Christmas at Our house!

Christmas at our house was held on Dec. 26th so we could have it with the boys! It was a little different then other years due to our limited budget! ONe of Noah's favorite gifts was his shaving kit!

Even Jason got in on the fun! And then Aunt Mindy had to get in on the fun and do her makeup. An update on my Mom, she is still in the hospital and not doing very well so of course your prayers are welcome!

I am thankful that the Lord sent his son to be born a baby in a lowly manger to teach us about life and to give us eternal life by dying upon the cross for our sins!
I am so thankful to be home for Christmas with my husband and family and I am ready to start the new year with my family also.

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

 
I am so thankful to finally be home! I am so thankful to finally be back with my loving husband and to be able to feel his loving support and stength and to have him hold me once again!

For those of you who have been praying for my mom, she came home last thursday and it was the worse 5 days of my life. Not so much for my mom's care but because of several reasons. First the hospital she was in INTERMEDICAL that is incompetent once again, sent her home with many things incomplete and not in place. I had to keep calling them, for instance she is on insulin and one of the insulins she is on the dosage depends on her blood sugar and you have to take her blood sugar reading and then follow a sliding scale to determine the dosage, they did not send the sliding scale with us! BUT THAT WAS ONLY ONE OF THEIR MANY MANY ERRORS.



I also wanted all to know that I have a wonderful Peace that passes all understanding from my wonderful Savior that has helped me to deal with all things above! I now can focus on my health and my wonderful family I have missed so much and those wonderful grandkids that have been giving me many many kisses!!! I love my mom and I am glad that GOD is in control and HE will do what He feels is right in HIS TIME but He helped me to know where I now need to be and that I did all I could and I thank HIM for all that time I had there with MOM and that special new connection and I can't wait to see MOM again, when and where. KWIM

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS! SO TIME TO DECORATE! YEAH BABY! Right after a major dr's appt. today. eek! LOL!

Christmas cookies

Christmas is upon us and if I were home I would have started my Christmas cookies already and one that freezed great are Candy bar cookies and they are the favorite in my house and OHHHH so easy!!



THESE ARE TO DIE FOR AND THEY FREEZE WONDERFULLY TOO!

Candy Bar Cookies
1 cup Packed brown Sugar
2/3 cup butter or margarine
¼ cup light corn syrup
¼ cup peanut butter
1 tsp. Vanilla
3 ½ cups quick-cooking rolled oats
2 cups semisweet chocolate pieces
1 cup butterscotch pieces
2/3 cup peanut butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 13x9x2 baking pan with foil; extend foil over edges of pan. Set aside. In a medium saucepan, cook and stir brown sugar, butter, and syrup over medium-low heat until combined. Remove from heat; stir in the ¼ cup peanut butter and vanilla until smooth.

For crust, place oats in a very large bowl. Pour brown sugar mixture over oats; stir gently until combined . Press mixture evenly onto bottom of prepared baking pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are light brown.

Meanwhile, in the same medium saucepan, cook and stir chocolate and butterscotch pieces together over low heat until melted. Stir in the 2/3 cup peanut butter until mixture is smooth. Slowly pour mixture over hot crust, spreading evenly.

Cool in pan on rack for several hours or until chocolate layer is firm. (If necessary, chill until chocolate is set.) When firm, use foil to lift out of pan. Cut into bars.

Sometimes we just need to smile! Raks make me smile

On a sad day or a out of sorts day a smile or laugh sure helps to brighten my day, it makes me feel so much better! I have worked at being positive and trying to keep a smile on my mom'a face. I love it when she laughs. It so great to see her spirit brightened and I feel she will soon be doing so much better as she goes home tuesday although still on the vent.

Now the person who I adore that can always make me smile and laugh. The fact is he makes many people laugh and smile and I know so many people who love him, that is my uncle Yogi!

My challenge to you is to make a layout about someone who makes you laugh and/or smile! Now I have no problem with you combining it with a challenge on another site but I would like it to be new so this is on the honor system! i AM GIVING A RAK WHICH i WILL DO A RANDOM DRAWING FOR! IT IS AN AWESOME RAK WHICH I AUCTULLY JUST WON MYSELF AND LOVE BUT I WANTED TO DO A RAK AND CANNOT AFFORD ON SO I DECIDED TO GIVE AWAY THIS ONE! BECAUSE I TRULY BELIEVE IT IS BETTER TO GIVE THEN RECIEVE!

nOW hERE IS MY EXAMPLE WHICH I ALSO DID AS A SCRAPLIFT CHALLENGE ON SO THE DESIGN IS SCRAPLIFTED!



tHANKS DREA! HERE IS HER LAYOUT ON HER BLOG! THESE ARE THE DAYS

HERE IS THE RAK! (all the papers are cut down to 4x4)


YOU MUST POST A COMMENT WITH A LINK TO THE LAYOUT, AND AN EMAIL ADDRESS OR BLOG. NEED SOMEWAY TO NOTIFY YOU IF YOU WIN. COMMENT WITH LAYOUT LINK MUST BE POSTED BY SATURDAY DECEMBER 6TH MIDNIGHT EASTERN TIME. ALSO IF YOU PASS THE WORD AND SOMEONE POST TELLING ME THAT YOU SENT THEM, FOR EACH PERSON THAT POST YOU SENT THEM I WILL ADD AN EXTRA CHANCE IN THE DRAWING!

A great sketch blog!

I stumbled on a great sketch blog several weeks back just as it first opened and added a link to my blog as part of their blog challenge and then in changing my blog around lost the link! So I readded that link today on the left side and thought I would also show you the layouts I did back then from sketch 1 and 2 on their blog!!

So check out Inspired Blueprints

AWESOME NEWS!

Today my mom went down for a swallow test to see if she can swallow well enough to not have to worry about getting food in the wrong tube due to the wrong pipe so to speak since having the trach, she had the test several weeks back and failed! She has not been able to drink or eat basically since august 8th!! she has a feeding tube!

Well she passed!!! she can have thin fluids and blended foods to start and with a speech therapist present a soft diet and then progress hopefully from there! She is so thrilled just to be able to drink water and COFFEE again!!! she has missed her coffee so much!!

I know this will improve her spirits!

It is really time for some good news!!!

Here are some new layouts I did!

I sure will be glad when I am home and have my scanner to use!! I hate having to take photos of my layouts!!!!

Hey God, I have reached my limit!

You know that the bible tells us that the Lord will not give us more than He and you can handle together! Well I am reminding Him that I have reached that limit!
Right now my brother, father, sister and I are taking shifts taking care of my mom to prove we are able so she can come home!

the Nurse practioners feel that she won't get better, she went downhill while I was home and has not been off the vent much but she also gets lousy care at intermedical! So we feel she will do better at home and feel she can improve and even some of the Respiratory techs feel that is possible!

I am discouraged that the house in Mn. has not sold yet also and money is so tight and being down with my mom is costing me also. We changed realtors also.

But I know things will Improve and that God is in control, I just needed to remind Him that I am about at the end of that rope!!!

NOW HOW ABOUT a Chance to win some great blog candy!!! SOME Cosmo Cricket! Then check out the Scrap City blog!!

And as long as I am mentioning Scrap City you should also check out the great crop going on at the forum! SCRAPCITY

One last item! I have a good friend Jen who is a real sweet heart and she has given me a blog award! Thank you Jen!

Now I want to pass it on!
Wendy
Janice
Kayla
Stephy
Denean

I am in a crop! come join me!

Come over to Scrap 4 Life and join the crop

Here is a layout I have completed for the first challenge! I know it is simple but it was not an easy challenge for me!

The reason it was not easy is that the challenge is to do a layout on 10 things you are thankful for, today right after I decided how to do it and wrote down my items I am thankful for I got a call that my mom has gone downhill and has a very bad lung infection. The #1 on my list is answered prayer and that has been the answered prayer re: her and her health these past 3 months and also weaning her off the vent so I don't know where we are at now or will be at so I shed a lot of tears during this layout but it is also why I used the paper with Faith and believe on it because I have faith and have not given up believing!!

So those of you who follow my blog know I will continue to ask you to pray for her but also please pray for me as I an struggling hard with this! Also the nurse practioner that called me today tends to be very blunt and she even told my mom that this infection my kill her and my mom really has no one right now as she won't let them see her cry and she usually only cries when I am there! My brother said she just kept looking off in space! I leave to go back on thursday and I really can't go back before that! I am going to call and try to talk to her tomorrow although she won't be able to talk back. I know that GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL Reguardless of how negative the nurse practioner was and I know that I need to convince my mom of that!

Please forgive me for being so behind!

I came home for awhile to get my needed mri and shots and unfortanetly in that time my mom has not done as well. I feel bad but what can I do. I would ask you to continue to pray for the situation.

Also my dad had it in his head that we are all plotting against him. He has been confused lately and got very mad at me when I called him to tell him what the hospital my mom is staying at said about my moms release and what needs to be done for it. They are thinking of releasing her in about 3 weeks which will be about 2 weeks after I go back.

In the meantime I am enjoying seeing my family and being home and getting some important medical things taken care of!

I got a little discouraged!

Mom's Co2 was up ( the bad air you get rid of after you breathe in oxygen and use up the good stuff then you breathe out the co2 but she is not getting rid of enough of it) So they backed her down and have only been letting her get off the vent both yesterday and today 8 hours!

she has done well, I just got discouraged, then although respiratory therapist have been real positive, a nurse practioner said she does not believe my mom will ever get off the vent 24 hours. That she will always need it for nights. I guess I still believe in miracles and God! So I have decided PHEWY! I also believe in my mom!

tonight they will retest her blood gases and if they are fine she will do 10 hours again tomorrow~ I have not stopped the contest!

PLEASE I need lots of prayers for her! sO PLEASE PASS THE WORD FOR EXTRA CHANCES TO WIN!

10 hours again and holding

Day #4 of 10 hours! They decided to keep my mom at 10 hours for a while to build up her strength and work on getting her ambulating and eating and getting her upper body strength better!

I don't really have a problem with this, it is just that they had a meeting 2 days ago about it and no one has told me about it yet, I just sorta of heard it through the grapevine! I asked the nurse practioner to speak to her today and she said she did not have time because of two admissions so if she got time maybe tomorrow!

I am so frustrated with this place! I really think that it is ridiculous! I need to tell my mom I am leaving for a while but was told by Respiratory not to tell her till she is at 16 hours off the vent, humm well if they aren't moving her along and I am planning on leaving the end of next week, I THINK WE MAY HAVE A PROBLEM HOUSTON!

Please continue to pray! AND AGAIN PASS on the word for the blog candy/rak

Spread the news for extra entries!! Bowling buddies

I have decided the prize for the blog candy drawing A kit from the scrapbook site of your choice! AND From now until friday for anyone who spreads the word and leaves me a link of the blog or site where the spread the word I will give them 5 extra chances! The only requirement to win the blog candy is posting that you are praying or thinking about my mom! ( I am not holding to those words! LOL) JUst post something acceptable LOL

Yesterday she did 10 hours~ we thought they would have her do 12 next but the nurse practioner says she is going to have her do 10 a few days extra for some reason so now we are doing 10 again today for the 3 rd day! sometimes I think they just want the money because she sure aced 10 both days!

She bowled right up till she was hospitalized on two leagues and one league sent her a signed bowling pin! HEre she is checking it out~

whoops 11 hours!

the respiratory therapist charted the wrong start time in just one spot and so they kept mom off an extra hour and she auctually did 11 hours yesterday!! woo hoo so she is well prepared for today and is auctually almost done with her 10 hours today and sat up in a wheelchair today!

Presenting Marion Wilson and the Vent Dance

check out mom doing the vent dance!

SHE DID IT! 8 More hours off the vent! SO here she is doing the vent! IT was a great day! she was awake alot and did not struggle alot and she even played some dominoes!

sent the video to the grandkids and here they are doing the vent dance back to grandma!

the Bed Dance! Don't forget about my RAK!

One of the Respiratory Therapist has a little thing she does with patients she calls the bed dance if they make it the full time planned off the vent! well mom is getting into it so much that all the respiratory therapist want to watch her do it when she makes it each day!
YEsterday she made it the full 8 hours and she did her dance and one therapist missed seeing the dance so she repeated it for her!
We are shooting for 8 again today!! I just know the prayers are doing it and that the Lord will see her through this!
Thank you all again!
tHE PHOTO IS MY MOM AND MY GRANDSON NOAH THANKSGIVING 2006.

Sinus infection slowing things down!

Well mom had a bad headache today and only did 6 hours again but at least we are not going backwards~ They have realized now she has a sinus infection and started her on an antibiotic so hopefully that will help and she will be able to do 8 hours tomorrow! Thanks again for all the prayers!

Not 8 but not a set back

Due to Mom starting the day with severe headache, they only let her go off the vent for 6 hours today but hey we did not go backwards, we just stayed at an even pace and she aced the 6 hours and tomorrow we go 8! So please please continue to pray!

I am so proud!

This is a card I made for my mom telling her how very proud I am of her! Today was awesome! We made it another 6 hours off the vent!!!
Tomorrow we go for 8 hours off the vent!! Everyones prayers are helping! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!

We did it!! thank you everyone! Blog candy alert!

Mom made it off the vent 6 hours today as easy as pie! I know it was the prayers!

I have decided to hold a blog challenge! From now untill my mom gets off the vent ( I know she will) or untill I end the challenge if it just isn't happening! everyone who comments and keep on praying for her will go into a drawing and the winner will get a prize and I promise the prize is going to be well worth it! I have also decided to include everyone who commented today and yesterday also! So keep up the good work everyone!

Everyone Pray hard for tomorrow!

Mom made it 4 hours off the vent for the 2nd day in a row today so tomorrow she goes for 6 hours! She has never gotten to try for 6 before! Something always goes wrong!

But this time we are doing it! But we need everyone to pray! PRAY that no one goofs up and nothing stands in her way! Thanks in advance~

I was able to do a couple layouts this weekend for a crop for breast cancer on The Scrap City forum. The hard part was I had to take photos of them with my phone and send them to hubby and then he uploaded them as I could not get to use the computer in my brothers house this weekend much so they looked really bad online! LOL! oh well! So here they are on the blog!!!

God answered my prayer!

Monday was my dad's not so happy birthday! My mom had been having kind of an off day and I had been having a rotten day! There are some nurses that don't deserve to carry the name Nurse at the hospital my mom is at! ( this is coming from a nurse remember!) A certain one had been extremely rude that day and my mom says when she can talk again (the trach stops her from talking right now) that nurse is going to hear it! Anyways my mom had a bad headache and had started calling for something for the headache ( My mom never takes tylenol hardely for headache and she wanted pain med so it had to be bad) she called three times! when suddenely she had a seizure! Both my dad and I screamed for help! Still took 30 secounds but help did come!

That night I went to the chapel and begged God, let it be a seizure and not a stroke as afterword they could not get any response out of my mom, not even to pain. But the next morning she was back and everything was normal and all test, eeg and cat scan normal! Also we did discover one med they ( I realized and called Nurse practioner) had increased that day can cause seizures.

I know that God answered my prayers! With that in mind, please help me in praying to get her off the vent, we cannot seem to get past 4 hours without something happening and having to start over again! I truly appreciate your prayers!

Here are some scrappy itemsI have not shared yet! I hope you all are scrapping more then me! I have to admitt I miss all my supplies at home in my scraproom! It is not easy scrapping in my brothers camper and also using someone elses computer to post! I miss my scanner so much! I don't like using the camera!

Happy HOW MANY YEARS???

okay it so it's not the best picture but I am tired and it was a long day! My best present? Mom making it off the vent for 4 hours! the worst part of the day was being away from hubby! There was another bad part of the day but I am not going to even mention it! just let's say some people are jerks!

My nieces and nephews, brother and sil threw a birthday party for me! THe goof behind me is my great nephew behind me, Timmy~! A cancer survivor!! WOO HOO!!

Trick My Tractor

Thank God for scrapbooking or I would go insane! Here is a layout I did about my brother and a tractor he rebuilt!



My Mom is doing fair but there have been problems off and on! I am so tired of the inadequate nursing care, mistakes and pure negligence! Physically I am tired and having some problems so I will not object to any prayers offerred! I truly appreciate all the support everyone has given! Oh and hubby could use a little prayer to as I have been away from home since AUGUST 10th!!! I sure do miss home! I auctually even miss housework! LOL!

Hello! Sorry so long

Mom is progressing very slowly! We have moved her to a different hospital that specializes in weaning people of ventilators! They changed her trach and that helped a lot so far. they have made a big difference in the sores in her skin! I have to say that I would not recommend Richland hospital to anyone and I need to find time to write my letter to the president of the hospital! But on to brighter topics!!

I am still staying in S.C. I was going to go home for a week or two but mom asked me not to, so I will stay! She is very fearful of being short of breath and I cannot say I blame her! BUT she is really come so far and things are much better and I can say with my whole heart that I believe that it is all due to all the wonderful prayers that were lifted in her name!


I am still staying in my brothers camper and when I am not at the hospital I either sleep and rest my exhausted body or I scrap and so here are a few of my recent layouts!

Here is Britton my grandson!


Then this cute baby is my big brother! ( not so cute now) LOL!

Needed a release of emotions and WHAT BETTER WAY!

After being in the room the other day when they called the CPR on my mother, I need a release to tell her just how much she meant to me and scrapbooking helps me deal with stress (most times unless under pressure to finish a layout!!! LOL) so I did the layout which is a wonderful sketch by Cut Cardstock own NORMA KENNEDY!!
I am in love with Cardstock by Cut cardstock!! the colors are just wonderful!
Anyways my mother is doing better but today the are taking out the nasal feeding tube and doing surgery to put in a gtube (stomack feeding tube) since the nasal one has caused a sinus infection. SO please pray today! THANKS again! I love you all and totally believe that it is the prayers holding her up. I am trusting in my Savior and I know "His grace is sufficient"

Here is the Journaling:
These past days have been rough and I want you to know just how much I love you! I am so thankful you are my mother but also my best friend. I have enjoyed our times painting together and our times spent researching family but most of all just the time together. I love how you show so much love to my grandchildren. They are blessed to know you. You have taught me so many special things. Even the value of the old dishes we collect. When I saw this paper I immediately thought of your china and I even used a piece of it to trim the green cardstock! My love for you and respect for you grows deeper every day! I am so thankful that God gave me more days with you!

Today was not good at all!

But GOD answered prayer big time! We almost lost my mom to the point that her heart almost stopped and her bp bottomed out and the did cpr to help it circulate the meds but it never stopped!

She had problems during the night and this morning breathing and they found out why after the cpr! Her lung had a tear and now she has a chest tube and things are better! GOD IS SO GOOD! THank you all for continued prayer!

Never ever doubt the power of prayer!


Oh and bye the way congrats to my friends at http://www.Scrapcity.com for being back online! and I appreciate their prayers too!

More Good News!

Mom is responding well! They have her off all sedation and pain meds! they have been switching the ventilator to cpap machine and even to an hour of plain oxygen today with success!

Today she answered me by shaking her head yes and by moving her tongue!

The bad news is she is running a fever which they have found is coming from a central line (iv line they but in her neck area) she is on antibiotic x 2 days but not responding yet! So keep praying!

Here is a photo taken just about 5 days before she went in the hospital with my youngest grandson!

Sorry I did not update sooner!!!

This is my mom and my older brother in 1958~
two nights after returning from our last visit (sunday), I was flying back to S.C., my mom was on a ventilator and they had her fully sedatated and also paralized her (because she was still fighting the ventilator) she has finally come around to where they have stopped the paralitic and they have started reducing the sedation and are trying to wean her off the ventilator. at this time she is coughing and moves and thrashes in the bed which is hard to watch but does not react to us but they say she should fully recover to her her previous condition and even be a little better. She has Severe asthma and emphesema but when we were down helping them her and I went shopping together and even picked out some scrapbooking stuff for the album I am doing for her.

So prayers are still appreciated but I know that soon she will be back to her old self and yelling at us for letting them put that nasty tube down her throat!

GOD IS GOOD!

back from S.C. but my heart is there!!!

Prayers needed desprerately!
Hubby and Me and the grandsons Noah and Jason just took a trip to S.C. to help my parents get some stuff done around the house since my dads surgery~ Hubby did a lot of mowing and trimming and put a hand held shower in the bathroom for my mom. I moved my moms flower garden close to the house so my mom could still enjoy it!

we were able to see our oldest son and see our other grandson Britton while we were there and even get a few shots of the boys together. ( was not easy between the all the busy boys, hot weather and gnats!)

BUT WHILE WE WERE THERE MY MOM STARTED GETTING SICK, SHE HAS BAD ASTHMA AND COPD. THE DAY WE FLEW OUT MY DAD WAS GOING TO TAKE HER TO THE DOCTOR, BUT ENDED UP TAKING HER TO THE HOSPITAL.

THEY ENDED UP PUTTING HER ON A VENTILATOR AND SEDATING HER. I FOUND ALL THIS OUT JUST AS I LANDED IN OUR HOME AIRPORT. I TRIED TO GET A FLIGHT BACK RIGHT AWAY BUT COULD NOT. HERE ELECTROLYTES ARE MESSED UP AND SHE IS NOT PUTTING OUT URINE LIKE SHE SHOULD BUT THE DOCTORS ARE FEEL SURE SHE WILL COME OUT OF IT.

I FEEL PRAYER WILL MAKE SURE OF IT! SO PLEASE PRAY!

ALSO MY DAD IS A BASKET CASE! HE IS FALLING APART. I ALREADY FELT HE WAS DEPRESSED FROM THE SURGERY WHEN I WAS THERE SO HE COULD USE PRAYER TOO! tHANKS AGAIN!

 
 

Little things keep us so busy!

Did you ever stop to think where did this day go and it was just filled with little things, crazy things? Lately that is how my life has been, so filled with little things that I never find time to just relax, enjoy my patio and scrapbook.

I really feel overwhelmed with little things and need to find a way to get rid of some of them I guess. It might help me physically too! Not sure how to do it but maybe I will have to get more organized and maybe say no more, don't know but that is what my thoughts are today!

I made a card for my daughters and sil's anniversary I wanted to share! The anniversary was yesterday.

The card is made with/on a transparency. A little tricky but sure was fun and my dd loved it~

Tooting my own horn!!!

The layout I posted below in the last post called Remember When, Well I posted that layout on The Scrap City Forum and it was chosen as Layout of the week! How Cool is that! Especially since I am really new to that site!! THey also featured it on their blog! Check it out! The Scrap City Blog Just had to share!!

Remember WHEN!

This layout is for my Dad! This is my dad's favorite photo of me!
I was in a stash swap and Norma Kennedy sent me the most awesome papers and embellishments and I used them to do this layout! I know that the quote doesn't show really well but it say:
Where We Love is Home.
Home That Our Feet May Leave, But Not our hearts.
Oliver Wendell Holmes

Special Times

When I saw this paper from Daisy D's I knew it was the perfect scrapbook paper to use for my grandparents picture as they loved roses! My grandfather planted many rosebushes in his yard. They were his pride and joy! This was an old Polaroid photo that I enhanced and improved greatly while visiting my mom!

I also did this layout for a challenge on three sites one for a challenge where the technique was to do tearing on a new site I just started called The Scrap City and another was for the Challenge on the 2 Sassy Scrappers blog
and the Scrap 4 Life Technique challenge handstitching!

Thanks for looking and check out my favorite sites!

Just a two page layout

Wanted to share a two page layout I did of my great nephew while I was in S.C. with limited supplies! This is Scott!

WHOO HOO I have an announcement

I was asked to be the JULY GUEST DESIGNER ON 2 SASSY SCRAPPERS. I had the privileged of working with their Bo Bunny Teen Chic Kit this month.
I made several projects and still have a lot left over!!!







this is a bank!!!






Well I was going to share some photos of my challenge I posted for the guest designers monthly challenge but blogger is acting up and won't let me so I guess yo will have to go see it at the 2 SASSY SCRAPPERS SITE!