Crop Out Diabetes!!!!

Imagine my surprise when I found an actual scrapping event to benefit JDRF!!! See the logo right over there on the right-hand side of your screen????? Here's the details:

Crop out Diabetes is an all day scrap booking event with all proceeds benefiting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

What you can expect: Reserved crop space, goodie Bag filled with awesome products, lunch, scrap booking rummage sale, silent auction, special give-aways and offers by our vendors (check the website for a complete listing of your location’s vendors).

Crop out Diabetes 2010
Saturday, February 6th
Little Chute Civic Center
Little Chute, WI
8:30AM -5:30PM
Cost: $35 (if you register by U.S. mail, postmarked by 01/01/10)
$40 (if you register by U.S. mail, postmarked 01/02/10 or later)

In addition to the real life crop...the 2010 Crop out Diabetes will include an online crop the week prior to the real life crop!

REGISTRATION FORMS WILL BE AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 1ST!

VISIT OUR BLOG FOR UPDATES! WWW.CROPOUTDIABETES.BLOGSPOT.COM

I was even more surprised when I saw that my good friend Kristi from Paper Secrets was a sponsor of this event!!! THANK YOU, Kristi!!! You already know how much I adore you, but now it's even more so!!!!

Even if you don't scrap you can benefit their cause by visiting their blog and making a donation!!! Please, please, please help spread the word about this VERY worth while cause!!!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart & as always . . . peace & love!!

Hello!!

YIKES!! I didn't realize it's been such a long time since I've updated! Things are getting a little better around here. Still have family members who need LOTS of thoughts, prayers, & positive vibes, so if you have some extra, can you please send them?? Thanks!!

Keeping busy with the kids. Tyler is busy with his sophomore year in high school - taking pretty much all honors classes! He got his driver's permit & is really doing GREAT!! He's playing baseball on the high school team so we're keeping busy with that too! He's an awesome kid - just awesome!! So, so LOVE that kid!!

Jilli is busy being "almost" three! What a pip this little girl is with such an awesome sense of humor for her young age! She really cracks us up & keeps all of us on our toes! By the time she goes home at night I am totally & completely exhausted!! BUT I LOVE it & her!!

Haven't been doing a whole lot of scrapping at all, but here are a few I've worked on:




Hope all is well with all of you & I'll try to do better at updating! Take good care & as always . . . peace & love!!

Sometimes . . .

Your heart just hurts. Hurts so badly that you don't think it will ever stop hurting. But then God's grace allows the hurt to ease up a little bit. Then a little bit more & with time, the hurt is almost gone. Almost. Lately my heart has been hurting a lot. We have so much going on in our family. My Uncle Ken had a heart attack & is recouping. My Uncle Jim has serious issues with the blood flow in his legs. My Uncle Tom had a Total Laryngectomy yesterday so that after 9 years of not being able to eat he will hopefully be able to do so once again. My cousin Cindy has breast cancer.

And last, but certainly not least, Ken's Aunt Doris died on Tuesday. She was such a special, special lady. Her warm smile, loving heart & her keen sense of humor will be greatly missed by many. She had a way of making everyone she came in contact with feel loved. Instantly. We will miss her so very, very much.

So, my heart is hurting right now. Because so many people I love are hurting right now. Please keep our families in your thoughts & prayers. We need them.

Take good care of YOU & as always . . . peace & love! HUGS!!!

WOW! Long time no update . . .

I really don't know how things get so CRAZY around here, but they sure do! We have been VERY busy helping the kids prepare & paint the outside of their home for the last couple weeks. As Jilli stated when they pulled up after church on Sunday, "My home looks BEAUTIFUL!!!" It really does look beautiful!! I can't believe I didn't take photos yet, but I haven't. Hanging head in shame. I need to try & get over there tonight & take some so I can share them here with everyone.

I haven't scrapped in weeks & I really do miss it! I'm going to be working on a very special project in the coming weeks, so I'll be very busy with that! We haven't been out to the beach lately either & I really miss doing that also! Hopefully, things will calm down a bit now & we can get back into our routine! But, I'm not complaining! We LOVE helping the kids!

Here's the last layout I completed weeks ago. It was for a challenge to create a layout about things around your home.



I hope everyone is doing well, & I'll try to update more often! As always . . . peace & love!

Facebook . . .

You know, I have so much to keep up with that I totally forget I even have a Facebook account! Well, this morning I actually logged on & I have had the best time catching up with family & friends!! We live so far away from all my cousins, aunts, & uncles and Facebook is such a FAB to keep in touch!! I got to chat with family this morning as well as some friends I haven't chatted with in a while!! And it's only 9:20AM!!!

What an awesome start to this day!! Hope ya'll have a FAB day & as always . . . peace & love!

TGIF . . .

We went to play Bingo last night & my kiddo walked away with about $70!! Gina won $16 & I won $18! Once again, we had FUN!!! Look forward to next month when we go again!!

Tomorrow we go to the funeral of our retired Pastor. He passed this past week. He suffered so long with cancer, so he's in a much better place now & is finally pain-free. Rest in peace, Pastor Johnson.

Found out last night that my good friend Patti has cancer. She goes to the oncologist today. Thoughts, prayers, love & hugs are with you Patti!

Here are a few layouts I finished this week:





Have a fabulous Friday & weekend. As always . . . peace & love!

The beach . . .

One of our very favorite places to go is to go to the beach. The one we seem to go to most often is Sunset Beach. Ken likes to fish & I like to read & take photos. I'm not quite sure if being a Pisces has anything to do with my love of the beach, but it's possible. When my world is full of ugly, when I'm sad & blue, when my heart hurts, a trip to the beach seems to make it all better. Even it's just for the time we're there. Watching & hearing the waves, feeling the sand between my toes, finding bits of nature, watching children having fun. Whatever. It seems to make all the ugliness disappear & a blissful peace sets in. Ken & I decided at the last minute to head out to the beach for a while last night & I'm so glad we did! Here are some of my favorite photos from last night:













Hope you enjoyed a bit of our little heaven here on earth. As always . . . peace & love!

Monday Scrappin'

Quick post with 2 layouts I finished today:




Hope you enjoy & as always . . . peace & love!

Butterflies, Springs & a Friend . . .

Yesterday we went to The Butterfly Attraction & Rainbow Springs!!! Two AWESOME places!! And as FAB a time as we had all day long (from 9am to after 9:30pm!), the highlight of my day was meeting my friend Cherrie!!!! We only got to spend about 15 minutes together (because we got lost) but I know that we will be meeting up again VERY soon & spending much more time together!!! Cherrie, thank you soooooooooooooooooooooooooo much for meeting up with us even after we got lost & got delayed as much as we did!! It meant the world to me!! I'll share photos of the gorgeous butterflies & the awesome-ness of Rainbow Springs later & on layouts, but I wanted to share a photo of Cherrie & I!



I also need to thank Cherrie for the heads up on Rainbow Springs!! If she hadn't posted the photos from her visit we never would have made our visit!!! So, THANKS, Cherrie!!!!

As always . . . peace & love!

TGIF!!

I had SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much FUN at my very first crop & cannot wait until next month when we do it all over again!!! There were 7 of us there & we all laughed so much!! It's really so much fun to be able to share this addiction/passion with others who are just as addicted/passionate!!!! Here are a few photos of my new scrappy friends:







Like I said, I cannot wait until we do it all over again next month & each month after that!!!! As always . . . peace & love!

Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday!

No layouts to share today, but maybe after tonight there will be!! I go to my very first scrapping crop ever tonight!!!! I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited & cannot wait!!! I bought the cutest tote to carry my stuff in & now I just have to figure out what to take! I can't imagine not having everything right at my fingertips like in my scrap room! ;-) But, it's going to be so much fun just scrapping with new scrappy friends!!!

Let's see - what else. Tyler has spent the past few nights here & I have enjoyed every second with him! He really is an awesome kid & I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO happy, that at 15, he still likes hangin' with his G-pa & G-Ma!! Today he is off to Adventure Island with a bunch of his friends & I know he will have a blast!!

Jilli spent the night last night too & she is just too cute for words! She is so used to being the Queen around here & she was certainly out of sorts because we were watching the All Star game on "her TV" as she called it! "Turn Noggin on, Mimi!" was her mantra . . . but I propped her up in bed & she was somewhat appeased! ;-)

Our very own Carl Crawford took the MVP award for the All Star game & our very own Joe Maddon coached the American League to it's 13th straight victory!!! WHOOHOO!!! Our RAYS definitely represented!!!!!! So, so proud of all them!!!!

Saturday we're heading up to the Butterfly Attraction & Rainbow Springs for the day! I'm really hoping we can meet up with my friend Cherrie!!!

Well, I guess that's it for now! Have a wonderful Wednesday & as always . . . peace & love!

Saturday Layouts . . .

Finished a few layouts in the past few days! Kind of had a little fun being a little funky with one of them! Can you figure out which one that might be? ;-) Thanks for stopping by & as always . . . peace & love!

Thursday Layouts . . .

Here are a few layouts I've completed in the past few days. Hope you enjoy them & as always . . . peace & love!

58 years ago . . .

My parents walked down the aisle. Today they celebrate that VERY special day!!!



Although this is your special day
To share with one another,
It's special, too, for everyone
Who love you, Dad and Mother
That's why so many loving thoughts
Come with this wish for you
For everything to make this day
Just perfect for you two!

Happy Anniversary With LOTS of Love . . . always!!!

Sunday Scrappin'

Happy Sunday everyone! Got to get a little scrapping done in the past several days! Hope you enjoy the latest layouts & as always . . . peace & love!

Happy 15th Birthday Tyler!!!!

15 years ago today, God blessed us with our first grandchild! Tyler came into our world, our lives, & our hearts! Since the moment he was born, he has filled our lives with so much love, laughter, joy, happiness, & pride! Mere words cannot express how VERY much we love this kid & what he has brought to our world!! We celebrated a little bit here on Sunday while celebrating Father's Day with everyone and tonight we're all going to Wing House (Ty's favorite) & then to the Rays vs Phillies baseball game!! Where else would Tyler wish to celebrate his special day??? GO RAYS!!!!

Happy, happy birthday, kiddo!! Here's to many, many more!!! We love you with all our heart & soul . . . Gpa & Gma XOXOXO

Thursday!

Another crazy week here! Here are a few layouts I managed to create! Hope you enjoy them & as always . . . peace & love!

A few layouts . . .

Haven't had a whole lot of time to scrap in the past couple of weeks. Have kept pretty darn busy with other things, but here are several I did manage to create! Hope you enjoy & as always . . . peace & love!

35 years . . .

ago today, I married my very best friend! Today we celebrate 35 years of marriage & I'm so happy that he's still my very best friend in the world!! I love you, babe, with all my heart & soul!!! I soooooooooooooooooo look forward to the next 35!! God willing, huh???

Happy Anniversary to us!!! I LOVE YOU!!!