School, and National Monument

LOL I don't know what came over me today! I did a layout of my brother and I's first day of school one year, then when I was looking for pictures that I had several of, so I could use the cool stamp sheet in this new kit of Lara's. I saw the pictures I took when we took my niece to the Homestead national monument and thought that would work, and I could do a double page with them....hmmmm 4 pages later, I may be done! LOL Wow, That means I have 5 pages to share...AND they are all from the same kit!! Yikes! LOL I will put them all separate here, so you can see them better, but in the galleries, they will be double pages, so I only have 3 to upload! My camera wasn't working its best, that day at the monument, so the pictures are almost blurry sometimes, especially Kali, in front of the quilt.

Kit Credit for ALL LAYOUTS: Classroom Memories Kit and Add on by Lara Payton

The first picture is of course my brother and I on our first day of school, not sure of the year but it had to be around 1980, give or take a year or two. Journaling reads: While I never really liked school all that much, I always loved the first day of school. We would get up in the morning all excited, put on our first day of school clothes, which usually were new, and eat breakfast which Mom made for us, then grab all those new school supplies, notebooks, pencils, ruler, etc, and head down the drive to meet the bus. Sometimes Mom would make us wait just outside the door while she took our picture, I never minded the pictures though.
The next two layouts are the cabin at Homestead National Monument. It also has my niece and DH standing in front of it. I so love the books that Lara Makes for her kits, they are so perfect for journaling, and putting pictures in, or like in this case making a picture look like a drawing. Journaling Reads: On Jan. 1, 1863 Daniel Freeman woke up the land office employee in the middle of the night, in what is now Beatrice Nebraska. He wanted to get his claim in for his homestead, and that is the first day you could make a claim. His claim is stamped 12:01 AM Jan. 1, 1863, and has been declared the first homestead in the United States.

When Kali was visiting us this year, we took her to visit it one day, and saw the cabin, (which isn't HIS actual cabin) and a large display of quilts, and old tools. It was an interesting day!
The Last two layouts show some of the quilts they had on display. I don't know if they are always there or are just a traveling display. They said who they belonged to, but I have forgotten now. They were all really pretty! Journaling Reads: We were told that these quilts (here and on the preceding page) were actually from the late 1800's and some were early 1900's. They were in really good shape, and man I would love to have some of them!! LOL They said we couldn't use the flash on our
camera, so the pictures aren’t as good as they could have been, but aren’t all that bad, except it looks like my camera was having a bad focusing day.

I don't know why I have problems now and then with my camera focusing. It is really good when it works, more often than not (I think) but when it doesn't, it really is a pain. I don't like getting photo's that mess with my eyes! LOL And I can never tell its doing it, till I get the pictures onto my computer, then of course its to late. Oh well, one of these days, I may learn why and how to prevent it!

I doubt I will get near this much done on the computer tomorrow, as I have to can another batch of pickles...and that will be in the morning, which is usually when I have the best inspiration. But I guess after getting so many done today, it won't mater, if I can't! LOL Have a great rest of the evening ladies (Or day, for all of you down under)! I know I'm really late today, posting! I think by the time I get them posted in the galleries it will be past time for bed, for me! LOL