taking a little detour

I know that I told you I'd be showing you a project that I made today but I must make a slight detour. Please bear with me through this post.

There are times in our lives when we are reminded that life as we know it here on earth with our family and friends is limited and precious. I am having one of those times right now. The husband of the principal (Anna) at the school Kyler will be attending this fall died yesterday afternoon...he was 34 and they have a seven year old daughter.

I think the reason why this always hits me harder then some other people is because I've been in the Anna's position before. I can call up the memories of the day that Kyler's biological dad (Brent) died. I can almost feel the pain, anger, sadness, and frustration she might be feeling right now. I remember the first night in bed after he died tears spilling onto the scrapbook that I was looking at. Painful memories that even today (almost 9 years later) bring me tears. I hope that I'll be able to be a person that Anna can talk to when the time is right. A person that she can count on to understand her feelings. A person that truly has felt the same pain. Please pray that I will have the right words at just the right time.

God is good! He brings us through our pain, loss, and frustration. He brings us to his side, comforts us with his love and assures us that all will be okay. He assures us that one day we will be with Him and all the pain and hurt we may feel here will be washed away. In the meantime we grow, learn, grow closer to God and love again. God has been so good to me bringing me a husband that is just the perfect fit, that I love so much, and once again that I can't imagine being without.

I know this is a little rambling...I tried to make it all go where it makes the most sense but sometimes I just get caught up in my emotion.

So, today...if you'll do me a favor and hug your loves ones a couple of extra times and tell them that you love them extra today. I know I'll be able to feel it from here.

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea I will uphold the with the right hand of my righteousness." Isaiah 41:10

***Just a quick edit. I am honored to say that my card has been listed on Susanna's Best of the Blogosphere list for Religious Paper Crafting Inspiration on Sept 7th. Thank you so much Susanna!***

stitching

It is Friday so what has that meant? Yep, the 3 Little DReaMs challenge! Dani hooked us up with stitching for our challenge this week and I don't stitch so I got out my SU! All In A Row and used the stamp that looks like stitching. I also used my September kit's papers and the Professabella stamp. Notice my buttons aren't naked this time...it took me forever to find my linen thread! Overall I'm pretty pleased with how this came out. Sorry for the dark picture...my camera/Photoshop wasn't liking me yesterday!

I don't have much for you today. I have a really neat scrapbooking project to show you tomorrow so I hope you'll stop back in and see it in the morning!

awards...

I've been given a couple of fun awards recently and just want to share them with you real quick. A couple of my bogging friends have given me this first award. I am supposed to tell you like six other blogs that inspire me but I just can't do only six. There are SO many excellent bloggers and stampers that I know and love that I won't do it. So...if you come here...consider yourself tagged!

This second award is from Diane. This award is to send love and acknowledgment to the women who brighten your day, teach you new things, and live their lives fully with generosity and joy. Again it would be totally impossible for me to list all the people that do the above. Each person that visits my blog, leaves a comment, or e-mails me affects my life and brightens my day. Again, if you come here and think good thoughts when you do...you have been tagged!

Now...I'll be posting with my artwork in another post so I'll be right back!

a challenge

First of all...thank you guys for being so patient with me while we were gone. I appreciate you posting nice comments! Since I neglected the art side of my blog I decided to give you two things I made yesterday and one silly picture of me. Ready?

First, Dreamer extraordinaire, Katie, challenged her "dream team" to re-purpose the container that had brads in it. So, I took the sweet and easy road and made mine into, what else? A M&M holder! I used the paper, ribbon, and one stamp from the September SNS kit added some brown and green M&M's and I am all set to brighten someones day with this! For relatively little work you get a big "how cute" from this, huh?

Then the card...the card is also from the September SNS Kit. I must admit that the bird is kicking my butt. I can't color it the way I'd like and it is a large image which I always have problems with so a double whammy for me! Everything on the card is from the kit (except the ink of course). Isn't the paper just adorable? And, see? I used more flowers! Go Lorie!

And finally...a silly picture from me with a Bison at the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. Yep, my smile is fake because even dead those animals are huge and creep me out a little! Nice sunburned nose, huh? Oh, and, yes it looks weird but I'm clutching my camera's lens cap in my hand so I don't loose it. I should have just put it in my pocket.
So, there you have it! A long post with several pictures but I hope you enjoyed it!

Come back tomorrow to see my project for the 3 Little DReaMs Friday challenge. It is one I think you guys will like. Dani has really done a great job this month!

Have a super Thursday everyone!

oregon trail

Now, I'm sure you've all heard of the Oregon Trail...right? Well, that is where we visited today. We did lots of walking and learned lots of really neat stuff. I really liked the museum in the Interpretive Center and the talk about Bison the best today. Although the view...the view was beautiful! I'll just let you know that the website I'm linking you to is through the Bureau of Land Management. I don't love it so I hope you find your way around easily.

Deal of the Day...Creative Xpress has the new Cuttlebug folders in stock! Go check them out! Oh, and don't forget to check out the players for the Belli Challenge this week by linking to their blogs from my side bar!

by a show of comments...

By a show of comments who has NEVER heard of a gold dredge before? We went to Sumpter Gold Dredge yesterday and it was kinda neat to see the ingenuity of the guys who put this HUGE thing together and ended up with some 4.5 million in gold. I'm working on figuring out my camera and I got some great shots yesterday that I'll put a couple on my personal blog soon. In the meantime I thought you'd just like a peek into the dredge. Have a super Tuesday everyone!

Oh, oh, oh....wiat! My Favorite Things is having a sale today...you can go check it out HERE.

Okay, how you go and have a super Tuesday!

loads of buttons

Guess what I got in the mail Saturday? Yep, my 3 Little DReaMs kit for September. I just had to use Teachabella to make a card...couldn't wait...no way! You can still order a September kit so make sure you go check it out at the link above.

Everything you see on this card...I got in my kit! How fun is this? If you notice the layout of this card is from the Friday sketch challenge that Dani had for us. Just check below to see what I'm talking about. I thought that maybe two rows of buttons would be too much but I think it is cute and may just use it for Kyler's teacher this year. Fun!

Short post today because you know how sometimes life gets in the way of things? Well, that is my life right now. I haven't had much time to stamp (much to my dismay) due to family "things." Also, we are taking a short little family vacation so I won't be back until Thursday although...I may try and post from where we will be at. I'll just have to wait and see how it all goes.

I hope you'll all hang on with me through this next week or so and I'll see you when I get back!