Scrapbook weekend

I said I'd try to be better about posting so here's my attempt...

This is one of my favorite weekends of the year. SCRAPBOOKING WEEKEND! Rachel and I left on Thursday afternoon for a state park just down the road a piece to hang out with about 18 other women who are as crazy about scrapbooking as we are.

There are two retreat weekends a year...one in October and one in March and I look forward to each of them for weeks before they get here. Thinking back to the first one I went to a couple years ago (has it been that long)...I thought I was a serious scrapper with my rolling tote and all my stickers etc. Well, you have never seen the likes of what some of these other women come with. When we first started, we stayed up until 11:00pm and thought we were pushing the limits. But these other women are hard core. Staying up until 3am almost EVERY night. And you know what? I'm one of them now.

Every spring and fall, Steve removes all the seats in my van (except the passenger seat (and driver, of course!) and by the time Rachel and I have finished loading up all our stuff, it's filled to the brim. I mean, I take two scrapbooking chairs also...and everything in my scrapbook room goes. And when we get there, it's like being "home" again. Back in the day, the retreats would start on Friday and I'd head out after work on Friday afternoon. Subsequent retreats, we'd move it up to only working 1/2 day on Friday. The day came when my consultant and retreat hostess opened it up an extra day so that we could arrive on Thursday afternoon and by that point, we jumped at the chance!

Now, Rachel and I have a standing lunch with some scrapbooking friends around 12:30 on Thursday (we now take the whole day off). Then we head out and get there right at the time it starts and we can check in our room. And we stay up until 1am or later just about every night. And we don't really sleep in. Most days we are in the room by 9am. Oh yes...it is one of the highlights of my year.

This year was just as wonderful and much anticipated. I managed to get a couple of Christmas gifts done (books I was making) and finally got caught up on Jenna's school album as actually into 2009 with her regular book. There's still lots to do, but these retreats give me the opportunity to really get going. Unfortnately, Rachel started getting congested last night and I woke up clogged up this morning. It is definitely allergies. Complicated with the wishy-washy weather and the fact we both got a flu shot on Wednesday of last week. Oh well...we rung out every last drop of the weekend we could. And now, we begin the countdown to March.

And for all you scrappers out there...this is NOT a closed group. You are totally invited to come. It's very economical...you have lots of space, a pretty decent room (for the few hours you are in it sleeping) and catered lunch and dinner for Friday and Saturday. Plus you get time away from the family to concentrate on getting your stuff done not to mention the really good company of people who like doing this as much as you do! If you are interested, the next retreat is in March...first weekend I think...let me know if you want more information and I will get it to you ASAP. If you live out of town, that's NO PROBLEM. We had 2 from Kentucky and one from south Alabama...they come from everywhere...Murfreesboro, Nashville and even my friend from MI, Becca, came one year...so start planning now and join the fun in March!

Thankfully, I take off 1/2 day on the Monday after scrapbook retreat weekend too. Usually I'm getting groceries, finishing laundry, unpacking etc. However, not sure how I will feel tomorrow...guess we'll see...I'm all drugged up on Actifed Allergy medicine and ready for a LONG night of sleep.

Later! (and sorry to all of you non-scrapbookers...I know this post was a huge bore to you all!!!)