I aM nOt SUrE WhAt WiLl FRIgHteN YoU MOrE. . .

The art that I'm posting 

which is certainly SPOOKY! 

or the fact that I am posting at all! 

 I would love to say that my absence is all from lack of time, 

and while time certainly has been a factor,

 truthfully, its more FEAR; 

the fear of rejection. . . 

the fear that no one cares if I post,. . . 

and the fear that no one cares if I'm even here. 

It scares me. 

 I'm sure on the surface we all look like we have it all together,

 but I don't. 

 You see, lately, 

I've had more in my life 

and on my plate 

that I feel I can cope with and adding it to for any reason 

would be more than I am able to bear. 

 Sad, but true. . . 

I wish I didn't allow fear in my heart 

except for maybe an occasional spook house on Halloween.

Now, I've opened up. . . FEAR an All.

Hope I didn't Scare you all right away.

 Scared or not, here is my post. 

 This was my Trick or Treat class Friday night.

Boo Crew Board Book

Cover of Boo Crew Board Book

Back of Boo Crew Mini Board Back

12X12 One Sheet Wonder Box

Candy Box

Candy Box Back

Candy Box Side 2

Boo Bag

I Can Color!

Finally!  40 years old and I learned how to color!

Thanks Jen for the FANTASTIC class!

Wish I could come to the next class,

but fortunately for me, my feet 

will be planted firmly on the Southern California 

sandy beach!  Laguna Beach, here we come!

In real life it looks like I painted it.  I am so happy with the results.

I cam home and looked at some other things I've colored...

hmmmmmmmm. . . let's just say. . . 

not so pretty.  Copics are worth it. . .

at least to a paper and ink enthusiast like myself.

Hopefully I can hone my skills from here!

Agency Is a Gift

Another Set of Young Women Handouts.  
What I CHEWS to be is up to me.  Agency is a gift.  See 2 Nephi 2:27
These are from last week's lesson on Agency.
Young Women Manual 2, Lesson 28


They were a hit.  Just to carry the theme a bit
farther, I used different flavors of gum.


The lesson was on using our agency to make good choices.
When you make a choice,
 the consequence-
good or bad-
is fixed to the choice.


Not that any gum can be "bad," but some flavors
are definitely not favored by 12 and 13 year olds!


Enjoy!

An Apple A Day!

Another Young Women Handout. . . Had fun making them!

Cricut Apple

The Lesson was on sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ

just by being a friend.

"Just" Jessica Turns 9 - Happy Birthday Girl!

Just Jessica is how we explain this amazingly wonderful, extremely talented, wildly outrageous bundle of girl she is and the wildly exasperating and often mind bending things she challenges us with.   No one else could be, well, Jessica!  Truly coincidentally (or maybe not so) Jessica was asked to speak today in primary.  The topic is the first line of her talk.  There wasn't a dry eyed adult in the room.  Love you girl!!!


Jessica's Talk for Sunday, August 8th

Jesus Christ is the Son of God and He is a God of miracles.  We all know of stories in the bible where Jesus worked miracles for others, but he still works miracles today.  I know that this is true.  I know it is true because Jesus Christ has worked a miracle for me.

9 years ago today I was born in Indianapolis, Indiana.  The same day I was born my mom was at gymnastics with a friend watching Mikensee at her practice.  They were discussing the desire of my mom's heart to have a baby.  For several years my mom, dad and sister had prayed for a baby girl to come into their lives.  They tried to adopt several children through the state, but something always happened and they had to say good-bye to several kids that they loved.  Because of this they were very sad, but continued to have faith that God would work a miracle for them.  A stranger, sitting behind them overheard their conversation and asked my mom if she heard her right.  "Are you trying to adopt a baby?" she asked. 

My mom said,  "Yes, why do you ask?."

The woman proceeded to tell my mom that her sister was an adoption specialist in Utah and then asked, "Are you a Mormon?"

My mom's heart sank.  They had been passed by for other adoptions and had been told by some agencies that they wouldn't even work with her because of her membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  She knew she couldn't lie and said, "Why yes I am, is that a problem?"

The woman said, "No!  We are too!"  They were both relieved.  She gave my mom her sister's number and once they got home my mom called her right away. 

The woman's sister was an adoption specialist for children with medical needs.  My mom was a little sad and told the woman, that while she really, really wanted to be a mother to another baby she didn't think she was strong enough to adopt a baby that would have to spend so much time in hospitals and at doctor's appointments.  The woman asked if she would have a problem adopting a baby of a different color.  My mom said "Absolutely not!"  The kind woman gave my mom the name and number of a friend who only worked at adopting babies with the same skin color as mine.  My mom was so excited.  She called TLC Adoptions immediately!  The agency sent her the paperwork to begin the process and my mom and dad stayed up almost all night filling out the paperwork.  Early the next morning my mom received a call.  It was TLC Adoptions.  They said a baby girl had been born the night before and that the family that was going to adopt the baby had changed their mind due to some other circumstances.  She told my mom that if our family wanted to adopt the baby girl that she would need to complete the paperwork, arrange to speak to my biological mother on the phone and be on an airplane to Indiana that day.  My mom cried with joy and excitement.  She hung up the phone hugged and cried with Mikensee, called my dad and then her mother.  Everyone went to work and she was on a plane that night to meet me.    After almost 5 years of prayers and effort my family had me.  I was a miracle and so were the circumstances under which we were united.

I have no doubt that my family is mine.  I don't know why I had to come to this earth with a different biological mother, but I know it doesn't matter.  I know my mom is my mom and that she always has been.  I know that when we were sealed in the temple my blood became the same as theirs and that they are my family.

I know Jesus is the son of God and the He IS a God of Miracles.

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, AMEN.

Don't Fall Over Just Yet. . .

I know that if you are still out there, hanging with me,

you are most likely falling off your chair!

The thought of an actual post gracing the pages of my

 blog. . . I know I am!  Truly, it's not for lack of material.
 My life, is, as always, eventful and somewhat creative. . .
it's just also short on the time spectrum!  

On Tuesday we had a back to school swimming pot luck and party 

for the young women in our ward.  I had a cute idea to send them 

back to school with something to remind them of who they are. . .
 and that they are oh so important!  I hope you like them!  
The girls seemed pleased.  I also made one for each of my kids.
 I will attempt to sneak them in their backpacks the 

day they start school this year. . . shhhhhh, don't tell them!

Finished Project

Mini Squeeze - Drink Mix and Water

Cutesy Note
Hope you have a Beary Grand year.  Have a treat and a squeeze to get you through your first day.

Most of the product was CTMH,
but I did make the card using Digital Technology.  :)
 I'm so tech savvy!  LOL!

I won't promise anything, 
but I'll try to get 15 minutes of blogging
in a few times a week.  
Not that anything I have is worth your 15 minutes,
but as always, this isn't about you. . . 
(that was my 3 seconds of evil for the year!)

Love ya!  and if you are still around, 
you must really love me!

Time Out For Women - Hope Project

I am so thrilled to be a part of this great organization again this year!

Time Out for Women 2010

Phoenix, AZ

Friday, October 15, 2010

6:30 - 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

9:00 a.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Phoenix Convention Center

South Ballroom, South Building

Jefferson & 3rd

Phoenix, AZ 85004 US

Happy 60th Birthday Mom!

Happy Birthday to my beautiful Mother.

Today she is 60.

She won't be embarrassed I told you, nor should she be!

Isn't she beautiful?

Everything I am I contribute to my loving Father in Heaven

and my Mom.

I'm so thankful for her!

Here we are together last year when she turned 59.

I'll be 40 this year. . . 

I remember when she was 40.

I hope I am as good and strong and beautiful

at 60 as she is today.

Love you Mom.  Looking forward to our celebration later!!!

Connor's Cards and an Update!

Cards for Connor was a huge success.

Of course I had dreamed of more,

but in the end I am so pleased.

Thanks to my friends and their friends

for helping me with donations and evenings of fun!

So far, my efforts have raised $1105. 

18 women participated!  YOU ROCK!!!

Connor is still a long way from his goal, but he's not worried.

For this class I focused on the inside of the cards as well as the outside.

I did this in honor of Connor, who is

truly beautiful from the inside out.

If you can make a donation, please visit his web-site here.

Hope you enjoy Connor's Cards.

Strawberry Fields Forever

By popular request!

This is another handout for my Beehives.

This lesson was on Righteous Traditions.

The lesson reminded me of one of my favorite

childhood memories - making Jam.

My mom LOVED fresh berries!

She tried to grow our own, 

but we only ever ended up with a handful.

Still she wanted to preserve the tastes of summer.

We would travel to the fruit stands and buy

OH SO EXPENSIVE flats of fresh fruit.

At home we would wash and prepare 

the sweet, red fruit.  (Raspberries too!)

This week I took Mikensee out

and we bought all the supplies.

Strawberries were only $1/lb!!!

We showed up at my Mom's and

announced our plans.  My 18

year old sister (18 tomorrow!)

had never made fresh jam.

We had a great day and while

preserving a taste of summer

we preserved a righteous family tradition!

TIP:  If you'd like to see this (or any image on my blog) larger, click on the image!

Mother's Day . . . the unusual holiday

It sure seems to me that Mother's Day

 is an unusual holiday.

Maybe when I am 

older it will make sense.

Every mother I know

hates Mother's Day

It seems to be the day

above all others

that we feel inadequate,

unqualified, and at best

tired.

Mother's Day should never, ever, ever be

on Sunday, the day that we rush about

to get children fed and dressed

in their Sunday best;

arriving at church frazzled

from the morning's drama.

(or at least in my world.)

Then we come home to hungry children,

tired children, restless children,

and we wonder if or when

this will ever really be a holiday for Mother's.

I am, however, grateful for my mother.

I owe everything to her.

I wouldn't be me without her.

I tried to liven up her day with a special surprise

at work Saturday night.

She's a night house nursing supervisor

at a very big hospital

and she works the graveyard shift

which meant no Mother's Day for her.

She was sleeping.

This was her card (also a card I used for Cards for Connor)

which I will be posting the results of soon, I promise.

And this was my dinner - the one I made.

and bought

and cleaned up.

 and these are the

reasons I "celebrate" Mother's Day.

which I guess in the end

make this unusual holiday,

the one worth celebrating.

Stardom Hits!

I should have posted this BEFORE we were famous. . .

or almost. . .

Last night Jessica was on America's Funniest Home Videos.

The clip was about 30 seconds in the section titled Young Love.

This is the full video from which the clip was taken.

We were sharing a Thanksgiving with my surrogate sister Dawn

and my surrogate nephew Bennett.

You will see that Bennett just LOVES Jessica. . .

It was such a treat to be with them again last night

as our young loves made their debut on prime time tv. . .

Shortly after this aired we were offered a multi-million kiss contract. . .

we obviously had to turn them down. . .

It's a Flower, It's a Handout, It's a Post!!!

Last night I stayed up WAY too late with a

friend and my daughter.

It was soooo late . . . er. . . I mean early. . .

she and her daughter crashed at my house!

Poola (as I fondly call Paula)

my daughter and I spent a few hours in Mesa at CKC,

but then had to come home and spend some craft time. . .

We made these paper flowers.

They were supposed to be Gardenias. . .

I'll say they are Roses. . .

I will admit that I wasn't sure they were going to turn out,

but I'm glad we stuck with it! Mikensee made the pink one.

Poola's bunch isn't here, but I know they will

remind her of night. . . I mean morning together.

Thanks Poola for making my life

sweeter and definitely more vibrant!

One of the reasons my posts these days are few is that

I spend most of my craft time each week making

handouts for my beehives.

We made a book especially for keeping them in.

(I guess I should show it to you!)

The girls love them and it brings me great joy to make

them for them.

Each one of these precious daughters of God has expressed

in some way to me, their gratitude. So much so that

I can't think of NOT making them something each week.

They are designed to remind them of the lesson,

and to show them that I love them and care for their well-being.

I make 14 cards each week. I've never posted them.

This is actually a handout for this week's lesson and next.

So I have a break.

It's a good thing because the next 2 Friday nights are

Cards for Connor

and I have to design 10 cards and prep for 40 guests!

This is actually a card that opens up,

but I'm not going to tell them that.

Next week, I'll show them the secret on the inside.

I don't know why I haven't shared any of them before, but I really

love how these turned out. I hope you like them too!

Maybe I'll share them a bit more often.

Please have a wonderful week and never, ever forget who you are

or of the divinity within you.

You mean the world to someone and to me. . .

Still At It

While it may appear that my creative gene has left the building

or that my blogging hat has been retired, I am still at it.

Wouldn't it be grand if we could truly spend each day as we desire

and not in the way that is sometimes pressed upon us.

I know we have choices and choices I do make,

but unfortunately for me, my choices these days have been limited to circumstances

that I can not control.

Control. . . there's a thought, an idea, a word I've long since had to let go of.

For those of us OCD types (yes, I am one), control is what we often seek, but never get

-- and rightfully so. Control is not what life is about -- choice is.

Which brings me right back to the beginning.

Choices.

Well, lets just say that I am making them, just not necessarily the ones I would like to.

Creativity is a necessity only second to choice in my world.

I live to create and thankfully, occasionally, I am blessed with the opportunity.

Thanks to my dedicated Scrap Gals

I once again eeked out some time and put together another class.

Loosely based on the Topstich CTMH Workshop on the Go,

I better get these posted so my gals can get their photos on them. Hope you enjoy.

Fun is Fundamental - We just love the zoo. Don't these show how much fun we have?

Determination Jessica - ;} Jessica's middle name should be Determination.

Behold Wonder - Walker was lost at the zoo for a time and when we found him this is where he was. Beholding Wonder. We spent a good 30 minutes just watching in wonder at this calf (only 2 days old) and her mother. I think they were just as curious as the boys were!

Remember you can click on each photo individually to see the image larger! Until next time!