Sunday, February 08, 2009

Being a parent

Well, admidst the chinese new year festivities which ends today, I have finally caught up with the boys' birthday prayer layouts which is something I want to do annually (last year I started making layouts - see them here). This year I got dh to write the prayers! I love it when he writes, both because it is rare, and because i love his thoughts and words. Credits: background papers both by Weeds and Wildflowers, Love and ABCD wordarts both by Emily Powers, cream heart by Mira designs, glitter star by Loreta Labarca, red letter f by suzy scraps, square stitches by Margote, grateful and heart shaped word art by Weeds & Wildflowers, circle stitching by Natali designs.
I have made them into templates for you, scroll all the way down!

Being the boys' parents has been so much pride and joy, and in equal parts worries and headaches, I'm sure you can all testify to! I always remember this article dh wrote for our church bulletin about 8 months after Jared was born, (I think he won't mind me sharing it with you! :P)
"I wanted to write this when my first son, Ryan, was born, but the thoughts and feelings were a bit overwhelming then. Things are still pretty chaotic but I might as well start.
I think few people would sign on for fatherhood if they knew the whole deal! It was daunting, the first year. Handling poo, diapers, rocking the baby in the wee hours of morning in an empty hall, crying fits (from mum (yin: that would be me!)and child). Imagine giving up most of your favourite pastimes (movies!) and instead being able to discuss breast-feeding intelligently with your female colleague. Talk about shifting paradigm.
When you have children, a part of you is constantly looking out for them, checking if they are safe or hungry or dirty or wet. They're asleep? - let's sneak off for some coffee! Even when you are apart, you'll think of them. I think I understand prayer a little better now. If I as a sinful man can look out for my kids, how much more our father God who love us and died for us. He is Omniscience and, before you even pray, is already looking out for you.
Psalms 139:13,14 : 'For you create my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.' "
Hope you are blessed as I am every time I read this.

I am also rushing out layouts from last year to put into a 20 page album, in time for the free offer shutterfly and CK sent to my mail box! Apparently it is a one time use coupon so I can't share it. The next few layouts are going to be ultra-simple and quick! And which can be lovely, I think :) These are both from walks and weekends spent outdoors.
Credits: Red background paper by Studio MGL, brown paper from Weeds & Wildflowers, leaf cut out from Vera Lim's the most wonderful time of the year, Priceless charm by PureScraps.
Credits: straight stitch by Loreta Labarca,ribbon and journaling tag by studio ellie, stitched flowers by creshens, soft dots and background paper all by Weeds & Wildflowers
Have made them into templates as usual:You can find the templateshere!

Here's the templates I used for the birthday layouts, combined as one double page. You can use them as single or double, quite versatile, isn't it? :) I've added two more photo mats to each side of this template, so that you can use them for Project 365 if you wish. This template is now available as a set in the store HERE

47 comments:

  1. Thank you! Your blog post will be advertised on the DigiFree Digital Scrapbooking Freebie search engine today (look for timestamp: 08 Feb [LA 07:00pm, NY 10:00pm] - 09 Feb [UK 03:00am, OZ 02:00pm] ).

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  2. Wonderful template! Love how the photos just barely overlap. That is so sweet that you adjusted if for proj 365!

    THANKS!!

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  3. Thank You very much

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  4. Thank you so much for the templates!! Also, just a watch out since I just went through this with Shutterfly - twice. Please call customer service and double check that the coupons can be used on create your own digital books... I had two coupons (one from CK) and tried to used them on my own creation and it wouldn't go through. I couldn't find anything in in the fine print that said otherwise, but they wouldn't accept the coupon on custom work...

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  5. I get so excited whenever you come out with new templates - they are awesome - and so are you for sharing them with us. Thanks

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  6. Thank you - I love the photo shadows on your templates!

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  7. Wonderful template! Thank you for your generosity!

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  8. I can't believe I've never browsed here before, your templates are amazing. I'll definitely be back. Thanks so much.

    Cara
    SweetTomatoDesigns

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  9. Thanks for the template. Great layouts.

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  10. Thanks for the Template

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  11. Thank you for the great template!

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  12. I love all your templates! I hope you have another sale soon cos I wasn't able to get any the last time.

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  13. Yay for templates!
    I love the birthday prayer layouts. That is a great idea that I think I'll start doing with our children.
    Thanks for the templates and great ideas!
    Heather

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  14. Thanks so much for this freebie template.

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  15. Awesome layouts and templates Yin! You're the best! Thanks so much.

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  16. Thank you for the great template. Your husband's prayers for the boys are very touching.

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  17. Thank you so much for this Freebie. I want to let you know that I posted a link to your blog in Creative Busy Hands Scrapbook Freebies Search List, under the Template(s), Overlay(s), Photo Mask(s) post on Feb. 09, 2009. Thanks again.

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  18. To say that you're good to us just doesn't begin to tell the tale!!!!! Thanks so much for the fantastic templates and for sharing your beautiful layouts. You're a source of inspiration in a lot of ways, including because you actually finish layouts, which I don't always get around to. Thank you!

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  19. Thanks so much for your freebies...
    and for the ones you sell... i like all and have bought almost all
    please may you work more on templates for the 365 project ??

    Thanks

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  20. Wow your husband has such a knack for writing! Although as a mother of two who is surprisingly pregnant again, I wish he would have lightened up on the poo and breast feeding a bit LOL Thanks for the layouts. I've started 27 layouts so far this year and all but 3 of those have been yours! They are just so easy to use and I love your style.

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  21. Thanks for the great templates!

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  22. Love the birthday prayer layout..what a great idea! Thanks for the template..without you, my 365 project wouldn't get done! Here's a week one and two, complete with the fabulous Yin templates...http://thencbrownings.blogspot.com/2009/01/ive-been-tagged.html...you're the best!

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  23. I love seeing what you have scrapped - it must be so good to be able to do lots of layouts without losing sight of the purpose of scrapping (memories and pics). Thank you for the templates. This year there have been many more multi-photo templates around (project 365), but you have always shared multi photo templates. Thank you.

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  24. thanks so much - I just love your templates - they make scapping multiple photos so easy!

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  25. As always...THANK YOU!!!! I just can't get enough of your templates. I even bought your whole store when you had your big sale..LOL...You are the best and most creative template "QUEEN"! Keep up the amazing work and thanks for sharing your hard work with us. One day I hope to be able to design as well as you.

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  26. Thanks so much! I just love your templates, the more photos the better!

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  27. Thank you for another great template. I just love your layouts! I'm sure I've said this before, but you always pick the perfect combination of papers and elements.

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  28. What a treasure your birthday prayer layouts are! Thank you so much for the wonderful templates you share. I am always inspired by your projects :)

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  29. thank you for another wonderful template! Thanks for sharing!

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  30. Thank you so much for all of the templates you make and give to us. They're great!

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  31. I'm having fun with project 365. Thanks for the cool templates!!

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  32. You layouts are beautifully elegant. Thanks for sharing and thanks for the freebies!

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  33. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  34. Yin, thank you for sharing what your dh wrote. It is so true.
    As always, your layouts are FAB!
    Thanks for the great template.

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  35. Thanks a lot for this lovely template!

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  36. Thank you very much for this great Template

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  37. You have an award waiting for you at http://lynettesphotoart.blogspot.com! Your LOs are absolutely gorgeous! Thank you so much for sharing your time and talent with everyone and for all the help you've been to me recently! You are a real blessing! God bless you and yours - Lynette

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  38. Oh reading dh's article brought tears to my eyes. What a wonderful writer he is. I still can't get over how much the boys have grown in the past year. They don't stay little long do they?

    Love the template and thank you for sharing it. :)

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  39. Your templates are wonderful, Yin! I always seem to be drawn to them when I begin a layout. I used one right here:

    http://www.digishoptalk.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=558960&ppuser=4432

    Melissa

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  40. the heart template is fabulous. You can tell what it is but it's subtle. I can't wait to use it.

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  41. Thanks for templates

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  42. You are so talented it actually makes me cry -- your personal LOs are just wonderful and your family and children are VERY lucky to have you. (Tell them I said that!)

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