The first of many...

This summer has been a whirlwind. Several trips, a hospital stay, and learning to live with Elijah's diabetes have made for a very draining and uncreative season in my life. My scrapping has been limited, sometimes forced, and not what I wanted it to be at all.

Last week we went to Missouri to visit my folks and then spend a few days at Silver Dollar City in Branson. It was the first trip to Branson we have taken without planning to camp. It was our first vacation experience in a motel instead of a camper or tent. We have to have two rooms, you see, and we thought the cost would be prohibitive, plus we didn't like the idea of having a room without an adult.

But Naomi is 17 now, and very responsible.That, added to the fact that we sold our camper this summer and have no plans to buy another one, made us a little more comfortable with the idea of trying the whole motel thing. It worked great. Four people to a room, two TVs, free WiFi, adjoining rooms, all combined for a restful trip. A bonus was that since I no longer had the means to cook we got to eat out every night (woohoo!)

We had two days at Silver Dollar City with cool temps which made wandering around and going on rides much nicer than the 100 degree temperatures earlier this summer. Plus, since most kids were in school, there were virtually no lines for any of the rides. The show lines were still longish, but I know when to get there to get good seats and don't mind the waiting in line for a good musical.

This time the Harvest Festival was in full swing so we got to see lots of craftspeople making their wares. Theodore found someone making the moccasins he has been looking for and scooped up a pair. We watched coopers, and woodworkers, glass blowers, weavers and basketmakers. Fall Decor was everywhere and I got lots of photos of everyone. Now if only I can get the time and inspiration to scrap them we will be in business.

Which brings us to the title of this post. Yesterday Phrona had a two hour dentist appointment in Jackson, so I took my laptop and had some uninterrupted scrap time. With a few tweaks once we got home I managed to actually finish a layout. Hopefully it will be the first of many.