that day. She had it safely put  away in a little suitcase for keep saving. She was not happy when she came downstairs. Someone had been looking for something and left it a heap. I bet that was Jan`s doing. So Kristian could not wear his dad`s “bunad”. He got a brand new one. Thanks to Stacy Julian`s LOM I new where I had the photo and could use the connection in my page today.

Looking at the cute boy in the bottom corner I can see that he wears the “pin” I was given as a baby girl. I cannot remember if it was given to me at my christening or later, but anyway that means it is going on 50 years.

I`m on vacation. Not going anywhere. The only reason I have vacation now is because I must. To be able to do five weeks of vacation this year I have to start sometime. Bottom line – maybe this is a good time for vacation because I went for a little nap at 2 and slept until 7…

…and that is kind of a weird feeling when there is a new class starting at BPS. A new class usually gets the inspiration flowing.  I feel totally paralyzed. That feeling might be connected with the fact that I have to start doing some housework. I should have started 4 hours ago and I`m still in my chair in front of the computer. So – what can I accomplish in the 4 hours I have before I have to go into work? If I start now I could clean myself, the bathroom, the kitchen and the hall. Okay, let`s see what I can do.

Even without inspiration the Load-page had to be done. No way am I skipping that. As a family most of our thoughts are about the new baby – soon to be born. And as a scrapbooker I try to observe how the younger siblings are handling this. At 4 and 2, they know there will be a little brother – but how do they react to the fact that their mom will be away for one week, two weeks, three weeks….And how do mom handle to be away from them for so long while waiting for the baby to be born.  So – this page is just some thoughts about trying to communicate this little scenario.

Now – let`s see what I can do in the cleaning department…

…and I can see that it is May outside. I cannot remember early May being so green – ever.  But this last week have been wet and cold. We have been promised nice weather for the rest of the week and that is good with the celebration of May 17 coming up.

The toddlers are doing okay the first day without their mother. (But who knows what happens about now – at bedtime)

Well, you have to do something between Kindergarten and bedtime…and playing the “music” is a safe bet…

I have made my layout of the day -

Day 13 - Load May 09

Sometimes this child surprise me. She can count to ten in English. I`m not sure I could count at all at four, and I bet my mother was busy teaching me to be still instead of counting.  Kindergarten is a great place for learning. Beside being smart – she is a funny girl…

The mother soon to be – again stopped at the hospital today and was allowed to stay with her father until birth. He live close to St.Olav and I think Linda will enjoy staying with her father and his family for awhile. It will be good for her to have some ”me-time”  before birth.