One Week Left

It's not too late to participate in the Gallery Hunt Challenge located at Deco-pages.com. The reward is 2 quick pages below made with On the Beach kit by Lori Staton Creations.

Come and join us.

Freebie - Quick Page

Here's another quick page I made using Club Deco August 08 Kit called On the Boardwalk by CAZ. The page is 8 x 8 in size.


You can download here

Freebie Quick Page

I made this quick page 8 x 8 in size using Club-Deco by CAZ.

To Download Click Here

Diamonds Passed Away

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

Diamonds I will miss you.

They Found Diamonds (My Cat)

Where have I been? Seems like ages since I posted here.

The exciting news is that they found my cat Diamonds. I reported her missing on June 20. They found her outside 2 blocks away in someone's driveway. Animal Control picked her up and called us to identify her. My husband went to see her and said it could be our cat but wasn't sure. So he sent me to identify her. I knew in my heart it was her. She looked the same (very clean), however, her body was very thin and showing lots of bones. She was alive but the vet said to me, "You can leave her over night but I doubt she will make it through the night." I was so upset. They found her on Aug 13 (Wed). The vet also said that she probably had kidney failure. Well, they ran tests and her kidneys are fine. However, her liver levels were very high. Which she said that can happen when a cat starves herself and then starts to live on her fat like the children that are starving. She refuses to eat any food. They tried force feeding her with no luck. She was a very picky eater when she was living at home. Never ate any wet food and only dry. She loved her treats but she continues to not want to eat. So Friday they put in a feeding tube. The update yesterday was that she wasn't keeping the food down and was throwing it up. She also has anemia so they gave her a blood transfusion yesterday. She is now lifting her head, standing and turning and just yesterday started to purr.

It's a total miracle that she is still alive after almost 2 months of being outside without any self defense as she has no claws. So anyone who reads my blog please say some prayers for her that she starts to eat so she can come home again.

Quote for the Month

Credits

Scrapbook Pages Completed So Far

CT - Paisley Glitter by Deb Ammerman

This kit can be purchased here.

Here's the 2 layouts I made using the above kit.

Freebie - Through the Summer

I made this kit for a color challenge at digital-scrapbooking.org.

Download Alphabet
Download Elements
Download Papers

Change

I did this for a challenge. We had to do a page about one thing that you would like to change

Credits

10 Happy Things

Credits

Enjoy Life

I did this page for a journaling challenge at Snap and Scrap. You can find the challenge here.

Journaling reads:
A lot of negative things have been happening to me lately. Diamonds ran away, grandma was diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing treatment, my niece who is not born yet has heart disease and will have to have three surgeries when born, and our financial situation is getting worse. I also almost lost my job. I received a gift this week from Deb. It is a book called “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne. As I read this book I am thinking of happy thoughts. I need to be greatful for what I do have right now and not dwell on the negative things. I need to appreciate my husband and children. I need to take care of myself too. That means going to the gym more. When I am thinking of negative things I need to think of something positive so I can be happy again. Try to enjoy the children more because they will not be this small for much longer. Happy Thoughts, Happy Thoughts.

Credits
BvanEsch-BeachScenefreebie
Enjoy Life Wordart by Tina Chambers
Font: DSP Bethy

July 08 - Round Up

Is it that time again? Why did July go so fast? The summer is half way over and boy did we do a lot this month.

What books and/or magazines did I read this month?
Books: I started to read "Twenty Wishes" by Debbie Macomber. Unfortunately, I read only 2 chapters in 3 weeks so the book was returned to the library because I could not renew it. I will have to request it again one day. I am in the middle of "The Mermaid Chair" by Sue Monk Kidd. I am reading this for the book club this month. I actually took out the CD so I am listening to it. I just can't find the time to read lately. My friend Deb sent me "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne. I have been having a lot of bad things happening so she advised me to read the secret. I actually reserved it at the library and finally received the CD so I've been listening to that as well. It certainly has already changed some things in my life. I'm hoping for the better. I'm going to get my husband to listen to this CD as well and have the movie in my queque at netflix.

Magazines: Well, with my coke rewards I got 4 new magazine subscriptions for $10. I will be getting Ladies' Home Journal, Redbook, Better Homes and Gardens and Good Housekeeping. I also got Gardening How-To. I haven't yet got them in the mail yet though. Hope I can find the time to read all these.

What movies and/or tv shows did I watch this month?
We took the kids to see Wall-e. I didn't want to see the movie but my husband did so it was a fun event for the entire family. Unfortunately, Victoria fell asleep. The other 2 did watch the entire movie. I did think it was a bit slow moving.
I went to see Sex in the City with my friend. I really enjoyed it. It made me cry and laugh and I so needed that. I used to watch the show and really miss it.
My husband and I decided to join back with netflix this month so you will be seeing lots of movies my way. We always thought netflix was the best but then there was a time when we just didn't have the time to watch movies and wasn't returning them as fast as we had hoped so we cancelled it. Now, that there is no new tv shows we needed to find something for us to watch so we decided to renew our account.
The Machinist - This was one of the movies my husband chose. It was a very weird movie. One where you have to think while you are watching it. If you like psycho type movies this was a good one.
The Bucket List - This one I didn't like that well. It was very depressing and with my grandmother undergoing chemo I don't think I should have watched this one.
PS I Love You. Loved this movie. Normally I put a movie on in the background and I continue to use my computer but this one I actually turned my computer off and sat and watched the entire thing. I actually cried at one point. I enjoyed this movie.
Didn't watch much tv except for Days of Our Lives.

What special days did I celebrate and how?
The kids were invited to 4 birthday parties. Two from their preschool and two from the MOMS Club. 4th of July was at my parent's house as it normally is every year. My grandmother, grandfather, my sister, brother-in-law and niece were there too. Luckily my mom took the kids 2 days before so I was able to have some time alone with my husband.

What gifts did I give and/or receive?
My friend Deb mailed me the book "The Secret" it was a big surprise to get it in the mail. Dealing with all the negative things in my life right now she felt I needed an uplift. I am halfway through the book and already my thoughts and situation are getting better. I can't thank Deb enough for this wonderful gift she shared with me.

What illnesses or health concerns did I have?
I am taking birth control and it's very expensive. So I've been trying to get my doctor to change my prescription to a genetic brand. I called last month and went to pick up my medication this month and it wasn't changed. Then this month Aunt Flo decides to show up in week 3! What a surprise. I called again to have my prescription changed and to let him know that Aunt Flo is visiting in week 3 instead of week 4. It's been 3 days now and I haven't had a call back. So I will have to call again. This is ridiculous.

What fun things did I do with my friends and/or family?
We went to Hurricane Harbor 2 times. We have season passes. It was a lot of fun with the kids. My mother finally activated her season pass and came with us once. The kids loved the lazy river. I did make the mistake and got them lunch in the park and it cost me $40 for pizza. Crazy. Never will do that again. Must remember to feed kids before entering the park.

We bought a pool for the kids to enjoy. It is a 3 foot pool. Unfortunately, I am the one who has to take care of it and add chemicals each night. But the kids enjoy playing in it. They enjoy it so much that I signed them up for swim lessons. They will be going in August.

We went to a two Freedom Fest fairs. One of them we were rained out at but the kids had a fun time getting wet with no umbrellas. Of course, these two things I went alone as usual.

What new foods, recipes or restaurants did I try this month?
Can't think of anything new.

What special or unusual purchases did I make?
I got the new scalloped punch from Stampin' Up. It's awesome. I also got the new in colors and some new stamp sets. Again this brings up the problem with my craft room. I so need to go and purge some stuff so I can enjoy my room again. The new catalog starts in August so need to get rid of some stuff to get new stuff.
I got some new clothes finally. I needed some summer stuff so when my mom took the kids I went to the mall and got some short sleeve tops and some capri pants. I even got some bikini under wares. My husband has been complaining that I wear diapers as the undies which I did have looked like diapers.

What were this month's disappointments?
Victoria got a hold of the scissors in my bathroom and cut her long hair. It was so bad that I had to take her to the beauty parlor for them to fix it. She now has shorter hair than Naomi.

At Hurricane Harbor my daughter Naomi went under water and I panicked and dropped my Sony Cybershot camera into the water. It now does not work. It was the camera that I carried in my pocketbook everywhere.

For 3 days I thought I was unemployed. It was a miscommunication on my part. Luckily, I still have my job. I only work one day a week and it helps pay for the kids schooling so I'm glad I am still working.

I also never found my cat. I e-mailed the township website to have her listed on the lost and found but they never did it until today. I was so mad that it took them that long to list her. I am still praying that she will return safely even though it has been over a month now.

What were my accomplishments this month?
I managed to make it through another month doing the newsletter for the MOMS Club. It's been a little stressful since the two proofreaders are very anal and need everything perfect. Which means lots of time spent on it for the past 2 months.

Anything else noteworthy to record?

--------------------------------
Backup your digital pictures to cd/dvd and upload them to an online site or two for an extra backup. Send the links to the online albums to friends and family.

Choose photos (or digital layouts) to be printed out and get that done while you are thinking about it.

Make sure your scrapbooking area is cleaned up and organized. Put away new purchases (or organize your hard drive if you are a digi scrapper)

Look over the calendar for the coming month and make note of upcoming events you will want to capture for your scrapbooks.

For more Round Ups visit Scrapbook Lady blog.

Thank You For the Award

A big thank you to Michaele for nominating me and sharing this award.

Here are the rules for Keeping this Awesome AWARD going...1. The winner can put the logo on her BLOG.2. Link the person you received your award from.3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs. 4. Put links of those blogs on yours. 5. Leave a message on the blogs of the girls you've nominated.

I nominate:
1. Bonnie
2. Karla
3. Rose
4. Margie
5. Laura
6. Deb
7. Chaos Lounge

Simple Woman's Daybook

Found something new today while sitting reading my many blogs that have been neglected because of lack of time. The Simple Woman's Daybook.

If you want to join in, just go visit Peggy over at The Simple Woman, read the guidelines here and then add your name to Mr Linky. There are so many other participants sharing their day, I'm sure you'll enjoy looking through them :)

For Today...

Outside my Window...right now it is pitch black. Why, because it's 4 am. I really need to head to bed before the sun comes up and my little ones wake up.

I am thinking...I am hungry so I'm munching on some popcorn and I am tired so once I finish this entry I'm going to head to my bedroom for some much needed sleep.

I am thankful for...my computer because when you can't sleep it's always there for you in the middle of the night.

From the kitchen...you smell fresh popcorn. It's quite with the noise of just the fridge and the fan blowing. It's dark but lighted from the light of my computer laptop and you also hear the clicking of the keys from my keyboard as I click way writing my blog entry.

I am creating...quick pages for digital designers for freebies.

I am going...to a birthday party tomorrow with the children. The rest of the week is jam packed with pool and beach play dates.

I am wearing...olive green striped short sleeve sweatshirt and matching capri pants.

I am reading...many blogs. I haven't had the time lately to read them so I've been trying to catch up on all my blogs. I am also listening to The Mermaid Chair for the book club that I belong to. I am also reading the Secret that my friend Deb sent to me in the mail. I've been dealing with some difficult time in my life this month. She said the book would help.

I am hoping...that my husband has a successful week at his meeting on Monday and that our financial situation improves and doesn't get worse.

I am hearing...the sound of the fan as the children sleep. It's a humming sound that just doesn't end. When it is quite I just can't sleep.

Around the house...it's a mess. The kids toys are scattered all over the floor.

One of my favorite things...is a full mailbox. No not of bills but of magazines and coupons or letters of surprise. I love receiving fun things in the mail.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...I need to get to the gym at least once this week. Since it's been extremely hot and humid we will be going in the pool and maybe hit the beach at least once. I also work one day (Wed). It breaks up the week.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...
this was the last picture my Sony Cybershot camera took before it fell into the water. I was watching my 2 daughters Victoria (on right) and Naomi (on left back facing) at the waterpark while snapping away. Then they moved back into deeper water. Naomi went under. I panicked and while trying to save her dropped the camera into the water. I think the camera was on while I dropped it. My daughters are fine. Anyway, it did not go on after this incident. Luckily I was able to download the photos from the disk. I have been airing it out all week and so far now it does go on. Two days ago the image was foggy. Today it cleared up a bit and I'm just getting lines. Don't know if the camera will ever work correctly but I still keep trying. It maybe time for a new one since the flash broke about 6 months ago.

Well, I really need to head to bed now. Have a great week.

What Condiment Are You?

You Are Mayonnaise

You tend to be a very quiet, introverted person. You're happy to sit back and let stronger personalities shine. You value loyalty and harmony. You try to bring people together. Your taste in food leans toward simple comfort foods. You love holiday meals as well as old school favorites like mac and cheese. You get along with mustard and ketchup personalities. You have an unlikely alliance with hot sauce personalities.

What Condiment Are You?

CT Layout and Freebie Quick Page

Burkhart Scrapzone Designs has a beautiful kit called "Spring Moments". You can find it here.


I made this freebie quick page using her kit. Click on image to download.

For Fun

I saw this on Three's a Crowd blog and thought it would be fun to play. Here's what you do. For each question, look up the answer in a Google Image search. Then choose your favorite image from the first page of results only. If you want clarification on any of mine, leave a comment and I may or may not oblige. :)

MY AGE

A PLACE I'D LIKE TO TRAVEL
MY FAVORITE PLACE

MY FAVORITE OBJECT

MY FAVORITE FOOD

MY FAVORITE ANIMAL
MY FAVORITE COLOR
THE TOWN WHERE I WAS BORN
THE TOWN WHERE I LIVE
A PAST PET
A PAST LOVE
MY BEST FRIEND'S NICKNAME
MY FIRST NAME
MY MIDDLE NAME
MY LAST NAME
A BAD HABIT
MY FIRST JOB
MY GRANDMOTHER'S NAME
MY COLLEGE DEGREE
WHAT I'M DOING RIGHT NOW

Gallery Hunt Challenge

It's not too late to still earn this reward for July. Please come check out the challenge here.

Come join us. Looking forward to seeing your layouts.

30 Questions

I found these questions at Katie the Scrapbook Lady's Blog.

1. What’s your latest addiction?
Collecting Digital Freebies. I already filled up my external hard drive but I keep downloading.

2. What are you listening to?
The crunch of my husband eating crackers and the humming of the dishwasher.

3. How late did you stay up last night and why?
I think it was 1:30 am. It was an early night for me. I was working on my digital scrapbooking or was it I was downloading more kits?

4. Who were you with last Friday night?
I went to Merry's house for our Stampin' Up monthly meeting.

5. Do you think you will be in a relationship 3 months from now?
:: I certainly hope so since I’m married! LOL!

6. When is the next time you’ll see your close friends?
I'm hoping at the triplets birthday party next month or maybe even sooner.

7. What were you doing this morning at 7am?
sleeping.

8. What radio station do you listen to the most?
94.5 pst

9. What was the reason you last cried?
My cat ran away. She's been missing since June 20.

10. Have you ever talked to someone when they were high?
:: not that I know of.

11. What’s the fifth text in your inbox say?
I check my e-mails very frequently and right now I have only 4 e-mails in my actual inbox. So my answer is nothing as I don't have a 5th one.

12. Where was the last coffee shop you went to?
I went to one about 15 minutes away. I had chocolate coffee it was yummy.

13. What type of outfit are you wearing?
Capri pants and t-shirt.

16. What were you doing at 11pm last night?
Reading blogs or was I downloading digital kits. I probably was doing both.

17. Who was the last person you talked to last night before bed?
My husband.

18. Will you be driving in a year?
Yes.

19. Is there anything that you are craving right now?
Ice cream sunday.

20. When did your last hug take place?
This afternoon when we were in the pool. My daughter Naomi came up to me and hugged me and said, "I love you, Mommy."

22. Have you ever started a sentence with “No offense, but…”?
Probably have but can't remember.

23. Do you drink tea?
No only when sick. It makes me nautious.

24.Have you ever been arrested?
No.

25. Have you ridden in someone else’s car today?
Nope.

26. Have you made a mistake this past week?
Oh yeah! A big one. I misunderstood my boss and thought I was being laid off. I was upset all weekend. Unfortunately, I was wrong and I still have my job. Thank God! I work just so the kids can go to preschool so we need my income for that and who's going to hire me for just 6 hours a week?

27. Who was the last person you texted?
I don't text but I do instant message from time to time. It was my husband who I IM'd.

28. Are you happy with your life right now?
It could be better. There's a lot of stress right now financially, and some medical issues in my family too that I'm dealing with on a daily basis.

29. In the past 72 hours have you been under the influence?
Nope. I don't drink alcohol but there are days that I think maybe it would be something I should start doing.

30. What’s the connection between you and the last person you texted?
I don’t text. But I’m married to the person I just IM'd.
.