Went to ladies retreat! Miss CNY ladies retreat!!!

I suppose if I never went to the Central New York districts Ladies Retreat then the Minnesota/Iowa district Ladies Retreat would seem great but when you compare the two, it is like comparing steak and hamburg.
I did the crafts this year for the ladies retreat which starts 7 pm friday and ends at 12 pm saturday. I went last year also right after moving here and so this year I made a decision, there was an annoucement that they are starting a committee to plan the retreat and if I want it to be better, well then you know what I have to do!! YEP YOU Got it! I volunteered to be on the committee!! Suzi wrote back saying we will love having you as part of the committee. I hope so since I have lots of ideas brewing in my head! Course lots of them come from good old CNY!!!

a little something I painted!

I did two one for a swap and one to sell on ebay! now just gotta get it listed!!!

Yep I did it again!

Just did not feel like it was home yet so I changed the looks of my blog!! Wanted something different! so here I go again changing my clothes again!

YOu should see me getting ready for church on sundays!!! LOL! Took me forever this time, kept goofing up! Please let me know if I am missing your link! I had an awful time with the links!!!

Friday Jay Jay went to his first friend Bday party!

He was so excited!! The bday boy wanted a sleepover but 5 yearolds! so his mom (smart mom!!) let him have a pretend sleepover! The boys were invited for a 3 hour party 5:30-8:30 and they were to bring their pjs and after they ate supper (pepperoni pizza) and cake, they changed into their pjs and played some games and watched a pirate movie! The party was pirate themed! Jason had such a great time! All he has talked about since is Cole's bday party!! His dad bought him new superman pjs for the party and as you can see from the photos he is pretty proud of them!!

I am proud of my Daughter in Law Amy

We have not always seen eye to eye and it is not easy living in the same house. But recently I told Amy about somethings that she needed to think about and work on changing and she is doing so well at doing her best!

It is hard to take critism and truly try to apply it to our lives and she has done a good job this past week.

She has her plate full raising 4 children, two of which of not my sons although he loves them like his own (they are like my own grandchildren also but I am not old enough to be their grandmother!!!!) and they are hurt by their biological father frequently (even though they don't see him since he lives hundreds of miles away but just through his calls and lack of support, gifts,etc.he hurts them).

I am proud that she is trying to better herself!

Noah got attacked by a dog last week!

Last week Noah was in the backyard playing, his mom was out there with him and I was in town doing a class when a part Chihuahua part something bigger attacked him and bit him in the face! He had bites right on the eye lid that could only be seen if he closed his eye which shows how close it came to his eye!

The dog did not even live close to us!! Two days later we had to call the police because the dog was loose again! Thankfully the idiots had the responsibility to have gotten the rabies shots for the dog!! I don't know what I will do if I see it in my yard again!! Noah loves dogs and it is a wonder the dog did not ruin that!!

Just seems like everything is DOWN!

A sad time for me, trying to get my mood up but not feeling well does not help the matter at all! Just can't seem to feel better about the anniversary of moving here! Don't care about tomorrow being a special day for me. And The Memory Safe is not working right so I can't escape there! Daughters hubby's grandmother died so they leave tomorrow for N.Y. so they won't be here for tomorrow. Just adds to all going wrong!

Don't get me wrong I do not blame my daughter, it just seems that every year September STINKS! and this year is the worst! I hate this move! I am so lonely for my friends! I feel like I have no support system!!

I can't believe I wanted so bad to move out of this house in NY to a bigger better one for years and now I wish I was back there!

Anniversary of leaving on a jet plane!

Thursday Sept. 21st will mark the 1year anniversary of when I flew out of New York to Mn. for my new home. Although we did not move into the new house until mid October. Hubby was already in Mn. for about 3 weeks so I sat in the airport crying and my best friend called and sang "I'm leaving on a jet plane" to me! so then I was laughing and crying!

I sure do miss Nikki!! I kept thinking time would make a difference in adjusting to Mn. but it has been a year and I am just as lonely!!! Saturday night a group of a dozen ladies from my church in NY called me from the annual ladies retreat I went to and look forward to each year! A totally awesome event! The called and sang to me and told me they missed me and although I totally appreciated the call and it made me feel good it also made me feel even more down.

I wish I could figure out how to pull myself out of this, but I can't seem to figure out what to do! The church we go to is good but there doesn't seem to be anyone that I can click with as a close friend, or someone that I consider a friend. Just "church friends" I guess but not ones to go shopping with or call or confide in, etc.

Okay enough ho hum, Sorry to be such a downer today!!!

I cannot draw, just paint

So I decide I want to paint a picture of a scarecrow on a milkcan so in order to do this I need to draw it first so I take a photo of grandson posing on a milkcan a few days ago and I fell in love with the photo!! decide its even better then painting the picture I wanted!!

What a cutie he is and I am proud to say it!! 

Decided it was time for a change

So I changed my blogger skin but now I am worried about whether my comments are working or not so please if you cannot comment please let me know and please let me know pluses and negatives to the new look!!

Labor day trip to Como zoo and botanical gardens

On Labor day we all headed out to Como zoo! Grandma and Pop pop, Aunt Mindy, Uncle Mike, Jay (daddy) Amy (mommy) Chelsea, Emily, Jay Jay and Noah! Got photos of everyone but Amy as she did not want any photos! It was a great day for the kids, they enjoyed themselves! A great zoo! I decided not to do any animal photos as I have lots of them and focus on the kids! But could not resist a few flowers!!

Apple, peaches, pumpkin pie, who is not ready, holler I! I! I!

 
 
I don't think I am ready! BUT Jason was much more ready today then yesterday when he went to just meet the teacher!

Today my first grandson went to kindergarten and it was a hard day for grandma! I just can't believe that little baby that was as small as grandpa's hand is already in kindergarten!!

I can't wait for him to come home so I can listen to him tell me with excitement in his voice of all the adventures of the day! 

Went for a ride today! WOW

We ended up over on the Wiscounsin side of the Mississippi and went up on a bluff for a drop dead beautiful view! So great! Saw some Eagles flying! Just breath taking!
Ended up going through a neat little historic town called Alma and going into some of the coolest shops! Shops that looked liked the general store on Little house on the prarie! But duh the camera was in the car for that part!!

After doing this post I found out about this neat addition so am adding more pictures although some look funny since they were taken with the camera turned sideways so hubby looks a bit mishaped!

Nancy wins vote for Anything goes challenge!

It is funny how the entries jumped all over the place! Nancy jumped up quite a bit
today by winning the vote for the Anything goes challenge!
Course I am preparing the entries and it only takes one to win so we shall see!

But here are the final entries I calculated! I added entries to my blog as soon as someone got them so as to keep track!

Shelley has earned 58 entries (1 missed from last week!)
Margo has earned 10 entries
Terry has earned 1 entry
Janean has earned 8 entries
Samantha has earned 11 entry
Denean has earned 18 entry
Kathy C (kacarr61) has earned 28 entries
Nancy has earned 52 entries

My Layout for Week 5 Scrapathalon!

This was great! I loved doing this one so much! Course I have wanted to do these photos of Noah and then I got to use Noahs painting! And I made a paint bottle and shaded it for dimension and used texture paste! I really loved doing it and NOAH just loves looking at the page too!!

Noah sure loves Pop Pop's 4 wheeler!

Yes he is in his glory sitting on the 4 wheeler!!! Thankfully the egg is going down on his head! but the black eyes look terrible!

But alls well that ends well! Jay Jay was so upset that he hurt his brother! Just think they are only 2 1/2 and 5 and the accidents are already starting!! I think my son is going to find out what he put us through scaring us with his dare devil stunts and injuries!! But it is going to be DOUBLE TROUBLE!

A phone photo of Noah the night it happen while we were in the Emergency room!

Scrapathalon Week #4 points adding up fast!!!

Ok time to start a new post for entries earnings so far!!

Thank goodness Denean got the question about my real name! Glad that one is done!!!!

New mini challenge out which could really change the leading points fast! I am really enjoying doing the challenges !
Shelley has earned 58 entries (1 missed from last week!)
Margo has earned 10 entries
Terry has earned 1 entry
Janean has earned 8 entries
Samantha has earned 11 entry
Denean has earned 18 entry
Kathy C (kacarr61) has earned 28 entries
Nancy has earned 52 entries

Such a long night last night!

Last night we had severe thunderstorms, with hail and tornado warnings, several touched down in Mn. just west of us, over 50 homes were damaged. Then Jay Jay kicked over a stand I had in the livingroom showing hubby the door to it re: changing the door for a paint design idea and unfortanetly at the same time his dad Jason sr. had just layed down Noah on the floor to change his diaper. Yep the stand hit him smack in the forehead above the nose and we ended up in the Emergency dept. Well all was well it is just a really really bad goose egg and he is going to have two black eyes and of course we have to watch for signs of concussion.

Then at 3:30 Am another storm hits and the wind began and we were awake and watching the lightening and the wind and the hail.

So of course today due to lack of sleep I have a migraine!!! BUt not as bad as it could be! So I am thankful for that!

I wish the Memory Safe Gallery was fixed, it will take me forever to catchup once it is. But at least on the blog you can click on it and see it larger. When attaching on threads on TMS is ok but not as good as the blog or the gallery!! Soon I pray!

The Scrapathalon is going well, although I believe the question about a Design Teams Real Name may have been too hard. Even though the answer is right under their noses! Course I believe it is because they are so use to using the search button for finding the answer. I have given a hint or two, guess we shall see!!

Finally finished my layout for week 4 Challenge

In 1998 I went on a Missions Trip to St. Kitts with my daughters college Southern Wesleyan University's Missions club. They needed a nurse to go along for the students but to work right along with the students! This was right up my alley as I had always wanted to go on a Missions trip.
We helped build a preschool during the day and then each evening we did services!

So the layout is about a very special time for me and perfect for the week 4 challenge!
My plan is to do an entire book on my trip or an entire book of my 3 trips I have taken so far. Which ever way it works out!

Just put up Mini Challenge part 2 on TMS!

A layout with 5 entries going to each person who makes the layout!
1 entry if you do a tag! and 3 extra if the tag is from the tag challenge
I gave earlier (even if you did not make the deadline! you can still make it
follow the guidelines!)
1 Photo only a requirement
1 metal embellishment-for 2 entries

NOW I think I am being really easy on them with this one!
and I have my example to show!
Oh and I always like to give reward for the first one done since I am the worlds slowest! so 1 extra entry for the first layout loaded.

Here is my layout!

Scrapathalon Week #4 points so far!!!

Wow its already WED. of week 4!!! Some frustration along the way with the site going down so the mini challenge #1 is been extented.... Can't wait to see the painted tags!!

Margo got 2 entries in this weeks drawing for posting her lovely tag first!!! Woo hoo way to go Margo!
Also I have posted some getting to know TMS Design Team questions and so a few more
entries have been earned this way!

So for the total entries earned so far!

Shelley has earned 15 entries (1 missed from last week!)
Margo has earned 5 entries
Terry has earned 1 entry
Janean has earned 2 entries
Samantha has earned 1 entry
Denean has earned 13 entry
Kathy C (kacarr61) has earned 12 entries
I can't wait to finish this mini challenge so we can start the next!! Humm wonder what is up my sleeve?

By the way I love comments on my Blog and I love reading what others write too!!

Week 4 Scrapathalon

I am in charge of the Scrapathalon at THE MEMORY SAFE for week 4 this week! To start we have a mini challenge going on to do a tag using at least 2 colors of paint!
Here is my example!!


The bad part is that the site is down right now and so we will have to extend the deadline most likely~ Hope the site is fixed soon! I was not even able to post that Shelley won my challenge to find out who Shawn's sister is!

Britton and Noah are having fun together

It is wonderful to see the two cousins play together so well! I pray that even though they live so many miles apart that someday they will become extremely close! They are only 8 days apart with Britton being the oldest! I hope that they will have some common interest and be able to look forward to visits from one another. I pray that each of my grandchildren will learn to only look for the best in people!
So many times people are so negative against other people and think that everyone is against them. My husbands grandmother, Florence Kithcart, God rest her sole could find good in every person and I pray that my grandchildren will be that way and I pray for the Lord to help me to be that way!!
I hear my grandchildren say " he/she gave me a dirty look (sometimes even meaning someone they see on the street they don't even know) when I hear that I tell them "no way, You can't read a look like that, so get a life, people look at you or even past you, it does not mean they are giving you a dirty look! LIFE IS WAY TO SHORT TO WORRY ABOUT LOOKS!!
So lets take time to love our family and friends and enjoy life! Take a lesson from Britton and Noah!!!

Amy challenged Me to post what inspires me to scrap!

This is such an easy one for me! My grandchildren inspire me the most!





***************************************************************************
My Children inspire me!



**************************************************************************
My Hubby inspires me!
*********************************************************************************
Family and Friends inspire me!


***************************************************************************
My online friends at my forums like The Memory safe and That Scrappy Chick and The Untamed Scrapper, Scrapjazz and Scraplyrics all Do Challenges that also help so much!!
****************************************************************************
BUT ABOVE ALL WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE GOD CHALLENGES ME because HE has given me all of the above and also He gives me the beauty that I see outside too that sometimes challenges me also!!!

My little Britton is HERE!!!

It is so great to have all my children here! It is especially great to have all my grandchildren here ! I am loving having time with Britton! Hoping by tomorrow or the next day he will be more comfortable with me! I worry about him so much, he has been diagnosed with very mild autism. He can say a couple words and he does know some sign language! I ask anyone of my blog friends reading this to keep Britton in your prayers! Now I need to get to bed so I can be ready to play tomorrow!!

Lots of unfinished projects from HOOT!

But this one is done! Most are almost done just need little things to finish so I must get myself going and finish them but then I also bought so many new things to do and also scrapbooking supplies too! So I am excited to try all my new stuff!
My son and dil and grandbaby arrive today from S.C. also so I won't get much done this week but that's okay because I am gonna hug and love that boy and take load of photos!
Whoops better go charge the camera battery!!!

I am having a wonderful time!!

having a great time at HOOT!
so much fun at HOOT! painting up a storm! I have taken some great classes! Enjoying my painting classes so much! got some great items for painting and scrapbooking!!

My latest painting piece I finished!

 
This is the piece I just finished that I will be teaching in September! It is a really fun piece!!
I leave on Sunday for a week in Ohio for a painting convention called HOOT! Heart of Ohio Tole! I am very excited to be going! I always enjoy myself and I will get to see my painting friends from New York!!! I plan to kick off my shoes and enjoy myself and forget my problems! YEE HAW!! 

OUCH!! Poor Jay Jay!

 

Day before yesterday Jay Jay decides to try to jump from one of Grandma's antique milk cans to the other!

YOU GOT IT, He did not make it and the result he put his tooth right through his cheeck from the inside out! The hole on the outside is nothing but the inside is a gaping hole!!! The doctors went back and forth should they stitch it, or not! They finally decided not to but put him on some strong antibiotics!

Yesterday he woke up with his face huge and swollen! I took a picture yesterday but it was also red and warm to touch! We waited until today and if it was not any better he was going back to the doctor but today the warmth and redness was gone! I took some more pictures today and these are from today!! He just looked much more uncomfortable yesterday and I could not bare to put those up! 

Challenge four for Scraplyrics

Challenge #4 is complete,the assignment... Challenge #4 is another themed challenge! The theme being songs that take you back to High School or your teen years! I choose WE May Never Pass This Way Again by Seals and Croft
I chose this song because it was the theme to one of
the proms hubby and I went to and "We will never pass that way again" there are the lyrics to the song under the picture of the prom that goes with that theme and under the other picture is the lyrics to the song that goes with the other prom theme by Moody Blues "Nights in White Satin"

The blue patterned paper is Basic Grey.