Monday-whew a week of wonder

After last week, I have to tell you I am plumb bushed! I went to bed Friday night at 8:30pm and woke up at 10:30am.  Just worn out, and loving every minute of it!  What a joy to see folks living for God. The fellowship was an inspiration of God, I tell you! The Jamison's came from Oroville, and Peggy did nursery, so I basked in the last night of revival.  It was beyond all!  Thirty folks, and a few new faces on top of that.  

One of my favorite parts of church is the buzz of the people before and after church.  I tell you there was a buzz on Thursday evening!  At altar call, I went into the prayer room to set up, what I thought would be a small little buffet.  I almost burst into tears, this group of people had rallied to the cause of fellowship.  Turkey, salad, egg rolls, cookies, muffins, rolls, taco salads, chips, and more! I just kept looking thinking where did this come from? Dear God, bless these precious people as they give so freely. 

Dear Sweet Anna Louise, began it all with a turkey she wanted to bake and give to the church, could she do that?  Oh, what a heart, from that grew a fabulous fellowship of souls new to Christ, laughing and getting to know each other over cream cheese pinwheels, and pink lemonade.

Getting a picture of Anna Louise was a tough one, cause she was serving and prepping and being  an all around wonder!  

This is just one of the tables, that was laden with good food and happiness.  We were sending plates full home to those who didn't come with gentle admonishments to come next time, we missed you! 

So, due to the response and great results, this has become a Sunday regular.  We had desserts last night, and folks brought cookies, and cornbread.  We had milk and cookies after a testimony services that put a smile so wide on my face, I think my ears ache!  There really is something remarkable when you sit and share food with another person.  I have to admit to being a bit of stick in the mud to potlucks, but wow, I am a changed woman! I will make pinwheels and crock pots of chili to see folks loving God and getting to know their brothers and sisters in Christ like this!

 

The saints going thru the line, filling up their plates! Miss Christy, Kim, Shawn and Bret in the back!

 

This is Shawn and his Aunt, Miss Christy. Just a joy to have, Shawn's wife Tricia has to work nights, so we missed having her, but praying for miracles for their  lifes!  That is Sherri in the background, she goes to work at midnight, but still came to church! Gotta love that!

 

Two new faces, that stayed and laughed, Caren and Carol Lynn.  They were on their way to a recovery meeting, and just popped in.  They were loving it! I enjoyed them so much, and hope to see them at bible study this Wednesday.

 

The girls brought one of the neighbor kids, and that is of course always a buzz, when you bring someone to church!

 

this is Braden and me, you can see our Lisa and her son in the back ground!  I have to tell of this sweet Braden, he is energy in a denim.  I was holding the cupcake and he was eating it, but you all know I talk with my hand, so I had this cupcake waving all over and the poor thing was trying to get a bit of the snack.  I got laughing so hard at him.  Peggy took this shot and I love it to pieces.  Braden says he wants to marry me, I told him he had to get a job, and couldn't live with mom.  He says okay. His momma, Sarah, just laughs.  I didn't get a picture of her, but I will!

That handsome man in cream, is my hubby, the Pastor of this remarkable flock of people!  That lady with the big smile is Amber, our fruitful sister.  You can also see we have the fellowship tree in the background! ha ha ha... Oh my see the clock! 9pm! We are some party people!  I got home at 10:30 that night and just sighed and had to thank God all over again.  This is the beginning of a break through and wow, it's a doozy. 
The next day, was our 21st wedding anniversary, we spent the day, smiling and knowing we were right were God wanted us to be, His will. Please pray for these souls by name and Yuba City!!

Playing with Art Journaling and Laughing!

Tangie Baxter is having a class a LIVE class in Las Vegas next month (Click here for more info), and it is sponsored by Scrap Orchard.  Now, the befuddled looks Scrap Orchard and Tangie Baxter's Altered Art Journal?? How in the world did this happen?  I have no idea, but Tangie challenged her team along with some coupons from some very generous designers over at Scrap Orchard to make Art Journal pages. 
I love a challenge and this was beyond fun! 
I had been staring at Spun Monkeys pages in the Art Journal, with journaling lines and I wanted to give it a whirl;

 

I laughed and laughed making the Pizza Art Journal, but had even more fun with my orange cat:

and I still wasn't done, I had seen a faucet from one of the kits, and was bound and determined to get it on a page:

RECORD set!

Our little but growing church hit 33! Thirty-three of our people!  Sunday was great, and Monday, we were blessed to have the Chico folks come and bring folks from their church too.  Tuesday, more came of just our folks, and then last night!! OH my gosh! Every night, more and more visitors and seeing precious hearts that had come in the past, is like balm to the soul!  The precious redemption of Jesus Christ touching lives.
We are in the middle of a revival with Shawn Davis:

Tonight is the last night, so if you are in the area, come on over! It is kicking! We are having a little finger food pot luck after, and we are all so excited! If you can't come, PRAY for us and the new babes in Christ!!! God is on the move in Northern California!!!

Testing and Learning more and more...and FREE alpha LINK!

My brain is growing! I love to learn! I mean I seriously love to learn.  This past week, my brain has been pushed to the maximum.  I had a free evening, and thought I would try something new!  I am very, very honored to be an action/script tester for Studio Wendy.  Now, I am not a designer, nor do I want to be, so my testing is more scrapping regular things.  I can do the things a regular scrapper would want for their stash of "Let's make this easier" 
I have gotten to make stickers, add pics to quick pages, made flairs and buttons, and even done a few sharpen images for Face book uploads.  It is always fun to work with Wendy.  She is very patient and wants the product to be perfect before it hits the store.
Now that I have the big dog, CS5, I get to go through her store and see what items don't have the CS5 approval on them and give them a whirl.
I have a dear friend and very talented scrapper, who is going to be one awesome designer.  She gives away templates, and alphas on her blog, 68 ways to express yourself.  Chengie is in a country that the internet is not the fastest on the planet, so her darling alphas are on a sheet.  This is the one she has free right now:

I love it.  I thought, hey I will try the Alpha Cutter/Saver that Studio Wendy has in her store:

I admit, I had to read the tutorial twice, and was reading it real slow and outloud!  My family look at me and shake their heads. "Mom? You okay? "
"Yes, I am learning, and I have to read it and hear it and say it to really get it! " I answer.
Well, I got it.  I learned how to install scripts, record actions and cut up my fun and beautiful alpha made by Chengie! It is all saved now and looking lovely in her folder. 
I really think everyone should have this, just for the fun and wonder of what designers go through to make just an alpha for you!  It isn't all fluff and stuff! They put a whole lot of time in to designing each item. 
So go get Chengie's wonderful alpha and don't forget to say thank you.  Watch this lady, she is gonna be a star!!!

Today is my Mom's birthday.

I did not call her.  I am chagrined and hoping she is sitting on a bench at Bodega Bay reading this on the day after her birthday, and she knows how much I love her.  I am going to tell the story, of my excuse why I did not call.  It is a good one.
16 Feb, 2:15 AM-Sound of running footsteps, SPLLLLaaaaaaaaaaaaaT, SPLllllllllllllllaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat, LIGHT in my eyes, my bedroom door is slammed opened to
The sound of Anna yelling,
"Mom!!!! Abby puked!!!"
~ a quick back in time, last time Abby puked was from the top bunk, curdled flu ridden spaghetti into the box fan. She is a spewer.  One who sends her chunkage to the ends of the earth.
I went to pull on my robe (the nice fluffy blue one I got for Christmas) and shook my head, no, I took the fake silk african caftan instead, easier to wash.  Moms are programmed to think this way.
Out to the hallway to see.  Pink.  Yes, you see yesterday was the day after Valentine's and the neighborhood kids are sharing tons of candy with my children.  Pink is the color of most of what Abby had, along with Fried Rice, Boneless Chicken and Oatmeal No-Bake cookies.  Pink on the hall walls, the hall floor, then the bathroom. I must start another paragraph.
Apparently, the sink was a better target as the projectile pink fermentation erupted out of Abby's tummy and she must have turned her head to see or towards the light switch, then looked up as the light went on, as the regurgitation was at the 7 foot high mark and yes dripping down my walls.   It covered the vanity, each drawer had cascades of the pink ooze on each handle. 
Abby's face was covered you see cause she had hurled her cache into her hands and ran down the hall, swinging it haphazardly (CSI would have to be brought in to find the correct arc of her arms, but it was more that a few splatters).  Her neck and t-shirt, had a bilious pink texture.
Conversation:
Me: Baby, you need to throw up again (thinking cause I might have to soon)?
Abby: retch, retch, retch, retch, (into my now pink lumpy toilet)
Me: You done, hon? (rhymes amazing me at the moment)
Abby: oh yeah I feel better, can I wash my hands?
Me: please, lets get you in the shower, just get in with your clothes on, I'll take them and put them in the wash after you are done.
Abby: Okay!
She is in shower I am clean up.  I immediately take up the rugs in the bathroom, and a towel and pick up the pools of pink from the floor, to the washer they go.  I grab the mop, and bleach.  I do a quick clean up of hall so Tony can get out of the bedroom.  He is going for the Sprite at the Quick stop around the corner.  He usually wakes up at 3:15am, but an earlier wake up call.
The hall is passable, and I am pouring bleach from the top of the walls in the bathroom and not thinking, bleach is a liquid.
Pass the light switch.
A lovely blue flash of fire shoots out the light switch and.............
all the lights go out.
Remember, Abby is in the shower.
I am standing in vomit, and now bleach and now in the dark!
"TOE-Knnneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"
I poured bleach on the switch and blew a fuse!! (freaking out quiver has hit my vocal cords)

He says, is it safe to walk down the hall? (very calm, and real nice by the way)

Yes! I am on the verge of tears.
Abby, baby are you okay.  
Yep, I am just washing my hair.  What happened?
I explain, in case she missed me scream it to her dad!
Oh, okay, she says!
I said are you okay, can you stay in there for a minute? Open the window!!
The bleach fumes are overwhelming now!!
Tony goes outside, it is dark and raining. 
He can't see the right fuse, so throws them all.
DARK
Light!
Relief.
I pull the towels and begin more cleaning, getting the large areas, enough so Abby can get out of shower, and cuddle on the bed with her ever present twin sisiter Anna.  Anna is standing in her doorway, checking on my progress and helpfully pointing out areas I miss.
**diversion, you see I wear bifocals, and I am in desperate need of them right now, so I am actually appreciating her telling me**
Abby comes out of shower.
Tony heads to get Sprite for Abby, and more bleach.
He goes to Wal-mart, thinking Winco (closer) is closed. 
Abby thinks Dad just went to work, and she is not getting Sprite.  She settles for the flat end of cream soda.  Her and sister giggle and color in bottom bunk sharing cream soda.
Dad comes home with 3 gallons of bleach, Sprite and deodorant.  I am thinking yeah, that was good thinking, I won't have to run out later to get it for him.
Eric pops out of his room, can I use you guy's (he says guy's) bathroom.  I say, of course baby. 
I get a good portion cleaned, but since the wall is wet, I can't turn the light switch on, and it is dark.  Scrubbing this will have to wait for daylight.
Tony has made a pot of coffee, and made me a cup! I love him even more!
He stretches for work, I sit in the rocker and laugh.
4AM, Tony leaves for work.  I pitter pat around, and then drag the cat in to the bedroom and crash on bed.
We called a snow day.
I scrubbed the bathroom from ceiling to floor, and had my kids throughout the day, say, you do know it's Gramma's birthday. I said, yes, egads, I'll call her in a bit.
Life continued to happen, and now it is 10:24pm, I am suffering from guilt, because I love my mom, she is the best.  She listens and teaches me in ways that I don't think she even knows.  She taught me to laugh.  She taught me how to love your husband and laugh.  She taught me to love people and laugh.  I hope she is reading this and laughing.  I love you mom, and keep the cell phone by you I am calling today!

Life is full of Blessings!

I get to play with Wendy of Studio Wendy over at ScrapBookGraphics! Wendy is famous for her actions, and awesome sweetness.  I am not a designer, nor do I play one at any store, but I love to learn things.  So when Wendy had a call, I sent her a letter, telling her I was a goober, not a designer, but I could try things for her.  She already knew I was a goober and she let me on her team anyway!!?? This team is completely different from any other team I have EVER been on.  Everyone is testing in their particular program and trying it out how it would work for them, and providing feedback, good, bad and ugly, but in a nice way of course.
I received an email notification of a free 20 page 8x8 hard back Shutterfly photo book-HARDCOVER was available in the private forum for Wendy to the first responder.  I had lightning under my fingertips, to get there!
Wendy graciously sent me the coupon, and I furiously begin uploading and arranging the pictures in Shutterfly's program.  I have used MyPicTales for just pages, not a book, so it is alot different, but has some of the same aspects.

I had a lot of 2010 pics, so I put them chronological, and had some gaps to fill in, so I scrapped a ton that day to get 'er done and uploaded! I was sapped!  I luckily had a few that I in my "work in progress" and that helped.  I wound up uploading an extra 7 pages to the book. It came in the mail within a week!
I was home by myself, and the postman brought it to the door! I wanted to take a picture of him handing it too me.  He is the bomb diddly of a mailman, brought it to the door and is all happy that I am happy.  But, alas, I chickened out!!
I took a few pics to show you the finished book.  I didn't use a flash, cause I didn't want to get that irritating shine!

 

This is the cover, I was not real original and although I love this picture, I would rather do something a bit different next time.

I used a whole lot of ScrapBookGraphic designers, here is Dawn Inskips and a double pager! I really liked the look with the coordinating pages.

Bit blurry, sorry, but this page and the kit are special, in Tuesday chat, Maya and her dear hubby Mick (owners of SBG) were in chat, and I won this kit Cosmopolitan from them! I loved that they are hands on owners when they can and just enjoyed the chat.  I made this page, smiling about my family playing Yatzee and thinking about Maya and Mick, kinda neat.

When I was on Dawn Inskip's team I requested a farm kit! Some kind of metamorphis was happening to my family, we put in a garden, built and got chickens and I wanted to document it all!!  Dawn had a ton of other kits that I used also, but she made an awesome kit, (of course after I had resigned from her team, ha ha, so I had to PAY for it) Farmyard Fun!

 

These are both from Studio Tangie, my friend and boss! I loved the difference in these pages, and the faces people have when they see my spoon page! ha ha Tangie and her funky fun kits give me altered fun and still able to document Eric and his science experiments!

 

Just a few mix match pages! I learned more on how to arrange and how to set them up! I only had one page that lost a bit of journaling with the bleed, so I was happy about that.  I was rushing to get them all in, and just didn't check as close.  

This time last year, my hands would sweat about printing.  I am so thankful for ScrapBookGraphics Forum -Completing a Photobook.  The knowledge and experience from Karen and Wendy really helped me bring it all together, along with others that were doing their books! 

byoc! not byob! explained

I got a big giggle from the posts from some of the Lily Pad layouts I did.  BYOC over at the Lily Pad, confuses some, and I admit I had to ponder it for a bit, and spent money the wrong way when I first popped there.
BYOC is Build Your Own Collab
Each designer is given the color palette and the theme of the collab.
They make mini kits, extra elements, stitching, templates etc that all have the same theme.  I fell in love with this month's collab.  I bought most of it!  I really feel this causes the designers to really step up their quality, as the items I bought were wonderful!!
Then there are challenges, that using the BYOB, you have a chance to win the whole next months BYOB.  I loved going thru the different designers styles and mixing and matching.
This is a new thing for me, I had been CTing for designers for so long, I had gotten into the one kit layout.  That is really limiting!  I am enjoying the designers products and using the kits over and over.  I have done 4 or 5 layouts in a week, that I love and plan on printing.  That is good. I would love to see other stores try this, as some collabs from stores I feel like I am getting their sloppy seconds, and not their best!

Challenging myself in the DigiWorld!

The scrap world is it's own little world.  There is drama behind things, but I try not to lift those rocks!  I enjoy the giggles and fun of making new friends.  I spent a few years on creative teams, lots and lots of them.  There is something so addictive to getting a kit before anyone else, and opening it and freshly playing with it.  I maybe a strange and weird person, okay, I will take the maybe out, I am strange and weird. 
I gave up doing the crazy time-frame crunch of being a CT, last June, when I began assisting Tangie Baxter.  I have been sooooooooooo busy with her, loving EVERY minute of it, that I kinda stopped doing creative scrapping. 

Let me back up.  I do few  types of digital scrapping, I Art Journal, which is very me orientated, and a bit more searching and frolicking around elements and words. Hee hee, I love that way of describing it, frolic!  For instance, I found this quote that goes with Tangie's new kit Happenstance, and spent a few hours frolicking and came up with this:

I like the Art Journaling, because I try new things, like free hand brush strokes around the alpha to give more of hand drawn feel. I cut up papers haphazardly, and stack things in obscure ways. It is fun, pure and simple.
Then I do pages for the family.  I don't usually even upload most of these to galleries.  They are pure photo's and journaling and a bit of a element flash.  I do them for books.

These are chronological, and I try to do at least 2 pages per month for our yearbooks.  Sometimes in full months, there are more! I am up to date with our photobooks, and so this year I am going to do quarterly books, and do way more journaling, I pumped my goal to 5 pages a month, to get 20 page books done every 4 months!
Then I do this strange thing, usually when I get a free kit, or answer a one kit call, I go back in the way back machine and scrap a picture from years ago. 

I have already scrapped this picture, and will probably never print this one, but I had a blast putting it together.  I didn't even save it as a full resolution jpg.  I have it as save for web, and in the file that does a slide show on my puter.  It is just fluff but fun scrapping.
Then my new favorite, I take a challenge from a forum, right now I am doing most of them at the Lily-Pad, because I like the style of the designers, and am finding myself enjoying templates heavy with journaling.

This is a page that will go in our book, a page I love and adore! I mean I bought the kits, and invested in getting the exact right things to go on this page.  I will look at this one and love it years to come!  My family will think it is okay, but a page with just pictures will be fine for them! 
Do what kind of scrapping do you do?

I am an official affiliate of All About Spelling!

Yep, you will see me proudly wearing this little banner. 

Yep, I do get a percentage of any sales, but I signed up, because All About Spelling (AAS) worked and is still working for my son.
My son is 12 and we started this year in Level 1.  Yes, I said age 12 and level ONE!  You see, Gman spent most of kinder in the bathroom because it was quiet.  He had very loud and mentally unstable children in his class that made him nervous.  The following year, a student teacher was in charge of his spelling, and because G is so quiet, he was ignored.  This is his story. His spelling was so bad, and yet his imagination and creative writing was tops.  You just couldn't understand it. 
Our Educational Specialist here at the charter we use in California, read his work and said, I can see exactly almost what days he missed in kinder and first grade spelling.  That sent me searching for a curriculum to fit for him.  I didn't want baby books, but rules to teach and enforce in his spelling.  All About Spelling was a perfect fit.  We have done the first two books, and will start the third one next week! 
I knew it was a success when the boys were setting the table and G turned to his big brother to share, "Hey, did you know that every syllable has a vowel?" 

Book Review-girl talk with God

Girl Talk with God by Susie Shellenberger

The book in a nutshell is conversations taking the Word of God as God’s actual word and the truth of the scripture as the basis of how God has already answered  many questions, even those we don’t want to ask.  As a believer and servant of Jesus Christ, having one on one conversation with God is the key to keeping the relationship fresh and real!

I was totally blown away at Susie Shellenberger's real life conversations with God, and how she takes the Word of God and brings that as God's response in a way that is easy to understand and take to heart! The issues she covers are not sugar sweet, but deep and thought provoking!

Each chapter caught my attention, and I found myself smiling at the wisdom of God time and time, and how with the grace and mercy of His Word and very nature is would so patiently bring the woes and problems of our lives back to the Gospel of how Jesus Christ died for our sins, and expects us to fully give our lives to Him. 

I so recommend this book to anyone really who just wants to learn how to talk with God as not just our Savior, but as the friend and companion that never fails.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Been hanging over at the Lily Pad for a bit! Review for ya!

I was bored and wanted to scrap for just pure fun.  I began scouring some of the forums I had not been to and fell into The Lily Pad! What a delight! I mean delightful!! I went to the store and they have this Build Your own Collab BYOC.  I loved the colors and began filling my cart.

I didn't do it right, as I went 3 or 4 times, so missed out on their bulk discount, but I will do it next month and it will be great! I had a super great time.  I did a template challenge, a scraplift, and one for the big prize for the following months BYOC. 

I loved this template and had a stroke of genius to use the photo on the paper strip! I was pretty happy with the end result.

This was a scraplift, and so hard for me not to keep adding things to the page! I loved doing it so minimal!  My Anna a few years ago.  I have a video I took along with the pics and the words on the page are from the video. 

This one is for the big prize, and I can't wait to have it printed! it is so Gman and his tea! oh he does love his tea!
I am not on any of these creative teams, and don't really know anyone there, but it was a great time, they left really nice comments on my pages and were so kind.  I even got an email from Sahlin Studios saying thank you for my purchase.  I know, I am easy, but I liked that! Fun place! 

Update on Owl Pellets-I was wrong.

I was so wrong, and had to go look it up:

Owls, like many other birds, eat their food whole. Since birds do not have teeth, they can't chew their food. Therefore, they use their strong and sharp beaks to rip their prey apart and then swallow large chunks whole. The owl slowly digests its meal by separating the softer materials (such as meat) from the harder material (such as bones). It then regurgitates the harder material along with indigestible items such as feathers and fur in the form of a pellet. This is a picture of an owl pellet. 


A big thank you to Tiffany who set me right in such a nice way, you made me think? Cause well we were wondering how something this size well, came out of the other end.  So it is vomit, not feces, somehow it doesn't make it sound any better.

Wet Pellets are totally DISGUSTING!!

The book said to soak the pellets a few hours to make it easier to pull the fur off the bones! OH boy, what they didn't say is soaking these extremely dry pellets causes the original smell that you think of when poop is discussed.  Totally disgusting!

The water was uhm yellow a bile looking yellow!

The fur now was almost green.

Tony being awesome sat down to do one! I at this time, said lets just throw it all away, here is a double bag, lets toss them!

 

But wait! there are treasures in here, Mom look at this! I am disgusted, she has her fingers on the wet grossness!

  

or perhaps, the fact Abby is using my forks for hers is putting me over the edge of gross!

 

Tony had little screwdrivers, but he starts seeing skulls and little bones and is captivated!

Eric gets into just as much as Dad, and I take pictures!  We found a little cupful of skulls, tossed the rest and bleached the skulls.  Gross, gross, gross!

I have a cold! I am grumpy!

credits

15 Owl Pellets Please, Yes, those are feces!

Catchy title!  I had 15 owl pellets ordered and sent to my home.  Remarkable.  We finally hit the bird section of our biology curriculum.  It was time.  We took our aluminum wrapped droppings and opened them like a baked potato:

Then we disected them, yep tore those dookies apart!

 That is a skull of what we believe to be a shrew, those are the teeth!

The bones were remarkable!  Eric had one that the bones were splintered, the owl must have just shattered that animal in it's kill!

Gabriel was the one who didn't want to do it, and once we started he was all into it!

 

I ordered the manual with the pellets and it was a great buy! There are so many illustrations and helps to identify the bones.  We were like rodent CSIers with a cache of clues!

Eric is not officially in Biology with us this year, but who can pass up the opportunity to dissect Owl Pellets! I certainly couldn't!

Everyone found something unique and totally wild in their fur ball of excrement!

 

The pocket microscope was brought out to get a closer look!

 Poor Anna, she was looking at the bones and yelled, "EWWwwwwwww gross, there is blood all over it!!"  Well, actually that was from her nose, she had a bloody nose and dripped on the bones and the microscope area.  Hence the ice on her neck!

 I was really excited about how into this experiment my kidlets got!  Books were passed, discussion was lively and we went from total grossed out to way cool learning!

 We aren't done, the book said to try some that had soaked in water! I'll be back to show that tomorrow! Tony joined in on this ooey gooey experiment!