Livingroom Camping

just wanted to show you what my living room looked like last night and this morning. :)
Cassie wanted to sleep in her tent... It has been cold and raining out... this was the next best thing.

just a pic

Just wanted to show you all the people... If you click the pic you will get a large pic and you can see all the people esp on the bridge itself.

Here is the color guard from the naval hospital at Bremerton. They came up behind us when we were crossing over from Gig Harbor.

Just an apology and an update

Before I say anything else I must ask a favor from you... If you believe in the power of prayer please pray for little miss Cassie... it has been almost 2 years (august 21) since her "Daddy" went to be with Jesus and she is REALLY struggling with missing him...The closer it gets the worse her grief is... now she can't even be at her sister's house with out crying for me.... I wish I could type here what she said to me the other day but I can't... lets just say it was a REAL eye opener for me. I need to find a grief counselor for her fast.

Sorry I have been away too long... and sorry to my list for not sending for a few days... thought I would get some rest BUT... spent the last 4 days driving through horrible bridge traffic. IF any of you live near the pudget sound... Tacoma really... you know exactly what I mean... they have been building a new bridge and traffic is horrible!!!
Anyway... Thursday i had to drive to aburn to babysit while my daughter went to an important appt. Left Cassie there to help her, was supposed to be until saturday but she was missing Mom so I had to go pick her up Friday afternoon instead... traffic is beyond horrible on Friday afternoons and evenings.
Saturday I had to drive back to aburn for a birthday party... sorry I can't show the birthday girl but she is one of Brandi's Foster children and it wouldn't be a good idea.

Then this morning we woke up early again and went and "walked" the new bridge. We started out on the Gig Harbor side and it wasn't very crowded.... everyone and their brother started out on the Tacoma side and soon there were tens of thousands of people!
We sure had a lot of fun!
We were just starting out on the Gig Harbor side... not many people.
Here cassie is "cutting the ribbon" Still not many people...
Still heading to the Tacoma side...Now we are on the Tacoma side... you can't tell here but there were thousands of people around us. I took more pics and will post more with the people later.
We FINALLY made it back to the Gig Harbor side and i had to take a few more pics on the bridge....
We watched history being made today and it will be something cassie will remember for the rest of her life.

I scrapped

I finally did a LO with one of my templates.
For those of you on the list this is #63... which will come in a few days...
Kit used is "lilac Garden" by Miss mint http://www.peppermintcreative.com/ it is a freebie right now... IF you want it better hurry!

Grace mail and please pray for Sara

I needed this today and thought I would share... my "grace mail"



"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." Jude 24-25, NASB

"Faithful is He who calls you and He will bring it to pass." 1 Thessalonians 5:24, NASB

Corrie Ten Boom stated this truth so succinctly: "In God's faithfulness lies eternal security." Erwin Lutzer, Pastor of Moody Memorial Church in Chicago, has said, "God's investment in us is so great He could not possibly abandon us."

If God can keep the universe going, if God can maintain the fixed order of the sun by day and the moon by night, then He is able to keep you! "The Lord will accomplish what concerns me..." Psalm 138:8a, NASB

Some 350 years ago William Secker wrote these words: "Though Christians be not kept altogether from falling, yet they are kept from falling altogether."


To subscribe to grace mail daily devotionals go here http://www.calvaryphx.com/ subscribe box is on the left side.




ALSO... PLEASE PRAY FOR SARA (and any others you know that suffer with depression)
http://simplysara.typepad.com/lifesimply/2007/05/being_down.html
I have a clue where she is... as I "live" there most of the time... It ISN'T a place I like to call home but I am afraid that is where many of us live.

I find myself in that fog again today after being overwhelmed by everything in my life yesterday. BUT GOD will see me through!

just Sharing some pics

Just wanted to share some pics.... you can see how downright disgusting the floor in that room was once the carpet was removed.... that is what took me so long to scrub :)
I used to always wonder why it was sooooo cold in the back bedroom during the winter....no matter how high we had the heat in there.... I found out.I put a good sized screwdriver straight back into that "crack" ... it went up to past the handle!
The white dripping down is the primer I used last time I painted the room.... I miss that green but it was time for a change.... and Cassie wanted pink. :)


After I removed the 2 sets of carpet tack strips.

The "crack" is now filled with the expandable foam stuff... hopefully it will be warmer in there IF I am still here next winter... or for who ever moves into here after I am gone.

Update on Cassie

Some left comments and some sent emails wondering about Cassie and how I am doing.... so I decided I needed to give you one!

Cassie is doing wonderful! Just like it never happened! I know she remembers the pain but now all the pain is behind her... oh once in awhile she complains about a little pain by one of her 3 incision sites but for the most part she is pain free.
The top pic was taken the day after she came home... she was working on one of her artsy things she got while she was in the hospital.
The second pic was taken the other day... she wanted to help me prime the walls in her bedroom... so I let her.
Her room is pretty much done... just got to prime and paint the trim and base boards... but I will get to that someday.... she has most of her stuff moved back in and I will try to get before and after pics up soon... it was A LOT of work!!!! And I am burnt out on it... that is why the trim and base boards are waiting!


well.... lets see.... what else....
I have been very busy with things.
As I just said...I have just about got the back bedroom fixed so Cassie can move back into it... actually she pretty much has... I don't remember if I told you but when we had that big storm in December a branch went through the roof... the water destroyed the ceiling, the carpet and a bed that was in there... well, I have been waiting for 6 months now for the landlords to fix the room... the carpet got torn out so there is only a wood floor in there... and it is NOT in good shape at all... They decided they were not going to replace the carpet, so i had to tear out the carpet tack strips and remove many staples from the floor itself.... the floor was VERY dirty and grimmy and just plain yucky!!!! I spent 5 hours the other day scrubbing and scraping the gunk off the floor... so now when you walk in there the floor feels clean and smooth instead of yuck! It still isn't pretty but it is clean. We now have 2 big rugs in there.
Before I worked on the floor I primed and painted the walls and the window frames. So I really have been doing things but not really getting a whole lot of what I really want to be doing done. I worked going though and sorting stuff last night in the "storage" room upstairs... I REALLY want to have a yard sale and get rid of stuff that I no longer want or need so that WHEN God releases me from this house I will be ready... it is sooooo time for me to get out of here.... they don't do a whole lot even after I tell them... besides the back bedroom being messed up, I have a leak in my bedroom ceiling, my living room ceiling and one in my kitchen above the side window... they know about all of them but haven't done a thing to fix them! I guess since they don't gush water... except the kitchen one ( I have to put bath towels down when it rains)... they assume I am just fine and happy to live this way. The one in the bedroom ruined a couple pictures I had hanging on my wall and is now spreading further into the room.

So all I can say is for me it is time... but I don't know where I am supposed to move to (you know where it would be if it were my choice, burlington or Mt. Vernon) nor do I have the finances to move... that is one reason I want to have the yard sale... to help with that.

It is funny... in the last few weeks my blazer window broke so I can't roll it up or down, my microwave went out, my lawn mower broke, my dryer has broke and now the blazer's has problems with the steering wheel/ignition.... BUT for now I am doing OK I think... Oh I have my moments especially when I have to do something that a husband normally does... some things that a very hard for me to physically do... but I think I am OK.

Now that I have written you a book and probably put you to sleep I need to get off the pc and get some more stuff done.
So... there is the update... probably more than you all wanted to know!
Hugs to you all!!!!

Psalm 139

As some of you know I have been dealing with a lot of depression lately. And wondering what it is all about... why I keep going into this place... and why I haven't been able to stay out of it.

Many sent me emails of encouragement and many left me comments on 4 shared.... but Someone sent me an email that really helped me to look at it a different way... a way I had known before but had forgotten because I had taken my eyes off of the Lord and became hard of hearing because I was blocking off everything and focusing on "me" and what "I" was feeling.
She said...

"God has many purposes for us all..even those of us who suffer in mental pain an anguish...some times..I think we must bear the Lord's pain..for him..as..there is to much suffering in his world...and that it is a priveledge..he gives us ..because he knows..our faith is undying in him...."

So many times I have been reminded that we share in the sufferings of Christ... and we share in the sufferings of those He created, those He loves. How can we ever feel compassion for someone else if we never experience the pain they feel? How can we ever REALLY reach out in love to help someone if we have never needed someone to reach out in love towards us? Our pain, our sorrow, our suffering is NOTHING compared to what He endured BUT it IS REAL, and even as we are going through it we CAN reach out to others suffering... and we can go to our knees and lift THEM to the Father's throne... AS we pray for them He brings our healing also.
We need to remember, and be reminded sometimes... this really is NOT about us! we may be experiencing the pain at the moment but there is a world FULL of people going through their own pain... may we look beyond OUR pain and bring some comfort to others... May we comfort them with the comfort we have been comforted with.

And just awhile ago The Holy Spirit impressed upon me to re-read the following scripture.... may it bring comfort to someone reading it... as it did to me! When the darkness seems to cover every aspect of our life may we REMEMBER that The Lord is right there with us! He said He would NEVER, NO NEVER leave us or forsake us! May we remember that he descended into the dark places of this earth but He came OUT!!!! May we remember that we are MORE than conquerers through Him who loves us... and may we remember... that GREATER is HE who IS IN us than he that is in the world.
As you read the following passage... think about what The Holy Spirit is saying TO YOU...

Psalm 139

1 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.

2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.

5 You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"

12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!

18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.

...

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

Every Day is a Precious Gift

After our recent experiences with Cassie I saw this word art by Lindsay Jane... I knew I had to do a Layout with a pic of Cassie after she came home from the hospital.... Every day is truely a precious gift!
Just yesterday, a 17 yr old girl died about a block away from my home... and one of my friends lost his cousin in a head on collision... you just never know how fast someone can be gone from you...
I am soooo blessed that Cassie made it through her ordeal, that her heart is still beating and there is breath in her body... Though today she is back to being a kid... back to being a 10 yr old going on 20... I need to remind myself but for the GRACE of GOD she would not be here... For IT WAS INDEED The FATHER who saved her life....

Here she is playing with her Brother in law Tom and her nieces yesterday at her sister's baby shower.

Word Art by Lindsay Jane

http://lindsayjanedesigns.blogspot.com/

Kit: by Rina: Imagine

Not a freebie but BEAUTIFUL! Available here:

http://store.scrapbook-elements.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=6794

template by Me

The Fern and the Bamboo

I got this in my inbox... wanted to share with you... if you are like me, you have those days when you need a reminder.

THE FERN AND THE BAMBOO

One day I decided to quit...I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality....

I wanted to quit my life.

I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

"God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"

His answer surprised me.

"Look around", He said.

"Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"

"Yes", I replied.

"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them.

I gave them light. I gave them water.

The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor.

Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed.

But I did not quit on the bamboo.

In the second year the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful.

And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed.

But I did not quit on the bamboo.

In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed.

But I would not quit.

The same in year four.

"Then in the fifth year, a tiny sprout emerged from the earth.

Compared to the fern, it was seemingly small and insignificant.

But just six months later, the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.

It had spent the five years growing roots.

Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive.

I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle.

"Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling,

you have actually been growing roots?

I would not quit on the bamboo.. I will never quit on you.

"Don't compare yourself to others." He said.

"The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern.

Yet they both make the forest beautiful.

"Your time will come", God said to me.

"You will rise high"

"How high should I rise?" I asked. "How high will the bamboo rise?"

He asked in return.

"As high as it can?" I questioned "Yes." He said,

"Give me glory by rising as high as you can."

I left the forest, realizing that God will never give up on me.

And He will never give up on you.

Never regret a day in your life.

Good days give you happiness;

bad days give you experiences;

both are essential to life.

Author Unknown

Canvas Texture overlay

This is the next overlay I have for you... it is canvas.
http://www.4shared.com/file/16024934/28b3dfb3/HRMR_Canvas_Overlay.html

I am still not up to par from my weekend... guess it was too relaxing with my friends! It was really a good weekend with them and with the Lord... I just really didn't want to come home! OH well... I am home.
Hope you can use the overlay. again... click on the pick to get a close up.

a quick note

I will be away from the PC in a few hours until Sunday night sometime... you can still send requests to join the yahoo group and I will deal with them when I get back...
HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND!

Just Sharing

Cassie (My 10 yr old) got a blow-up bed for her birthday... Why? I don't have a clue but I know she LOVES it!
Anyway... last night my sweet granddaughter spent the night... they had a lot of laughs... they decided to blow up the bed then buried each other with my throw pillows.... (there wasn't any sand to bury each other in!)



But this was my favorite shot... they were both soooo cute and sleeping pretty much in the same position... I just couldn't resist!!!! The flash didn't even wake them up!

just a short note

I got an email and I wanted to share part of it....

"I get very sad when I see on 4shared hundreds of downloads and only a couple people say thanks. It really isn't hard and like you said you can do it while waiting.

Anyway, THANKS for all you do, there really are people out here who are grateful for designers like you who share their talents with people like us!!!!!"

and another one:

"I try to leave comments when I download freebies. I'm not really sure how the blogger name thing works since I have a google account and not a blog. I am pretty sure I've left you a comment on 4-shared under the name @#%$&. I think your 4X6 templates are awesome! I can understand your frustration at people not leaving thanks for what you give. I know I am going to make extra effort to thank every single scrapper that shares with others. Thanks for sharing your talent and also for being bold enough to stand up to rudeness. "


I am posting these because I have only gotten two RUDE comments... probably from the same person.... who didn't even use their real names. AND Their opinions about HOW I share my freebies or why I share them doesn't matter.
Does EVERYONE who downloads leave a comment now? NO... but that wasn't the WHOLE point... but as another blogger wrote me in an email... maybe the person being so rude was feeling a little guilty? Maybe.... I just don't care anymore.

THANKS EVERYONE FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!... As someone else put it to me...

"...don't let them silly people in your garden...they will grow like weeds honey...your to beautiful...for that...I got a few dandelions in my garden too..smiles....that is part of their game plan...I am sure..upsetting people....."

That is sure something to think about!
HUGS everyone!!! Have a WONDERFUL EVENING/Day (which ever it is)!!!!

For a good laugh

If you want a GOOD LAUGH....You have got to go read this post!!!!
As a mother to 4 daughters this means alot!!!!!
http://photojenic.wordpress.com/2007/05/16/first-dates/

BURLAP texture Overlay

Again... pink paper is just to show the texture... and click on pic to get a close up view.

PW is bluebells

http://www.4shared.com/file/16024914/1a85bd31/HRMR_Burlap_Overlay.html

New Texture Overlays

although all of my texture overlays will be shared through my yahoo group I decided to share a few on my blog.
This one is Berber... click on the pic for a better example. Pink paper is NOT included and is only used to show the texture.

http://www.4shared.com/file/16024844/66302343/HRMR_Berber_Overlay.html
Password for these is bluebells

A Note EDITED!!!!!

THIS NOTE IS FOR THOSE WHO NEVER LEFT A COMMENT ON 4SHARED OR ON MY BLOG.... OR SHARED MY LINKS THOUGH OTHER GROUPS!!!!!!!!
ALL of you who left even one comment, or NEVER shared my links, can ignore this
At the risk of sounding like a B@$#%... I started the yahoo group to share my templates (and other creations) with those who actually at least said thank you EVEN ONE TIME on my blog or one 4shared, and to TRY to keep my stuff from being shared with others that didn't even come to the blog.

I make these freebies so they are mine to give as I see fit... just as it is for everyone who makes and gives... if you don't like what I have done go somewhere else... there are plenty of freebies elsewhere.
As I posted before... IF YOU HAVE LEFT COMMENTS PLEASE GIVE ME THE NAME OR INITIALS YOU LEFT THE COMMENTS WITH... THERE WERE A FEW THAT LEFT THEM EVERY POST... SOME THAT LEFT THEM MOST THE TIME... AND SOME THAT LEFT THEM ONCE OR TWICE. they are the ones I want to keep giving to. And THEY ARE THE REASON I AM STILL MAKING THE TEMPLATES... IF IT WEREN'T FOR THEM I WOULD ONLY BE SHARING WITH MY FRIENDS.
so with that.... If what I have said upsets you or offends you... I am truly sorry... but as I read other peoples blogs that offer freebies it is really ticking me off that soooooo many can't even take the 2 seconds it takes on 4shared to leave a comment while the file loads, even those on dial up can do... I KNOW I DID and many others do it ALL THE TIME. people put lots of time and energy into making the freebies and are very giving people and sooooo many just hit the download and for get their manners!!!!!!

Don't come here to MY blog whining and posting/ or try to post a nasty comment... MY BLOG I will have it set up how I WANT... my freebies... I will GIVE THEM HOW I WANT!!!

My Favorite present

I got some really good presents for Mother's day... and some beautiful flowers... some roses, lilies, and the above lilacs (and something else) ... they were picked by hand and arranged by my 10 yr old. I just love the thought and love that she put into it! (NOT THAT I AM DISCOUNTING THE OTHERS AT ALL!)... these really touched my heart.

A Mother's Beatitudes

A Mother's Beatitudes

· Blessed is the mother who understands her child, for she shall inherit a kingdom of memories.
· Blessed is the mother who knows how to comfort, for she shall possess a child's devotion.
· Blessed is the mother who guides by the path of righteousness, for she shall be proud of her offspring.
· Blessed is the mother who is never shocked, for she shall receive confidences.
· Blessed is the mother who teaches respect, for she shall be respected.
· Blessed is the mother who emphasizes the good and minimizes the bad, for in like manner the child himself shall make evaluations.
· Blessed is the mother who treats her child as she would be treated, for her home shall be filled with happiness.
· Blessed is the mother who answers simply the startling questions, for she shall always be trusted.
· Blessed is the mother who has character strong enough to withstand the thoughtless remarks and resentments of the growing child,
for, in due time, she shall be honored.
Leonora Zearfoss