Happy Birthday MOM!!!!!!

A very special Happy Birthday for my MOM!!! I made this specially for you and I hope you like it!

Full Credits can be found HERE

I hope your day is a Blessed One!!! And many Healthy, Happy days to fill the year!

Looking forward to the New Year!

It's been a really crazy week here....with aLOT of behind the scenes work on various projects I'm doing for CT commitments. I've been organizing things on my computer and even started using a dayplanner to keep things on track.

But I wanted to check in and show you a few of the things I've been working on so far....scrapping wise!
Here's the first layout I've done since before Christmas! Can you believe that! Yeah....the holidays really kicked my butt! LOL!
I used some new things and an older kit by Merkeley Designs for this. At first glance it may appear to be a Valentine's layout, but this is a different kind of Love Affair! LOL!

Full credits can be found HERE

And here's what I'm working on now...I am absolutely, positively in LOVE with these new stitching thingies from Claudia Campbell!

Find this set HERE! There's four sets in all!

AND good news they are on sale.....as well as everything in the DSS store, but hurry today is the last day for this TWO day Blow Out!


Yup....you read that right! ALL PhotoBlast actions are on SALE! So stock up now!!!
Here's a preview of one of John's latest actions....
featuring my own 'lil Josh in the preview ad! These are new actions coming to the DSS store SOON!


So here's how I used those stitches in an uncompleted(as of yet!) layout. The picture used below is circa January 1956 and is one of the VERY few heritage photos that are in my possession! I got this from my MIL. I'm not quite sure who is pictured in the photo, but they are related to my FIL. Kyle had a project to do at school. They are doing a sock hop and learning about the 50's. They had a one page interview to complete by asking 5 questions from someone who was there in the 50's. My MIL sent home three vintage photos and I can't wait to get them scrapped! I chose to use Amy Cheeseman's latest paper pack, LuAnn's Space because of the rich textured colors and don't those stitches just ROCK that page???

Look for the completed layout in a gallery near YOU soon!

I'm gonna make this a short"er" post, but before I go, I wanted to give you an update on my FIL, Bud.

Thank you all for your thoughts of concern and care. DH, Gene went over to his parents after work last night and the oxycotin they have him on is making him loopy. He dozes in and out of sleep and sometimes doesn't speak coherently.

He can't talk for more than a few seconds without running out of oxygen. We are waiting for a second procedure to drain his lungs with the help of radiology this time to watch where the catheter is traveling. He will be admitted this time for the procedure. It's not scheduled until the 18th...which seems relatively soon, but we have our doubts that his body will keep up until then. My SIL had to go over and shave him yesterday because he couldn't do it himself and DH said that it might come down to him spending a few nights a week there to help out with his care.

Please please please pray for his soul....above and beyond his physical needs...it's his heart that I am concerned about.

Thanks again...It really helps to know there are so many praying for him and our family at this difficult time!

AND....one last thing....as soon as I get some of my CT commitments completed, I'm so excited to design another little freebie for y'all...including the lowercase alpha to match the blue glitter I gave away last week!

TTYL!

Just a quick note today...

I just wanted to say a quick thank you today to all of you who've left me such warm fuzzies here on my blog concerning the glitter alpha. I plan to make the "sequel" soon. I'll be busy working on the DSS newsletter as well so it may be a few days before I can get it done and uploaded but be on the lookout for it!

I'm a bit out of sorts today and I'm having a hard time trying to find the words to go along with what I feel. Gene and I found out today that my father-in-law(Bud) has lung cancer. He's in good spirits still with hope for a good outcome, but for us kids it's a bit devastating. With four grandchildren who adore him and a new grandchild on the way, please keep us in your prayers. I know this will be especially difficult for my husband, Gene. Neither of us has lost a parent yet. Bud's been ill for quite awhile now(heart, diabetes and COPD), but even now it's hard for reality to set in.

Here's a pic of Bud with Joshua a few years ago


Thanks in advance for your thoughts and your prayers!

Should I do it again???

Me thinks the alpha is a hit! Anyone interested in a matching lowercase, numerals and punctuation? Leave me a comment if you are interested. If there is enough response, I'll get started working on them.

A LightBulb Moment

During prayer time last night, I started thinking why am I so unhappy? God answered my question in this way. Sondie....it's not about you....it's about me. Well, to some who don't know the Lord that may sound selfish. But with all that I have been through, I know that he will never leave my side....even when I falter and lose faith. He's been there every step of the way with me. I just need to trust and OBEY....ok the first part I've "kind of" got the hang of....but I guess the second is sometimes so hard to do. I mean it's not that I don't WANT to obey....sometimes I just find myself doing things that I shouldn't and it makes me feel like I've failed. It's a vicious cycle really....try to be good...mess up...fail...and then the guilt sets in. Except...I know the guilt isn't from the Lord and that's where the cycle can be broken. I need to begin to see myself the way God sees me....with His love and mercy. I will continue to follow in faith and trust the Lord that he will guide me.

So with that I claim this verse and hold it in my heart:
for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again,
but the wicked are brought down by calamity.
Proverbs 24:16

Happy New Year!!!!

Hmmmm, I wonder how many blogs have that heading today???

Well, we had a very low key New Year here. Gene called me from his work at midnight to wish me a Happy New Year and I gave him an audible New Year Kiss. LOL! Then followed the kids lead and went to bed. They didn't make it to midnight. Nope no sipping champagne and eating pork for me last night. But that's ok, I'm gettin' pretty used to spending the New Year alone. That's the life of swing shifts I guess.

My mother-in-law's birthday is the 1st. So we always head over there and celebrate with a little cake and a gift picked out by the boys. Then we came home for a pork and sauerkraut dinner with Gene and now I blog.

It's been quite awhile. We had a good Christmas. The boys got pretty much what they wanted and it's kept them quite content this past week. My Holiday Blues/Stress.....still hasn't seemed to left yet and I wonder if it's turning into that seasonal depression.

But I just know that 2007 holds many blessings and good tidings so I'm holding onto that for now!

Part of my New Year's resolution (for the record don't like to make resolutions....they just don't seem to stick for me!) is to get organized both digitally AND at home. I've realized that me and the kids just can't cope without a good solid schedule and the way we do things now at our house is work around Gene's work schedule. Some days he works 1st, 2nd, or 3rd shift and some days he's home. I think that it would be good for me to set some certain things regardless of his work schedule and if he can join us that's great but if not at least the kids and I have some solid ground to stand on. Things like meal times, bed times, certain daily activities. I know this makes me sound like a horrible mom not having these things already done with a 7 and 4 year old. I feel like things have just gotten away from me and we pretty much do what we want, when we want. It will be quite the adjustment, but I think in the long run it will be much better for our body, healthwise and our mind and spirit to have a set schedule.

I have organized my CT requirements today, to get things ready for this new organization thing. I have a folder for all my CT layouts and assignments and inside is a monthly folder. Inside the monthly folder is an individual folder for each CT I participate in and I have the requirements and assignments in a book at my desk. This will help keep me on track and help me set some goals that I can actually achieve!

If you are thinking of scrapping goals be on the lookout for an article to be published in this month's DSS newsletter, written by Tina Busick! She did a wonderful job and I'm sure you all will be inspired by some of her thoughts and ideas.

Ohhh, and did I mention Kyle had a birthday Saturday??? Yup, he turned the big SEVEN!!! I can't believe that it was 7 years ago today that I held him in my arms at the hospital. Now he's so big and opinionated!!! We had a small party with just family to celebrate. The party for friends he decided would be a small sleepover with five chosen friends rather than a big Pizza Hut party for all his friends. We decided that it wasn't a good idea to try and do that on a weekend that Gene is working midnights.....so will be doing that sometime soon.

Gene's sister always does the kids birthday cakes and this year Kyle's theme didn't change any! LOL! He wanted an army camoflauge cake but he did have a very special request for barbed wire frosting. And she pulled it off! Look at that adorable barbed wire trim on the edges.


Here he is in all his glory with his new birthday gift!

That's Cabela's Dangerous Hunt II in his hand. Against my wishes for a seven year old, but apparently my vote isn't the only one that counts! LOL!

And here's Josh crashed in his new "big boy" bed complete with new SpongeBob Sheets and comforter. Finally, the first night he'd actually sleep in it!

Grammy got these for him for a Christmas Gift and delivered the new bed (passed down from Grammy-Gram...Gene's Grandma who's passed on) and new mattress and box spring the following day after Christmas. It took us two nights to finally get him to sleep in it. Apparently, it's a big step up from the little tikes toddler bed he'd been used to sleeping in every night.

And since I was told by my mom to upload more pics this morning....here's one just for you MOM! The scene early Christmas morning...approx. 2 AM. May not look like much under that tree, but there's tons there trust me! LOL!


I made y'all a freebie! I wanted something cheerful and fresh and have worked on this during this past week off and on. I wanted to add more but time just will not permit.

Download Here

And with that everyone....I'll sign off! I hope you enjoy the alpha and find it refreshing and inspiring for your scrap pages!