2 Minutes Blond

Although as her grandmother, I really liked this picture and Ashley's blond hair, it was only temporary. It was a step between her natural brunette and blue.

I chose her picture to make this layout after having picked up this free floral Cartabella paper at JessicaSprague.com.  On her blog there today she gave this paper as a freebie to use with her short lesson called, How to extract from patterned paper. Even though I've been using Photoshop Elements for several years, I still learned a bit by her tutorial. I love the way I was able to 'cut' these flowers from the paper and enlarge them to decorate the page.

Watch for her blog tutorials on Fridays.

The circle matt can be found on Scrapgirls.com. It is by Brandy Murray.

Reviewing New Year's Eve

Naturally our young teenaged triplets are wide awake...and their mother, the night owl. However Dad here has been burning the candle on both ends. The play he has produced is opening this weekend in Nashville.  It is The Crucible.  Wish I could drive down there and see it. 

Can't believe it is nearly March...

One Present

While I'm still thinking of Christmas, I need to show you a layout I just finished of Maggie and her one gift. She seems to enjoy the season, from the tree to people dropping in...whom she thinks come only to see her.

I had a hard time finding a present for her that was well made. There weren't as many options this year for some reason. I finally found a little plush duck. She had a great time just unwrapping it.  It was a good thing that she got $6 worth of fun with it, because when she finally got it free from the paper, she didn't seem to like the feel of it in her mouth.

This is a lot like people. We set our minds on something we just must have...maybe a friend has one, or we've seen it advertised...but when we finally save the money or buy it on credit, it really doesn't give us the pleasure we thought we'd get...so we are on to getting something else.  Some of us are never satisfied. We really don't know what we are looking for to make us happy.

All I know is, whatever it is that you really want/need is not something physical you can hold in your hands. It is nothing you can touch.  What you really honestly need is a relationship. A true, loving, satisfying relationship.

And when you have that relationship with a person, you will still yearn for something else.

That is the time you need to explore. You need to find God. For he is the only one who can bring you real satisfaction in this life. He is the one who made you and he is the only one who knows exactly what you need.

Could it really be mid February?

 The cliche 'seems like it was only yesterday' is something in my thoughts often now. That's the case with Christmas. We started decorating the day after Thanksgiving and it was only a couple of days until we  took it down, January first. I miss the look. I could keep it up all year and probably would still think it was just yesterday that we put it all out.

I left the snowman cup set out and a few other snowmen on the kitchen window sill, but the rest has been packed away for the summer...I suppose we'll be getting it out again next week...or at least it will feel that way. Valentine's Day has come and gone and now Easter is upon us, but first we have a few more birthdays this month. It will be Happy Birthday to our son-in-law Greg, our son Tim and then our son-in-law who is Tim as well.

March this year brings a celebration of birthdays that we didn't have time to celebrate the first two months. Everyone has been too busy. Then we are anxious for the birth of another granddaughter. I know it will seem like I just wrote this, when she is born.  I feel like I get up in the morning and in just a few minutes, it is time to bed down again, even though I don't get much done. They tell me it gets worse as you age, and I know that is true. But how can it get worse than now?  Maybe that is why some people get Alzheimers and other dementias or at least it seems they do. The words come after them so quickly that  they whiz right on through, past the eardrums and into tomorrow...

Love These Cookies

Oliver may as well get used to little girls, since he will soon have a baby sister. She is due in March.

This is Cora, a friend who goes to story time with him. They made a stop at the Little Bird Bake Shop on the way. Cora seems enamored by him, but I think he is more interested in the cookies.

Today has been a lovely, sunny, but snowy day. It was 1 degree when we left for church this morning and was up to 15 by the time we had finished lunch and headed home. 

Still thinking of good, admirable, positive things. Our youth minister spoke today. He is honorable. His sermon was truth. The singing was beautiful. The Lord's Supper (communion) was an excellent connection with Christ our savior, and God, who was there among us, is worthy of praise.  

We were all happy to touch base. And we had an opportunity we don't often have...the teens had a bake sale to earn money for their activities together. I bought some yummy cupcakes for our Life Group. All good!

Valentine Day Here

I was browsing through some of the church website that I hadn't bothered with before and found this picture that was taken months ago. One of the young women at church, who is very good at photography, had taken pictures of all the life group leaders.  At once, I wanted to use it in a layout. Then it hit me. I would use it for Valentine Day. So here it is.  We are a few months older now and we are looking older every day, but I like the layout.

We had a pleasant celebration Friday night, tried to beat the crowd.  I think others may have had the same thought.

Dreaming

Ava leads a busy life. Up in the morning. It's a bad hair day...but she doesn't leave it that way.
All ready and out to the mall with a shopping bag. Go girl. She doesn't make it home. She's sound asleep in her carseat. Another day, another dollar... spent.

I love all the sweet pictures of this little great grand daughter.  It's easy to keep thinking of pleasant and good things with her  around.

There is another debate Saturday night.  I'll be walking a tight rope trying to think positively...of good things to come. Hopefully, God will take mercy on us sinners and give us a president who will make the changes that are really needed now, to help families stay together and those who need work to find a decent wage.  Someone who will lower taxes on businesses and lure them back to this country. Someone who will bring us together instead of dividing at all times.


Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.