Microplasia

Our sweet Macy on her last birthday. March 15, 2008

Goodbye Beautiful Baby Girl

Kevin and I picked up Macy's ashes this evening. I fought back the tears on the whole drive there and once the receptionist showed me the little red tin, I couldn't fight them anymore. She lovingly showed me the paw impression and the certificate of cremation. This whole post may gross some of you out. Please know that is not my intention. I am just explaining what happened. The staff members shared hugs and condolences, which meant a lot. They are such a caring group of people with a passion for helping precious animals. Dr. Lahmon (by the way, I had misspelled her name in all the previous posts) had just left so I wasn't able to thank her personally. I did get to talk to Dr. Lynn who had treated Macy twice before she was admitted. I asked her what the medical term was for Macy's condition and if she had ever had a case like this before. She said it was called microplasia (stunted growth). She figures it was a congential birth defect and had never seen anything like it before. I told her if Macy's case helps another dog, this was all worth it. Once we came home, I put Macy's collar around the red tin. I knew this last step would be painful, but amazingly God helps dry the tears after I break down and whispers to me that it will all be ok. I asked Kevin now that this last step was done was he still happy with our decision to cremate her little body. We both agreed...yes. I have a peace about her passing and I know that peace is yet another gift from God, as was her short six year life. She certainly filled our hearts to the brim and so will her precious memories.

It might be better to click for a closer look as the lighting on this one is a bit dark. I inked the tree image with More Mustard, then used various "fall" colored markers to dab on more color. I huffed on the stamp (breathed on it with my moist breath) then stamped the image onto Kraft cardstock. It's just a simple layout, but I like that marker technique for some color variation. I added the paper piercing to the corners since it was so plain, and inked the edges with my trusty dark brown chalk ink (love that stuff!).

Thanks for stopping by! I'm off Wednesdays at noon, so I've managed to get things cleaned up here at home and started my laundry. I love that Magic Eraser...it's a gem for cleaning the tub lickety-split! Now....what to make for supper? LOL! Hmmm...

Blessed Beyond Measure

While in Columbus on Saturday, my sweet sister took me to Archivers. I found the neatest stamps that say "Blessed Beyond Measure" and "Happy Thanksgiving". I knew I wanted them for the "blessed" one, but had to get an extra one for my friend Lisa. You see....her blog name is Blessed Beyond Measure. Check it out. Leave her a comment and show her some love! :) I was just too tickled to find that stamp for her! She got it in the mail today and now I can post it. Below is the card I made for her. Ah....I know I love happy mail and I sure hope she enjoys using her new goody. :) Thanks for stopping by!

Cardstock by SU!, Patterned paper by Basic Grey, Scallop Strip by Doodlebug, Stamps and ink by SU!, pink bling stones from Archivers *click pic for a closer look* I also inked the edges with my dark brown chalk ink.

OH and yeah...we had SNOW here today. Nothing stuck, but I was pacing by the window at work. Ooh....not sure if I'm ready for the freezing temps just yet. Brrr... LOL!!!!!

Vickie

This page is about my co-worker Vickie. She is always bringing the most beautiful bouquets of home-grown flowers to the office. It truly blesses so many people! I had these pictures of her and decided to make a special page about her loving act of kindness. *click any pic for a closer look*

I started with a pink polka-dot piece of 12x12 for the base. I then cut out the detailed flower part from another sheet of printed paper and added subtle glittery accents with Stickles. The individual glittered flowers are cut from a third sheet of patterned paper, covered with Stickles and added to the page with glittery brads. The title "Vickie" was cut out with my Cricut and glittered with Stickles also.

Because of the purple in her scrub top and the bouquet of flowers, I strategically added "pops" of purple on the page using the photo corner, a purple journaling marker and the purple glittery brads. The journaling box is cut from the center of the flowery-edged patterned paper. I added the detail at the top using the spiral punch from SU!, then inked the edges with Green Galore ink.

Thanks for stopping by...I actually made a few cards on Sunday evening and will have a few things to show this week. Thanks to God for that little streak of creativity in the midst of my grief. He is so good to me! At times, I am in awe of the peace I have about our loss of Macy. Though my heart is torn I will praise Him through this storm! Here's a powerful song for today...click HERE to listen. It is so true.

Acts of Kindness

We want everyone to know how much we appreciate the acts of kindness these past few days. Whether it was an e-mail, flowers, phone call, visit or a card...it has all helped us. We are so blessed with friends and family who have shown acts of kindness in all these ways. Some of you have also simply given us time alone to deal with our loss.

On Friday night, we enjoyed dinner and a movie so we could just "get out" and not be here at home for a few hours. We saw Beverly Hills Chihuahua and it made us both laugh. Yes, it was a dog movie, but it was a funny movie so it was ok. As soon as we got home, I was on the internet searching American Eskimo breeders. One of my initial thoughts was that I couldn't have another dog, but it's just too quiet here without a furry bundle of joy. We figure we'll start looking for our next baby girl in the spring.

I may not have a lot to post this next week as I get back in the normal routine of life.....go back to work and just adjust to a different schedule without Macy here. I am just going to take things a day at a time, especially in regards to scrapbooking and stamping. Once I get past the first hump of my grief I hope to have lots of creativity to share.

You may also notice that I changed the wording in my profile on the left column. It's not that I am erasing our Macy, but I wanted the wording to be accurate and it meant removing her name. I have a lot of restlessness right now, but part of my healing is to slowly move her things here at home, change wording on stuff and get into a new routine. I still automatically look for her all around the house and sometimes the reality just stops me in my tracks and I can't do anything. It will take time. I know that. Along the way, I will hold onto my faith and look forward to what God has next for our life together.

We love you guys!

Natalie & Kevin

What We Decided

We decided together to have her little body privately cremated and we will get her ashes back next week. They also do a permanent impression of her little paw and that goes on top of the container that holds the ashes. Neither of us could bear to see her body today or to bury her ourselves. I did ask the office if they would cut off a good handful of her luscious fur that I can keep. I always used to put my nose in her fur and just snuggled her soft body. She always smelled so good, even if she hadn't been bathed recently. I wanted a bit of that for a keepsake. Kevin lovingly picked up her collar, the fur and the towel today I had her wrapped in when I took her Tuesday. We will settle the bill when we pick up her ashes. I tried to convey our gratitude despite my tears when I called them back with our decisions. We couldn't have asked for a better vet office. Their care and compassion are priceless. I will also tell them again in person next week and want to hug Dr. Lehman for all she has done.

We also truly appreciate all the nice, loving messages, e-mails and phone calls we have received. Thank you! It helps ease the pain. It is painfully silent in our house, so I've had music on all day. I go from laughing or dancing to bawling within the blink of an eye. I am off work tomorrow and don't know if I'll stick around here or have to get out for some fresh air and go somewhere. Just a day at a time, I guess.

Goodbye Baby Girl

I am so sad to tell you that she died this morning. The vet did an autopsy and they found her heart, lungs and liver were all smaller than normal and she most likely had a blood clot that went to her brain....causing a stroke. I think she actually died in her sleep. So, basically she was a bit physically abnormal, but had a good 6 years of life with these abnormalities. The vet was very thorough in explaining everything and is very compassionate. She, too, was shocked and stumped that this happened to Macy.
I have to tell Kevin when he gets home and I've already spoken to his boss to let him know that if Kevin is too upset that he may not be back today. I told him to not tell Kevin I called and the reason I called was so he wouldn't be in trouble. I am having my own waves of emotion and just trying to count the 6 years of blessings with her. She was such a good dog and she always knew she was loved. I thank God for the time we did have with her.
I have to talk with Kevin and see if he wants to bury her or have her cremated. I want cremation and don't want to see her dead body at all. I can't. I am too visual and will only remember the bad if I do. I'll let you know what he and I decide together. His mom is coming over soon to help me tell him. I totally dread it. Totally.
I know God is in total control of our lives and perhaps has something better waiting for us in our life together. God knows I will hurt. But, I have faith that this situation will strengthen us both and get us ready for what life has ahead. I am just so grateful that I knew the unconditional love that sweet Macy gave us daily. She will be missed terribly. It is just such a shock. Thanks to everyone who reads my blog and cares about what we're going through. :)

Although it is painful, I know God has all situations in the palm of His hand. I can't help but praise Him in my pain by sharing this beautiful song. Click HERE. Listen carefully to the words. I praise Him although he "gives and takes away".

Thursday 9am!!

I am picking Macy up Thursday at 9am. The vet finally called back and said she was perkier today. She walked her this morning and then Macy really wasn't thrilled about coming back into the building. Imagine that....who would want to go back in a cage? Not me. She was doing circles in her cage which would tangle her IV line. That's my girl! Keep on perking up and doing your happy dances! She said her eyes are less swollen and look much better, but she really doesn't want to eat. I told her Macy will pout if we aren't home and will usually eat once we get home. So, perhaps her finicky food thing is because the food is different or just that she wants to eat at home. They are going to give her the food we buy and see if it helps her appetite. I tell you, 9am can't come soon enough. I have been waiting and waiting all day long for a call about when I can see her or bring her home. Bless her little heart. Her toys are waiting in the living room for her to play again. It has been one stressful week I tell ya. All day I've been thinking that she's at my heels or following me then I realize she's not even home. *sigh* I sure miss her. I'm so used to her being right here. I'll know she's better if when I see her tomorrow that her "flat" tail curls up on her back again or wags with delight. It's been out of order for a week. I also want to see her brown smiling eyes. Oh, I can't wait.

Kevin had another good day at his new job. He said "I really feel like this is the job for me." I pick up his last "temp job" paycheck tomorrow. He really likes who he works with and they are very organized. I kidded him and said "See, organization pays off." (I am an organizing freak!) He then said "Well, yeah it's good there." I know he just wanted to dance around the point of saying that organization at home is good, too. LOL! Someday maybe he'll agree. LOL!

Ok, now I have to occupy my time until 9am. Hmm...what to do...what to do...
Thanks everyone for being patient about a so-no-stamping week of posts. I hope to be back in the swing very soon. Here's a little song to celebrate my baby getting better...my little brown-eyed girl. Click HERE and pick the first song. :)

Still Waiting...

Just waiting for a call back from the vet. The receptionist said that Macy was doing better today, but still has her IV in. She has been going potty, looking around at the people more and is still trying to eat. She said she put the food in her mouth, then just finally spit it out. So, at this point I have no clue if she comes home today or not. Needless to say, I feel lost without her following me room to room.

I got a burst of energy last night after supper and disinfected everything, mopped, vacuumed, etc. I figured it can't hurt to kill more germs since we have no clue what made her sick to begin with. At least my house looks nice. :) I washed her bowls again and gave her favorite toys a bath. They're all ready and waiting. Now, if I can just figure out what to do while I wait. I have a sleep deprivation/sleep marathon headache so once that subsides I'll feel a bit better.

Pretty amazing how one little animal can make you feel so loved and how much you miss them when they aren't staring at you begging to go out or for a treat. I know she's getting excellent care and that she'll be back soon.

Overnight Stay

Well, just talked to Dr. Lehman. Macy gets to stay overnight and she'll call me in the morning. She has had a half bag of IV fluid, peed twice, acting a little better, but isn't "ready to run a marathon" as the doc put it. I plan to sleep hard tonight and await the morning update phone call. It's a bit too quiet in this house without my furball, but I feel good knowing she's getting good care.

A Very Long Night

I have been up literally all night and am emotionally and physically exhausted. I have prayed, cried, and tried to recite Bible verses to keep me calm, but right now I could fall apart from being so drained. Macy is no better. She has refused to eat or drink since we came home from the vet yesterday at noon. She is so weak now and her eyes show her exhaustion. Half her battle right now for getting any good rest is due to the nasal congestion and coughing up phlegm. It's colored now and she just smells like she is sick. I called right away at 8am to get her back in ASAP. Instead of a direct admit for IV fluids, she will be seeing the main doctor, Dr. Lehman at 9:30am. I hope she has some wisdom for her care. I can't watch her get any weaker or I'll really lose it. More so than I am right now. I am just beside myself. I'll post updates later as I can. If they admit her, I have to get some sleep. There's no way I can see me getting to my haircut/color appointment tonight either. I am in no mood for a haircut. I am in the mood for a spunky pooch.

Vet Update

Well, Macy and I spent two hours at the vet today. Bless her little heart. They examined her again and ran bloodwork. Her one enzyme and calcium levels were a bit elevated, but could be simply because she had eaten breakfast (canned food mushed in her other food). She was dehydrated so they gave me the option of 1) overnight stay with IV fluids or 2) subcutaneous fluids with anti-nausea med, then "doggy pedialyte" and bland canned food for home. The vet said either option was fine, so I chose the second. I'd rather bring her home if possible. I can only give her fluids today and then small amounts of bland canned food tomorrow. If she is not better by Tuesday night, we go back again. I am to keep her calm and quiet today, which won't be a problem as she is passed out again right now and I'm the only one home. She won't drink the "pedialyte" so who knows if she will. It's even chicken flavor. I know she's sick if she ignores anything "chicken". I'll be home with her today and tomorrow and if any more news happens, I'll update. Thanks for caring if you've read this far.

Kevin came home for lunch and said he is REALLY going to like this new job. Praise God...again and again! Wow, what a blessing!

Since I am so blessed, I want to share a great song about just that. Click HERE, then choose the third version that's 3:43 mins. long. Love this one! Really listen to the words.

Weekend Updates

Macy is still sick. We are now on day 6 of illness. This was her yesterday as I cleaned house. All she wants to do is sleep and she keeps getting choked and throwing up phlegm. Her symptoms remind me of how a human acts when they have a cold or the flu. I feel so helpless and just want to make her better. She has been so exhausted and groggy all weekend. She walks around like her body aches or she has a charlie horse in her leg. She has no appetite for her regular food (dry or moistened with water), but she did take to a few bites of canned dog food with rice/chicken at about 8pm after not eating all day. She is a chicken addict so that's why I chose that flavor. She is refusing her baby carrot still, but will take nibbles of her lite dog treats when she goes potty. I'm grateful she is drinking water though.
You can tell by the look in her eyes that she just doesn't feel good. This was her on Sunday afternoon. We went to dinner with friends on Saturday night and when we came home she had been really sick. Then today after church she was worse, so we called the vet about 3pm and left a message on the "on call" voice mail. As of 8:41pm we still haven't heard back, which seems very unusual. I will give the vet the benefit of the doubt as to why no return call, but I will be calling them at 8am sharp to get her back in there. Poor kid. It makes me get all teary-eyed because she is my sweet baby dog. As I type this, she is asleep again.


I scrapbooked with my mom on Friday, but this is about all I got done. I touched my supplies, ate food and decided my mojo has been kidnapped. I think I've just got stuff on my mind and can't be all crafty right now. It was sad that I just didn't have it in me that night. I started one page after 8 hours of cropping. Geesh! It's not even done and when and if I get it done this week I'll post it. Thanks for reading about my dog and understanding that mojoless me will post something worthy ASAP. Enjoy your Monday!

This weekend's blessings:
*spontaneous dinner date at a great Amish restaurant with friends
*another awesome church service
*the furnace kicking on right away after Kevin lit the pilot light (indoor temp was 54...brrr....it was time! I had been holding off turning it on to save money.)
*lunch today with our moms at Casa Fiesta
*groceries/full fridge and pantry
*our Macy...bless her little heart

God Is Good!

Did you know it is possible to have GOOD stress and BAD stress all in one day? You know that happy things can be stressful and that's what I mean by GOOD stress. They can also wear you out...in a GOOD way. Did you also know that within the two can be answered prayers just staring you in the face? Wow....what a day Thursday was for us! I had told you in an earlier post that Macy has been avoiding her food, acting mopey, etc. After not eating her breakfast or going potty Thursday morning, I decided to take her to the vet and make sure she didn't have a fever or something else they could tell us. I stayed home with her for a few hours Thursday morning so I could call the vet, etc. They could see her at 4:30pm, so I got ready for work and went in about 10am.
BUT...
While I was fixing my hair, the phone rang. (Here's the GOOD stress of the day.) It was a very personable man on the other end from a company where Kevin had recently applied for a job. Kevin had checked back with them and at the time the position was already filled so this phone call was quite a surprise. I took the name, number and info and let him know I'd have Kevin call right after work. He has been working a temp job for a few months now while looking for a new permanent job. Within ten minutes, the phone rang again. It was the man at the company and he asked if there was any way I could let Kevin know to come there right after work for an interview. I told him I'd do my best and we'd call to verify the time, etc.
THEN...
I went to work for an hour, then left about 11:15am to go tell Kevin about this (ah, my work is so nice, huh? letting me leave for this!!!) Kevin doesn't have a cell phone and I didn't want to call there and interrupt his work day. So....I talked to him on his lunch break. He at first thought I was coming to tell him bad news about Macy. NO...I was telling him to call this guy and set up the interview. I went back to work after lunch from 1-4pm. I had to leave early to take Macy to her appointment at 4:30pm.
SO...
Here's the good news. Macy's check-up was fine. Macy is so super shy at the vet and she tucked her head in my arm as she was so nervous...even more since she wasn't feeling well. When I took off her leash to weigh her, she bolted to the lobby! LOL! I had to go grab her and take her back to the scale. LOL! Anyway....the vet checked her stool sample and it was negative for parasites. Her exam was normal, etc. Macy HATES for anyone to look in her mouth, so it was hard for the vet to really check that. She also didn't have a fever, but it was on the high-normal side. To make a long story longer....they figure she might have a sore tooth, fractured tooth or mouth sore that we can't see. Harder foods will aggravate that. It was so worth it to me to take her for peace of mind. Illness can creep up on a pet so quickly so good vet care for her is priceless to me. The best advice the vet could give for now was to moisten/soften her food with water. I did it and she ate the whole meal. I was rejoicing and had to take a picture. Yes....she ate! She ate! :) She goes soon to get her teeth cleaned and they can examine her teeth better then. Ahhh...bad stress turned into relief and a worn out dog from her stressful time at the vet. Poor kid. I hope she gets her spunk back soon. I can't believe that all day she refused her treats/baby carrot, etc. Man, that's odd!

Face down in the food bowl!!! Like her little doggy placemat with the stars on it? LOL!

OK...and the finale?!!!!!! Kevin got the job and he starts Monday. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! This has been a loooooooonnnnnnnnngggggggggggg wait and certainly a trial to say the least. He will be a delivery driver in the state of Ohio for this company. They are a distribution company for water pumps and parts, etc. He will work full-time Monday through Friday and will be home each night. Ahhhhhhhhhhh...see, I told you....GOD IS GOOD! I have seen God working in our lives so much lately that I can't help but have tears in my eyes.....GOOD TEARS! :) Well, maybe a little more than tears. As I reread this I broke down with tears of rejoicing! *sniffle*

Oh, and I forgot to tell you how the position was available again. The guy who had originally taken that job moved on to another job in his field of microbiology within a few weeks and they had to do a rehire. Ahhhhhhhh...so glad they picked my husband from all those applicants!!

Sweet of You

I needed a thank you card, so this is what I created Wednesday night. I used Whisper White and Soft Sky cardstocks from SU! The background was created by stamping the one flower in the Doodle This stamp set over and over with Soft Sky ink. It no longer looks like a flower, but just a "funky" background. I love to use my stamps like that to get new and exciting patterns. I then stamped over the background using the Papertrey Ink set called Polka Dot Basics with Versamark ink and then embossed with Iridescent Ice powder. The big dots look a bit "gray" in this picture (they're not). You can see the sparkly detail better in the photo below.
On this picture, you can see the sparkly Iridescent Ice embossing powder I used on the polka dots, the texture on the white piece I put through the Cuttlebug, and the dimension of the stamped focal piece. I used the retired Sale-a-Bration set So Many Scallops for big flower. I then added a clear button in the center using iridescent thread. I unraveled more pieces of the thread to get smaller threads to wrap around the white piece. I was pleased with the final card. It has a soft look with some sparkly detail.

I think I must be sick though. I actually said "That's gross!" when glitter got all over the floor and my fuzzy slippers. Am I becoming a glitterphobe again? Geesh! LOL! My mojo has been off lately and now I've said this. How will I ever get packed tonight for Friday's crop? Ugh. I'm not into it right now it seems. Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Speaking of sick....Macy didn't eat supper Wednesday night. She ate it late Tuesday night with coaxing from her concerned mom (me!). This dog was mopey Wed night again. I don't get it. She ate breakfast like a champion, enjoyed her ride to Papa's at lunch and was so good that afternoon. I don't understand what is wrong. This dog NEVER refuses food. Now she sniffs her food and just walks away. She is going potty fine, drinking water and will eat her baby carrot treat or potty treats just fine. I wonder if she is having "dog food burnout", but who knows. I'll just keep watching her for weirdness and go from there. I want to avoid a vet bill if possible, but I'd still pay any amount needed to help her, too. :( She's our "baby", you know.

Anniversary Blessings

After work, Kevin gave me these gorgeous long-stemmed roses. The lady at the florist said they were the longest stems she had seen. I'm guessing they were about 18 inches long! I hated to cut them, but had to trim some off for them to rest nicely in the vase. They smell spectacular! He bought them at the same florist that had done our wedding flowers. Neat!
God makes the most gorgeous things, doesn't He? Especially red roses. Wow!
I also got this beautiful card (WITH GLITTER!!!!) The wording inside brought me to tears. *sniffle* He did good and I am so blessed to have him for my dear husband. :)
Among the political ads and bills in today's mail was this wonderful anniversary card from Connie. Thanks, Connie! We loved it! I loved the glitter on the wording, too. Yum!

I asked Kevin if he preferred dinner out or a home-cooked meal for our anniversary. Since he was tired from work, he said "Just get me a Whopper." I just laughed. We ate our "gourmet" meal together from Burger King. Oh so romantic. LOL! We are such basic people that just being together with our burgers was a-ok with us. We put on our jammies and just spent a quiet night at home with little furball. She wasn't feeling well and was up in the middle of the night last night with a tummyache. She's not quite spunky and if she still acts goofy, she'll get a doctor visit. Poor pooch.

Happy Wednesday and thanks for stopping by!

To Have and To Hold

Eight years ago today, we were married at First Christian Church in Ashland, Ohio. It was a perfect fall day and the sun was shining. Friends and family gathered to help us celebrate the beginning of our life together. I remember Kevin sighing when I appeared at the back of the sanctuary and how I kept winking at him during my vows to keep from crying. It's all on our video! LOL! As I went through our album to pick out some pics to post for today, so many memories came back. I had already forgotten what the cake topper looked like, how young some of the cousins were, etc. We kept our wedding simple, yet elegant. It will be amazing to look back at these pictures in eight more years and see how our lives have changed even from today. *click any pic for a closer look*

Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Simmons
My grandfather was our minister. That is priceless!

He did the ceremonies for my parents, my aunts, my sister and so many more.

He passed away in October 2002. :(
The wedding party
Our wonderful parents
The classic cake-cutting picture (You can see the cake topper here.)

We had a very simple reception in the church fellowship hall.

Everything was just perfect!

Here's the card I made to give to Kevin today.
Here's the inside of the card. I will also write a bit from

my heart to let him know how much I love him.

Thanks for stopping by!

Celebrating Julie and Josh

After church on Sunday, we drove to Columbus for Julie and Josh's engagement party. It was a wonderful, casual gathering of family and friends. We had a great time!

Here's the happy couple. Hard to think my niece is getting married in June. She'll make a beautiful bride!
Here's a pic of her "rock". She had just gotten a nice manicure, too. It's a princess cut and is stunning in person. Pics just don't do it justice.
Josh's 6-week-old nephew Ayden was there, too. I got to hold him and feed him. He is just precious! I loved seeing this loving interaction between them. It reminded me of when I first became an aunt...when Julie was born. Ah...seems like yesterday.
This was the magnificent sky on the drive home. How amazing is this? Wow! It was in line with the highway and had the neatest feathery swirls in it. Wow!

The funny thing about Sunday...it was also my dad's 65th b-day. He didn't get any of the attention though! LOL! I'll have to go spoil him later this week. Happy Belated Birthday, Dad!

The neatest thing, too....Charles got to play guitar in the band at church Sunday. As I was singing the praise songs, I just thanked God that Charles was right there, right then. It was an answered prayer and as I realized it more and more I just let the tears stream down my face. Thank you, Lord! It was amazing to think just weeks ago he was nowhere near the point he is now. :)

I hope everyone has a wonderful week. Kevin and I celebrate our 8-year wedding anniversary Tuesday. Mom and I are going to a crop on Friday night. Other than that, it's an easy week. Thanks for stopping by...

Papertrey Sympathy

Two families I know have lost a loved one this week. I made these cards on Saturday so that I can get them in the mail soon. I used the Papertrey Ink sets Guide Lines and Out on a Limb (sentiments). Cardstock and inks are by SU!, except the textured light blue piece. It is from a pack of textured cardstock I got at Hobby Lobby ages ago. Accessories used are Marvy Uchida Extra Jumbo scallop oval punch and paper piercer. The bottom card has three small self-adhesive bling stones from Archivers. The sentiment inside is from a retired SU! set.

I am so very grateful for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is because of Him I can be assured that when I pass away I'll have eternal life in Heaven. Here is a tender song about our Wonderful Maker (choose the second version). Blessings to all who read my blog and my prayer is that you know the same peace in your life.

Here are the lyrics:

You spread out the skies over empty space

Said, "Let there be light"

To a dark and formless world

Your light was born

You spread out your arms over empty hearts

Said, "Let there be light"

To a dark and hopeless world

Your son was born

You made the world and saw that it was good

You sent your only song, for You are good

What a wonderful maker

What a wonderful saviour

How majestic your whispers

And how humble your love

With a strength like no other

And the heart of a father

How majestic your whispers

What a wonderful God

No eye has fully seen how beautiful the cross

And we have only heard the faintest whispers

Of how great You are

Lyrics by Chris Tomlin, Sung by Jeremy Camp

EEK!

My mojo is in outer space again. I am telling you that I am about ready to make a doctor's appointment to see if there is a remedy! LOL! I know that my new allergy med is making me soooooo sleepy, but geesh!! This is gettin' old! I am so inspired by things, but it just doesn't develop into anything tangible. *sigh* LOL!

I came up with a prototype for my Halloween cards. I had stamped these silly spiders weeks ago and added the EEK! with a small SU! alpha set I have. I inked the rest of the circles today and am totally stumped with what to do next. This card is only 4x4. I am trying to think of how to get as many cards as possible out of my orange cardstock. If I use the 12x12 sheets, I can get 4 cards per piece. We'll see...

I tapped the opened stamp pad over the surface to get the background look. I randomly stamped the word Halloween on the small orange strip. It's all haphazard and not even inked thoroughly, but hey...it's just a prototype so I didn't care.
The 2" circle is cut out of the cardfront with my Marvy punch. I just got it for $8 from my friend Chris who was selling all her punches! Bonus for me!! I didn't have a punch that size.
The glitter on the skinny sticky strip (say that three times! LOL!) is GLOW IN THE DARK! Cool!!!! I held the card up to a light, then went in the storage area under the basement steps. (Thank God I didn't see any real spiders in there!!) I took two pics without a flash so you can kinda see the effect. The top one is with the light in the craft area shining in a bit and the one below is with the door closed more with very little light sneaking in. It's way cooler in person.

I've had a good weekend so far. I got to sleep in today and then made some scrumptious banana/pecan pancakes for breakfast. Yum! In the afternoon, I went to my friend/co-worker's house to see his twin grandbabies. Unfortunately, only one baby was there and he was sick. Poor little guy! I'll see the twins together the next time they visit. I had even taken the camera for some fun baby pics.

Tonight for supper I made pork chops cooked in cream of mushroom soup and smothered in more sliced mushrooms. I added green bean casserole and fresh buttered rolls. Now, get this....I can't stand mushrooms! I made this meal for Kevin and simply flicked the 'shrooms to the side on my serving. Ick! LOL!

Here's a funny from today at the dinner table:

K: Mmm Mmm Mmm

N: Oh are you complimenting the cook?

K: No, I'm complimenting God for making mushrooms.

N: LOLLLLLLL!

Life with Kevin is never dull. LOL!

Tomorrow is church, then we're heading to Columbus for Julie and Josh's engagement party. I am so looking forward to both. Enjoy the rest of your weekend and have a blessed Sunday!

Thanks So Much

Lisa (lisadwb) gave me a goody bag full of fun things recently. Included were several images from The Angel Company. I colored the image using my Prismacolor pencils and blended with Odorless Mineral Spirits and my blending stumps. Her sweet gesture meant a lot, so I decided after this card was made to send it to her as a thank you. Now that she has received it, I can post the card. Patterned paper is from Basic Grey. Punches are from Marvy Uchida and Fiskars. The sentiment stamp is from Papertrey Ink. I lightly inked the edges of everything with my "tan" cat's eye pad and inked the white circle with SU! Rose Red.

Just a short post today. I'm home for lunch and don't have much time. Enjoy! Happy Thursday!

Endless Entertainment

Life with an Eskie means endless entertainment! I was trying to figure out what to post for Tuesday and the more I looked at old photos saved on my computer, the harder I laughed. Here's a few reasons why...
We give Macy very little people food. In this case, she got to lick the inside of the pizza box for giggles and a "scrapbook moment". She started this way, then...
Decided to "camp out" and finish her licking! Ok, that is hilarious to me. Perhaps I am just tired and need some sleep. LOL She was down right serious about getting every last crumb.
This was our bunny model for Easter cards one year. She amazingly looks so cooperative. *cough* Trust me...she whipped those ears off as fast as she could. It was a priceless pic regardless. If she could retaliate, I'm sure we'd be dead by now. LOL

Seriously, she is not abused! LOL I had these old socks I needed to throw out, but before I did...again she showed her fine modeling skills. LOLLLLLL! Her looks says it all, doesn't it?

I keep an old matress pad on the one spare bed since she LOVES to sleep in there when we're gone. I try and try to keep it all pulled up and onto the throw pillows, but...she roots and roots...
Then acts like "who? not me! seriously, mom...I am not messing it up". All I can do is laugh.
With a face like that, who couldn't laugh. She is just too stinkin' cute!! I come home to various configurations of this mattress pad. *cough* I don't know if she just doesn't like the fabric it's made of or if she just likes to push my buttons. I figure the duvet cover can be thrown in the washer and the laughs/joy so outweigh the fact that it is a pain in the butt to wash and slip back over the comforter.

What a kid! I just love her! Ok, that was a healthy laugh session for me. Stay tuned as next time I'll have something crafty to show. Happy Tuesday! :)

Love

I created this page at Scrap Pink last weekend. This is my sweet nephew Charles. I sure do love that boy and right now I am so driven by love to try and keep him going to church and seeking what is good in life. He has been in and out of trouble the last four years and he so deserves the good things in life despite his mistakes. The awesome thing is that a few weeks ago we had a very long conversation about everything from ice cream to salvation. He has accepted Christ recently and I am going to do all I can to ensure he stays on the right path! That lump in my throat right now is so real!! I want him to have a wonderful rest of his life and make the right decisions, all while knowing how very loved he is. *click on the pic to see the page closer*
Just a close up of the bottom left corner. I love those Doodlebug paper strips! I added some colored brads and white gel pen dots for detail.
While I had the Cricut Storybook cartridge from my co-worker, I also cut out this owl frame and the bracket-edged piece. I had them on my table just laying there and decided to make a "love" note to put in Kevin's truck this morning. It's just a tiny 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" card.

It is so important to do the little things that show you love someone. I am going to try my hardest to do more for those I love so that they have no doubt how very loved they are! Have you told someone you love them today? If not, go do it now! :)

Cricut Storybook Cards

My co-worker let me borrow her Cricut Storybook cartridge to create Julie's engagement party invitations/announcements. I have totally added it to my "gotta have" list. It's a great cartridge and you can create the most intricate shapes, flowers and frames.

Rhonda came over Saturday and we cranked out almost 20 of these for Julie. The hardest part was adhering the pink cut-outs. LOL! The Mono Multi glue has a finer tip and that glue is the bomb for little things like this! You only need a tiny 'lil dab. The stamp and corner punch is from SU! and the oval punch is from Marvy Uchida. Do you see the little bling stones we added to the pink cut-outs? Added just the right touch, ya think? :) OH, by the way...these are going to be Julie's wedding colors. The insides were printed in black onto hot pink cardstock and the corners were cut out using the same corner punch. *click for a closer look* The black cardstock is a bit textured.

On Sunday the 12th we'll all be heading to Columbus to celebrate with Julie and Josh. This is the card I made for them with another element from the Cricut Storybook cartridge. You cut the flower part, then cut the background circle. It's super easy and look how gorgeous the shape is! I added some light blue bling stones, some ribbon, paper piercing and a stamped sentiment from Papertrey Ink. I loved that it says "embrace happiness". I pray that this is only the beginning of a very happy life for the two of them.

On Saturday afternoon, Kevin and I went to see the wonderful movie Fireproof. Oh my! I wish all movies were made with such purpose. Go see it! We very rarely go to the new release movies as it's expensive. This one is worth every penny you spend to go. Seriously, go see it with your beloved. It even made Kevin cry.

I am praising God today for such a wonderful and moving weekend. Let's have a great song to honor Him! Click HERE!