Sunday, November 29, 2009

My Lucky Day! Thank You Lyle

I was so excited a couple of days ago  I got an email from Layle whose blog I frequently visit 6 Degrees.  She offered me a 8x11 photo album by Shutterfly.  I've want to make one of these for some time now, as I thought it would make a great gift for my best friend Brenna who has helped me over the last 5 years renovating our 1920's farmhouse in Illinois.  However we are talking 5 years of pictures, memories and trying to put it all together.  Had it just been family pictures no problem, but to make sure I got everything included was a little nerve racking. Unfortuantely I've been a little down and out with a cold/sinus thing, but I figured this would give me something to do as I laid around in my pj's all day.
Charlie was going golfing so it was the perfect project for me to dive into.  Im not very good with words, and the memory is starting to go so it was a bit of a challenge for me.  The process itself wasn't to bad once i learned the in's and outs of the books features. I think it turned out pretty good considering it was my first digital book. Most of all wanted to document the journey that lasted 5 years for us.  It started when my father passed away and my mother came to live with us.  After my mother's health began to fail I knew that I needed to figuure out what I was going to do with 5 acres and a farmhouse in illinois.  It started out small but ended up being a total renovation.  One day I will sit down and add it all up. But what ever the cost,it was worth it. We did the majority of the work ourselves. What we didn't know how to do we hired out.  With the endless help of my best friend from high school who still lives there, took on the project manager job when we were in Arizona.  She is one of a kind and I'm very lucky to have her as a friend.  Thank you Layle for the wonderful gift!

clark street

Click here to view this photo book larger

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Thanksgiving Meal in 45 minutes?

thought I better read this article since I will be working Thanksgivng day. I haven't worked Thanksgiving Day since I got out of the foodservice business 21 years ago.  Thankful for a big enough family to help me still get the job done. hope our meal looks as good as this.yummy  however ....thankful I have a job.


Sunday, November 22, 2009

House of 3 Freebie

Love my new blog header freebie from House of 3.  Lots of new Christmas digital inspiration can also be found on House of 3 blog.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

A New Day


Papervineyard's


MINE
Moving forward from a very difficult week. Trying to be upbeat and productive. Proud to say I have completed my first holiday project. A Christmas Countdown Calendar. I love magnets and projects that include magnets. Saw this cute project at Papervineyard and made it my own as they were out of all the paper products they used to make their display, hate that.  The grandkids love the countdown thing no matter what the occasion.  I covered an old metal book stand, I think that's what it was, (i love to use things i just have sitting around waiting to take on a new life, that's my dad in me!) with Bobunny's St. Nick toyland, St Nick Sugar plum paper. Put my wonderful cricut to work cutting out all my numbers and words.  Still think I need to emblish the magnet clip that holds the numbers, kinda blahhh. Let the countdown begin.....fyi the realo countdown won't begin until Dec. 1st, just put the 35 there for a test run as i was so excited to have it completed and it's only Nov.21st. :)

Thursday, November 19, 2009

All Because Two People Fell in LOVE


7/6/1988

thankful

I know it's November 19th and Im way past due on posting what Im thankful for. However on a sad note Its' been a difficult month. Losing a friend and now my son has also lost a friend from high school, only 22, way to young. both funerals same day same funeral home. crazy life......

Thankful.......
This isn't very creative, but is heartfelt.
Grateful for: Our good health- all of us
Charlie, my best friend,and husband of 34 years
Charlie B, my oldest son, Jill (our love for scrapbooking) and Zella B
Andrea, Dallas and Ella
April, soon to be our home nurse and boy could we use one!
Randall, no longer my baby. grown into a fine young ,man
The memories I have of my mother and father
Awesome parents growing up- we never had much but it never seemed to matter
My brothers and sisters who I don't get to see as often as I would like
My friends, my job, although retirement sure sounds good, 20 years at US Airways, but started working 38 years ago.
Grateful I can still see my computer screen and don't have carpel tunnel after 20 years working on a PC
Thankful we have such a beautiful home, and aren't upside down in our mortage.
Thankful for our farm house in Illinois. great summer getaways there.
Thankful that my family enjoys my cooking that they look forward to our holiday meals together.
I have so much to be thankful for, I am blessed.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Good Bye Dear FRIEND



Today we lost our dear friend Linda. Gone to soon from those who love her. She is now our angel.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Linda's Quilt


Say a little prayer


I got a text last night......Linda is a coworker friend who has been fighting lung cancer since June. Unfortunately the doctors never gave her much hope however she still made the decision to fight the battle of her life. She is the person you want to have as a co-worker, and friend. Great personalty, hard worker, always supportive of everyone.  She is an awesome mother of two, a son and daughter who just started her college at ASU. Our work group got together and shared makiing the family meals a couple days every week. We also made a quilt for her to take to her chemo treatments as the room is kept pretty cold. We each got a 8x8 square to add to the quilt with anything we wanted. It turned out awesome.  I understand that with all she has been going through her concerns are for her family. Thats just the type of person she is. Loving and giving. Life isn't fair. What I hate the most is that she started treatments in hopes of giving her more time with her family, however the chemo made her so sick over the last 3 months that this was also taken from her. She deserves that quality time with those she so dearly loves.  Is it to much to ask for a few months of not being so sick you can't get out of bed, I don't think so. How bout just a few days of just holding your kids close to you.  We don't know what having a bad day really is. How grateful we should all be for our health.  There's are no Ordinary moments....
She has had a couple of bad days and the extending family has now been called in.  I pray that she won't be taken from us so soon.  My heart aches so as I remember those last two weeks at my mothers bedside.  As our loved one slowly depart this world from us our hearts break.

3D Christmas Carol



I had a week day off so I wanted to treat the grandkids to a movie and give charie and Jill and few hours of alone time. The only movie the kids hadn't yet seen was the new release 3D Christmas Carol. It was rated PG13 and the trailer I watched looked like it would be an ok movie for them. Wearing the 3D glasses where new to Zella, however Dallas and Ella had been to a 3D before.  We made it though the previews, but then the movie started and it was dark and VERY loud. I could tell right off that it may be a bit much for the girls. I leaned over to Dallas and told him that we were going to have to leave and come back at another time. He didn't want to leave but was a good sport about it.  Gathered up all our goodies and headed to the park to let them burn off some of that boxed up energy that they always have pleanty of.  Thankful they are all healthy and full of ENERGY. We are blessed, feel so grateful after reading my friends new blog post yesteryday here.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Missing my MOM


Not a day goes by that I'm not missing my mom.  How she would of loved watching her beloved grandchildren growing up. They meant the world to her the moment they were born. They always put a smile on her face no matter how bad she may have been feeling that day. She loved them so. These are the things i want each of them to know as they get older. I think it's so important that our loved ones live on in the family they leave behind. Memories should never be taken for granted, as I've seen just how quick they can be lost forever. I try to remember all the good times I shared with my mom, not only as an adult but also as a child. Unfortunately there are a whole lot of childhood memories and that makes me sad. I don't want to forget how blessed I've been. My family, my life....I love you mom and miss you terribly

Sunday, November 1, 2009

NEXT.......


Halloweens over and now onto the next holiday. Have to pack away the decorations and pull out the Thanksgiving decor. Not a whole lot, but a few favorites I will showcase. weather is starting to cool down so that will help get us in the mood for somewhat of a fall season.  I wonder if the one pumpkin I didn't carve will hold out until the end of November. We'll just see...... thankful for the memories I have.