All is lost...or is it?

Anyone have experience with data recovery companies?

Our desktop died about a month ago. I found a place certified to do Apple repair (thanks for the info, Chick!) and took it in last week. Hard drive is dead, kaput, totally gone. And they were unable to recover any data. All 4,500+ pictures in iPhoto. All my kids' iTune downloads, all the Photoshop actions I have purchased, all the fonts I have either purchased or downloaded....all gone.

Had a good cry over it, especially my photos. Most had been printed out. But the last 3-4 months had not. Dad's wedding. Mason's 3rd birthday. Stuff that is irreplaceable!

The computer shop gave me a brochure about a data recovery company that has great success with dead hard drives. Their services START at $500. Holy cow! I'm sure I'll eventually decide it is worth it.

Get a back-up system in place. NOW. Get two back-up systems in place. I was working on it with a new external hard drive, but had only just started. Hard lesson to learn...

New layouts

but an old photo on one and really, really old product on the other (Mrs. G stickers!)

For today...

Outside my window... heat, heat and more heat. No relief in sight this week.

I am thinking... that after all the birthday prep this past week and weekend, I feel the need to head to my scraproom for some creative time.

From the learning rooms... doing a lot of pondering on the talk cousin Lisa gave in church yesterday. Very insightful and thought-provoking.

I am thankful for... a house full of family over the weekend, including a surprise visit by Uncle John, Aunt Katie, Hailey and Colton.

From the kitchen... watermelon, cherries, canteloupe, just-picked blackberries and raspberries and tomatoes from Dad's house. I love summer food!!

I am wearing...my robe. Haven't managed to find clothes I want to wear yet.

I am reading... "Inkspell" by Cornelia Funke. It's fun to share books with my kids!

I am hoping... to find a tent that will fit our family.

I am creating... some great photos out of my camera lately. Now to carve out some time to scrap them...

I am praying... that the recovery company can get some of the data off our defunct hard drive, mainly the 4000+ pictures in iPhoto.

Around the house... balloons and streamers and leftover birthday cake.

One of my favorite things... mint body wash. A fabulous way to wake up!

A few plans for the rest of the week... driving to Spokane tomorrow to pick up McKelle from the airport and heading to Montana on Thursday for the Stott family reunion at Holland Lake!

Friday fill-ins #133

1. Fresh artisan bread from Costco and cold cuts/cheese make a quick and easy dinner.

2. "Inkspell" is the book I'm reading right now.

3. July brings back memories of family reunions at Holland Lake. We're finally going again this year!!

4. That Harry Potter #6 would be brilliant was obvious.

5. They say if you tell your dreams people might think you're loony. I had a doozy last night - Michael and I getting married, but me dressed in orangey-yellow to match his blue and yellow tux. All sorts of crazy followed that!!

6. Taking time to think it over is something I do almost too well. I'm definitely an over-thinker.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to baking cakes, tomorrow my plans include a triple birthday party for Max (5), Matthew (16) and my sister Giana (35) and Sunday, I want to watch proudly as my oldest is made a priest!

Something new for Monday...

For Today...(inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook)

Outside my window... the aftermath of a good rainstorm, complete with thunder and lightning. Much appreciated after all the 90 degree plus days.

I am thinking... about all I need to get done before my sister arrives tonight from Utah.

From the learning rooms... reading several books on photography and photoshop.

I am thankful for... a clean fridge!

From the kitchen... almost nothing! I've been too busy for grocery shopping. On my list to do today. I did make a yummy cheesecake last night and there is a small slice of leftovers....unless one of the boys found it.

I am wearing... jeans and a navy blue t-shirt, no shoes.

I am reading... just finished "The Other Boleyn Girl", "The Boleyn Inheritance" and "Kathryn." Yes, I was reading them all at once. I picked up "Inkspell" this morning. Should reread HP#6 before I see the movie tomorrow night.

I am hoping... for one particular child to realize that laziness will never equal happiness.

I am creating... lots of scrapbook pages with my Studio Calico, Jenni Bowlin and Scarlet Lime kits!

I am praying... for my brother and his family.

Around the house... slightly messy after boys came home from rafting. Waiting for my cleaning angels to arrive this morning.

One of my favorite things... my little room piled with elements of creation and design.

A few plans for the rest of the week... hugging my daughter after she arrives home from her trip to Utah, hosting my sister for a night, meeting my niece Samantha for the first time!! planning a triple birthday party for the family - Max was 5 Friday, Giana will be 30-something on Friday and my oldest will be 16 on Saturday!!

Max is 5!!

He woke up this morning and asked if it was time for school!

Time flies. I can't believe my sweet, mellow boy is old enough for kindergarten. We'll be celebrating next week when all the kids get home and the "orange cousins" arrive from Utah.

More layouts to share...

What I've been up to...

Wordless Wednesday

Aaaaargh!! Apple equivalent of Blue Screen of Death??

Our desk top iMac is not working. For the last couple of days, there have been strange clicking noises when I started it up, but then it seemed to run fine. Yesterday, I got what I think might be the Mac equivalent of the PC Blue Screen of Death. White screen, little file folder icon blinking in the middle with a big ol' question mark. Won't do anything else. Just sits there, blinking at me.

Just uploaded hundreds of photos (and deleted them off my camera card) including Dad's wedding, Trev's birthday, the boys playing outside in their new sprinkler. I have close to 4,000 photos on iPhoto and I just started putting them on an external hard drive last week. Didn't get very far since we had visitors this week.

I'm going to cry!! The nearest Apple store is in Portland...or Seattle. The darn thing is less than three years old and we have never, ever had any problems with it. Waaaaah!!

Manic Monday meme #170

If you joined the circus, what act would you most want to perform?

I've always love the motion of a swing and heights don't bother me in the least, so flying high on the trapeze would be my choice.

Would you generally be overdressed or underdressed at a party?

I did wear a skirt last week to a church function where everyone else was dressed in pants, so if I had to choose one, I'd probably say overdressed. I'm pretty careful to dress appropriately.

Do you feel that children should be sheltered from unhappiness?

Absolutely not. Learning to deal with sorrow, life's troubles, trials and tribulations is an essential part of our existence. Making our way through the hard times molds character and creates a person of fortitude and strength.

Friday Fill-Ins #127

And...here we go!

1. I'd really like to make a decision about our home. Are we going to buy it? Are we not? I have plans, so many plans if we do. I have bags of fabric and other fun stuff just sitting in my sewing area, waiting for us to decide if we really want THIS house as our home.

2. My favorite thing for dinner lately has been salad, salad and more salad. It has been too hot to cook. Love a good salad on a hot day.

3. The neighbor's dog says bark! bark! bark! And then uses our yard as his personal potty. Darn dog!

4. A nice long walk with Michael is often just what I need. We can talk, we can be silent. All is comfortable when we walk.

5. My little sister told me some some good news. They're having a boy!! Congrats Giana and AJ!

6. When all is said and done, relationships are all that matter. How you treat people, how you interact with those around you. And sometimes relationships are really, really hard, but almost always worth the effort you put into them.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to seeing my in-laws and doing something for Granny's birthday, tomorrow my plans include hanging out with Granny and Boppy and Sunday, I want to spend a little time at my scrap table, but it probably won't happen because I have meetings all morning.

Mid-week creative

I had a wee bit of time to play yesterday between loads of laundry. And yes, you've seen those Easter pictures of Max before, but I can't seem to get enough of them! Thanks for looking.

Wordless Wednesday

Manic Monday meme #169

Imagine you're packing a picnic lunch. What would be in your basket?

A toasted BLT. Strawberries. Sliced red and yellow peppers. Multigrain Tortilla Chips with Jalepeno Artichoke Dip from Costco. And mini-cheesecakes for dessert, of course!

If your life were a weather vane, which direction would it be pointing right now?

I'm pretty sure my vane is spinning!

Too much drama. Drama for my daughter and all her teenage friends. Drama (and heartache) on the extended family front. Drama...or at least a bit of chaos in my church calling. Drama on the housing front (do we really love this house? Do we like it enough to spend $$$$$ buying it?) I'd like my weather vane to point to a nice vacation, lol!

What's something that people do in traffic that really annoys you?

Tailgate. Drive 25 in a 40 zone. Drive 40 in a 20 zone. Apply make-up. Fiddle with the radio (or whatever) so that the light turning green is not noticed. And, BTW, have turn signals gone out of style???

Driving is one thing that gets my blood boiling more than almost anything else.

Almost-the-weekend Creative

Friday Fill-Ins #126

And...here we go!

1. It's cold and creamy and absolutely luscious to the taste. Icecream!! I'm definitely my father's daughter...I LOVE icecream!

2. Mmmmm! Fresh from the garden tomatoes. I'll have to steal some from Dad's garden this year...we didn't plant anything as we don't own the house and there is no place for a garden...unless we tear up some lawn.

3. My favorite health and beauty product is my new BE makeup and the shampoo/conditioner I buy from Heather's salon. BE is awesome - so fast, simple and great coverage without looking heavy. And my conditioner? Smells divine! Love that peppermint scent to help me wake up in the morning.

4. Going to Utah would be a nice long ride. I need to make plans to get down there. Soon!

5. Well, first of all I need about 24 more hours in my day. I would love to be able to turn everybody else off for awhile so I could run around getting stuff done!

6. Max and Mason, Kobe and Ely, Macy, Parker, Jackson and Samantha; those were the cast of characters in a recent dream and it was wild and crazy get-together of all the little Stott cousins!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to spending the day at Dad's helping him clean out some rooms and a BBQ at our friends the Taylors' home, tomorrow my plans include heading over to the Tri-Cities again to celebrate Macy's 5th birthday and Sunday, I want to finish the book I've been reading!

Wordless Wednesday

Park + Water = pure joy for boys

We chaperoned a little outing for the Swinging Singers today, a group that Micah and Mitchell have participated in since the beginning of the semester. Their music teacher is out of this world! I wish I could just keep her as the kids move up and on. Micah has also played in her audition-only Rockin' Rhythms and I am ready to cry at the thought that he can't be part of it as he moves on to junior high. I am, unfortunately, not particularly impressed with the band teacher there...

A few pictures from our adventures today...

Friday Fill-Ins #125

And...here we go!

1. Moving is a great way to get rid of all the extra "stuff" that encroaches on our lives. Not sure if I want to do it again so soon, but we have been looking at options besides the house we're renting now. We'll see. I was absolutely appalled when our little city voted down a bond to help the three public schools located here. The elementary school is a health hazard and I'm worried for Max starting kindergarten there in the fall. We could move into Walla Walla and have a few more options...

2. The current government really scares me and I think Americans are going to find they are a lot less free. The more the government intervenes in our daily lives, businesses, etc., the less freedom we enjoy.

3. My best quality is my nurturing nature. I was born to be a mom!

4. The difference between a good scrapbook page and a great one is in the details.

5. In nearly 10 years, we have lived on both coasts...and a couple places in the middle. I have attended 5 graduations for my husband. We have accumulated more school debt than a lot of people spend on their houses. I have moved away from countless friends and neighbors too many times. I have "settled" in a city close to home, but wonder sometimes if it is the right place for us. I have been sad, lonely, excited, nervous, devastated...but mostly happy and full of joy.

6. A little kick in the pants is what I need right now! Weight loss is stalled and I'm not very motivated to do much about it.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a trip to the temple with Michael, tomorrow my plans include lots of prep work for the Stake dance our ward is hosting and Sunday, I want to relax a bit since I finally have an advisor for my Laurel class!