My Elementary BFF

This is my elementary school BFF Carol. We hadn't seen each other most likely since 1975. Our moms had gotten divorces and with that it meant moving. We started our lives in one city and Carol moved to a place that wasn't as country as where we moved to. We moved to Spoon Mountain in Vermont. It was the last house on top of the mountain and we were in seclusion! Times changed for us and living about an hour away from each other was hard to do. We didn't have drivers licenses let alone permits. How about this for two 50 year old chicks?

How did 2012 get here?

WOW, 2012 is here and the year just flew by!

I had two wonderful trips back home to the country roads that I grew up in. I went to Vermont for Mother's day. My mom sounded very tired and needed a boost of happiness. My step dad had won the fight on Lymphoma Cancer and during his last treatment he suffered a stroke and then never walked again.

Illness is a hard thing: It can be a good thing to spend all that time together growing old with me. Small communinites are great for visitors and seeing people. But as we can see time flies by and life is rushing off into the horizon. Five years being bed bound and taking care of a loved one day in and day out is a great gift of time given and also a robber of time. Days blend into days and next thing you know five years have passed. Multiple trips to the hospital for in between illnesses and countless docotr appointments that there is no time for visitors to come on by.

I hadn't been home in years so I decided to go home for Mother's day. My girls love our Mother;s day celebrations but I had to just be with my mom. She was sooo happy! My eyes were opened up to see how every day life with mom was.

The visiting nurse came every day to help with getting Ray ready for the day. I saw a great relationship that formed through this life altering event. Ida was so loving and reliable. Although no one else really stopped in. I saw what it takes to go to a doctor appointment. Mom being 5'4 and Ray being 6'3 and a very big giant; there wasn't a small village to help. It takes a lift machine to move him form the bed to the wheel chair. Once placed in the chair mom would get him strapped in with bungie cords and belts to make sure he was secure for the ride. Once settled she would bring him down the ramp to the van and it was a site to see. The power would be turned on for the ramp to come down and get ready for taking this man into the heart of the van. The chair would get secured into place and off we would go. The days travels would exhaust Ray and he would be sleeping for the rest of the day. During that doctor appointment I got to see my elementary best girlfriend. We hadn't seen each other since 1975. We were so excited and made plans to have our moms together for lunch on Mother's day. Mom made plas for a sitter to come in and stay with Ray and we had four hours to shop and do lunch.

New Year 2011

We have been into the NEW YEAR for 24 days already! Time really flies! During the holidays we had three parties! The first one being with our family: daughters and grand kids and their spouses and one boyfriend. The second being a party for the daycare children and their parents! The joy of giving gifts and seeing everyone being happy is so cool. There was a whole lot of gift giving for them and was glad it was done! Christmas excitement lasts for days and weeks with new and exciting toys during our winter shut in time. The third party was the Scanlon Christmas party where we get together and buy a $20 gift and fight over it! This year it was licorice and a Starbucks coffee mug and the Scanlon Lexus license plate holder. It was a great time!

New Years Day Sara, Teresa and I watched the Twilight sage: Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse. Sara had not seen any of the movies and Teresa is like me, we will watch them anytime! We are Team Edward and Sara has not declared yet if she is Team Edward or Team Jacob. She had read all the books. The rest of the gang went snowmobiling and came home at 8PM. We stayed warm and had some great fruit and wine. Sister-in-laws bonding together was a great way to kick off the New Year. We are already making plans for November 18 to see the first Part of Breaking Dawn pt 1. Only 297 days to go!

The New year is also a time to reflect on years past. Friends that I never thought I would hear from contacted me on the Social Network! How cool is that? We rented the movie and had a good time watching that and to see the intelligence of a young man making a difference in this world. Many relatives are keeping in touch. Half brothers and sisters, step brothers and sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents. There is no age limit to who had grabbed FACE BOOK and ran with it. Reconnecting and reflecting and moving on with your future is rather intriguing. All these people shaped our character and made us the people we are today. Some people were blessings and some people were not!

Just 4 days after a long lost friend contacted me I had a big healing and a serious time with my Lord. It was a down right ugly cry and a cleansing that was harsh and left me a limp rag. The best part was he showed me that there was someone who really cared and loved me for ME. I never regret and time that we spent together as short as it was. It opened the door for my future and that was a gift revealed many years later...a gift for the New year. Next month I will turn 50 and I know that the next 50 years will be more rewarding and lived to the fullest. Thank you Jesus for showing me special gifts! One reserved just for me on Saturday. My hurting heart is mended and it was something my husband and I got to talk about for hours. I believe the Lord has a plan for me after my experience of a Mountian Top Experience. He shielded me in the cleft of the rock and it will bless others too!

Another Year has gone by

Do you ever wonder where time goes? I do! Why? Time is like a blink of the eye. There are many things that we have to do by living life.

define things: 1. a matter of concern, many things to do. 2. deed, act of accomplishment, do great things.

Last year I went from 11 kids to ONE when school was back in session. I took the time to read. I mean read! I had watched the movie "Twlight" and had to get the books to see how "New Moon" was going to be when it came to the theater! I didn't realize that there were FOUR books in Stephenie Meyers series.

Picking up the first two books: My husbaand was working in another state and I ony had one child. She was heavily invested in watching the Barbie movies. "Can I pick another one?" So the more she picked the more I read. Staring with "Twlight" I found that the book had treasures to behold that were not in the movie. I was so intrigued that I moved on to "New Moon". I was all excited about how the book was and I finished it on the second day of school. I started to feel warm fuzzies after being a little mad over the story. I was in trouble! I called a girlfriend that works on the road and asked her to PLEASE pick up the last two books. She did pick them up for me! (She could have said no). I moved right on to "Eclipse" and was taken in hook line and sinker! I finished that book and could not put them down. I burned the midnight oil, read by sunshine during the day and moved on to "Breaking Dawn.

I first was so angry! How can things be taking a turn for what seemed to be the most logical thing to take place? I called my daughter and said that I was done..I will not finish this book! Okay, I hope that you can feel the emotions here! I have literally went through many emotions reading these books laughing, crying, being mad, and then feeling warm and fuzzy. Wondering why this last book was SO LONG reading was still a frenzy! In one weeks time I finished all 2,444 pages! Left behind with blood shot eyes and a GIANT headache I had never in all my life enjoyed reading and then to have an end! Four books were not enough! Focusing on the New Moon's release I planned to attend the midnight showing with my daughter and her friend. That took up all of fall. AND Eclipse came out too! Went to that MIDNIGHT show again!

Winter rolls around and what things can you find to do in MN? Winters are very long. One very cold -35 below Sunday morning there was a family that had been coming to our church for awhile that encountered a challenge. God planted a seed and nutured it during the whole service and it blossomed into an oak tree in my heart that offfered them a place to be warm when their furnace went out. My husband was away and we have a big house..so use it for the Lord. Right?

Stepping out in FAITH was a good thing. Something that was EASY for a WEEK or TWO turned into TWO MONTHS! Okay Lord, I GET IT! Although it was a trying time, this family needed so much help! Things were things that turned into POSSESSIONS AND EFFECTS (like pack your things),. During the two months DETAIL AND POINT came into clear view (checks every little thing). The Lord is still in this and he is in control. Time wasn't wasted and a new plan was put into place. By the Lord himself information collected turned into an opportunity with a silver lining.

There is always a way to fill a need and needs are always met in God's timing. After a hard winter, I was blessed with a daycare HELPER! After investing time, heart and soul a HELPER was born. Daily training was still a must and next hing you know..I was on my way to PROVO, UTAH to go to a Scrapbooking convention. Then travels opened up for going to Mesa, AZ and another grandchild was born. I was there for it!

Life is always busy and I may not have had lots of time to finish the scrapbooking journey and make albums. There was an investment in people. This fall and winter the thoughts and projects I had in mind are coming together slowly and the accomplishment is being delivered by God's grace.

The list of how life went on:
1. Read the Twilight saga
2. Helped someone whom we did not know.
3. Started an addtition onto our church that took my husbands time
4. Traveled to TWO Creating Keepsake Conventions.
5. Had another GRANDSON!
6. A Helper was BORN for my daycare so I could get to appointments!
7. Took care of me twice a week traveling three hours round trip each time to the Chiropractor!
8. Went to Scrapfest 2010 in September!
9. Had all EIGHT grandkids over Labor Day Weekend!
10. We had a spring project that wook all summer to do and is almost finished!
11. Went to Las Vegas for our 30th anniversary!

I have learned in the last year although I was away from my BLOG:
Investing in God's wants gave me freedom after investing time in three individuals lives. I had NO IDEA how things would work out. I was afraid and had reservations as the plan unfolded! I questioned the Lord, "Are you sure I can do this? I am NOT the RIGHT person for this!" 'Okay, I didn't sign up for this! How much HARDER does this have to get?"

My husband and I developed a friendship that will last a lifetime with a family we didn't know.
We had family members that needed us too. My husband and I traveled to places individually alone and then together for an amazing four days. Life is getting back to some kinda normal, maybe.

Tim's artful work

This is a chipbaord album that Tim had on display. Just pay attention to the details he thinks of.

This page is busy with dtails in the same way that little boys are busy. He added masculine touches with chains, spiners, brads, ink, numbers, ribbon, and journaling. Isn't it awesome?!

This is another chip baord album that is fun to look at. D rings, ink and more ink, gears, phot corners, and staples. What guy doesn't own a staple gun? Pretty unique!

Tim took time to let us get pictures with him. He is very friendly and an awesome teacher! He has been part of CKU for quite a few years. His ideas are so neat and pack a lot of punch for masculine gifts, or having the "grunge look".

Tim Holt'z Class At CKU

We made these tages, and frames in his class. The tools, techniques, inking, getting grungy was so much fun! My family loves the frames with my pictures in them. Tim sent us home with all the glass for the different frames, stickles, capsules, and a rubber stamp to make more tags! Of course, I have been hooked and got his supplies! They are on sale at joann.com today.

Tim Holtz is the Education Director for Ranger Industries, one of the leading manufacturers of innovative inks, paints, and embossing products. Tim plays an integral part in the development and design of cutting edge paper crafting products. Tim had teamed up with various key companies including Advantus/Tim Holtz idea-ology, Tonic Studios, and Stampers Anonymous to bring unique products that work hand in hand with Ranger’s extensive lines.As a well known designer, Tim travels across the country and internationally to educate and introduce people to his world of ink techniques, clever projects, and so much more. His DVDs and books are filled with creative and inspiring ideas for the beginner paper crafters and beyond. He truly lives his motto that creativity is an endless journey...In a world where the moments of our lives can be captured and created in art of the everyday, it’s important it reflects our own unique personality. Finding just the right objects, accents, and tools to use are most important. Whatever your artistic vision is, exploring the imaginative is a chance for our creativity to escape understanding. Remember life isn’t about finding yourself - life is about creating yourself...For more information about Tim and to view project demos visit http://www.timholtz.com/ and http://www.timholtz.typepad.com/.