Dedicated to Anna

Here it is! A layout of my great-grandmother, Anna Lien. Born in 1873 in Telemark, Norway. She married Nicholas Weber at the age of 18, and thus this chalk painting was created in honor of her engagement. I just LOVED, LOVED working with Paper Trunk papers for the Scrapbook Playground design team. The texture and colors were perfect for this LO. I also had blue hands for about 30 hours, from dying a white Heidi Swapp flower minutes before we had company over on Monday night. Yes, I knew I should have wore gloves, but time was critical. I wanted the flower to dry while we had company, so I could return to scrapping afterwards. Funny thing is - no one asked about my hands...how very kind of them, or not observant. (LOL)

I wanted to include the factoids I had learned about my beautiful ancestor, but was not sure where to include them. I don't care for crowded looking layouts. Piggy Tales Barndoors to the rescue! Thanks to Brandon I had a round barndoor that was perfect in the center of the flower. The layout title is on the outside of the door, and under the flap is the information I was able to learn about here.

I had another great surprise in my mailbox this past Saturday. Tara from PageFrames sent me a package full of their wonderful shapes. I hoped to incorporate one with one of my Paper Trunk LOs, but it was not to be. I already have some ideas and look forward to sharing my creations with Pageframes very soon. Tara was so so sweet to send me their product - I just LOVE it!

I have so much that I want to share this week... I am going to have to post regularly for the next couple of days. This weekend the Scrapbook Playground is having a weekend crop.

The real fun begins for our version of Octoberfest - a month long game and crop that will keep you guessing. Just remember I am innocent!! (hint, hint!) I am having fun making a list of challenges for the October event - please join us at the Playground!
It is going to be a blast, lots of prizes - so click on the link to your right to register and join the fun!

Mesmerized

Growing up this photo hanging on a wall in my grandparent’s home mesmerized me. It was contained in a gold gilded oval frame, as I recall, with a BUBBLE glass front which was truly unique. The woman in the photo captivated me, and I always wanted to know the story behind the long locks of hair.

I’ve been doing some research on this photo and have learned a number of facts, although little is really known.
 The young woman in the photo is my father’s grandmother, Anna Lien, age unknown
 When she departed from the ship as she came to America from Telemark, Norway her hair was reported to be below her ankles
 No one knows why her hair was so long, and all who might possibly know the answer are no longer alive
 I discovered, upon close inspection of the copy print in my fathers home (shown above), that the image is actually a painting, not a photo (the feet were the tell-tale on this fact)
 Upon restoring this image in Photoshop, and enlarging the pixels for repair on my monitor I noticed a diamond ring on her left hand, which had not been noticed before – which leaves me to believe that this is an engagement painting
 Once I obtain the marriage date I can deduct Anna’a age, as I have her birthdate (this is exciting for me!)
 I also learned that Anna’s husband, Nicholas Weber, had to help her wash her hair (no doubt!)

Other facts learned from my aunt who took the original to a photo specialist to have copied: Original is actually a chalk painting, rarely done, and easily smudged (I suggested the painting be taken to a specialist and have chalk fixative applied to help preserve it – a product that did not exist in the 1800’s)
 Artist’s name was likely smudged from bottom corner, as the painting has a number of chalk smudges on it
 Frame itself is very unique, rare to find one intact from that period

What I am doing: Scanned the copy print that my father had received
 Restoring as best I can in Photoshop as the image has scratches, discolorations of red spots here and there, lots of specks
 Planning to reprint on archival premium photo paper and return to my father in a proper, archival safe frame
 Planning to scrap with Paper Trunk this week for the Scrapbook Playground DT, as I realize the colors will be a wonderful compliment to this painting
 I will continue to be mesmerized by this image that I adored as a child, and will at least have some facts to go along with the page – my contribution to preserving family history. I LOVE this part of scrapbooking!

These are my plans this week for scrapbooking. I am not a huge genealogist, but I do love to learn and make discoveries when they fall my way. As we continue our journey here on earth it is important that we not forget the past, for where would we be without ancestors?

You Never Let Go

It's hard to let go at times... especially when your children reach a new milestone in their lives. This week Abby began school, Tues-Thurs. she attends West Middleton as a mentor in the early start program. Basically she and a few others help to set an example for children with special needs, listening to the teachers, sitting still at story time...being themselves, really, but at the same time showing other children who struggle in these areas "how to do it". It's a great program, and a perfect fit for a child who has an October birthday and has to wait another year to begin kindergarten.

As for myself...not so much letting go of traditional scrapping..never, never, never! But embracing even more, digital scrapbooking. This week I became a Studio Diva for www.kjoistudios.com (permanent link found at right). I love doing hybrid layouts and my friend, Kara Jones, launched K-joi last week - a great site for those who love digital and who are interested in learning, to come together in a forum. First, I have to laugh at the mere thought of me...at 44, 2 kids, and extra pound-age, having the title DIVA. So NOT diva am I! (LOL) But I can get a kick out of the title, and in the meantime enjoy all the fabulous digital elements provided by a fantastic group of digital designers. I have so many ideas...so little time.

My first project as a Diva is a hybrid greeting card. When I saw Dawn Inskip's awesome dino doodles I knew they would be perfect for a kid's card. Card magazine has a call out for their Feburary issue, and I decided for the first time, that I would make cards specificall to submit. I am not sure a hybrid greeting card has ever been published, but hey...if I am too futuristic on this one so be it. I love how the card turned out.




The hybrid portion of this card simply comes in with the inking around the edges of the card, and taking my Sakura clear glaze pen over the alphbet, and in the eyes of each dinosaur, to make them glow and stand out. It's very cool in real life. Hope you enjoy it.

On the note of letting go... our church has been singing a new song these past couple of weeks by Matt Redman. I recognized the refrain when we first sang it, no doubt because I listen to Christian radio each moment I am listening to the airwaves. The song really speaks to me, and I totally love the melody. It is awesome to hear 100s of people singing this at one time, and knowing that each may be thinking of a time when God was with them through a trial...never letting go, no matter what we have done, where we have been, where we are going. Awesome! Click on the arrow to start the video located at your right - take a few moments to draw closer to God.

Paper Trunk for your treasures anyone?

Recently I just finished up a project that turned out really cool for the Scrapbook Playground, featuring Paper Trunk's Gigi collection. From the moment I heard we were getting product from Paper Trunk I was inspired to create an altered trunk. I remembered seeing a paper mache trunk at WI Craft Market years ago. I visited Michael's and found an even better trunk than what I remembered, this one matching old steamer trunks that my mother used to keep in a storeroom, belonging to her great-grandfather, as I recall. They were heavy wooden trunks with metal straps, lots of rivets, and what I remember most is that they were lined with newspaper. How cool - a bit of history glued to the inside of the trunk! I decided to do the same with my trunk, using the hometown newspaper. I made sure "church notes" was visible and circled the name of the church I work at. On the inside I made a point to include local news from nearby Black Earth, where Jesse grew up, and the feautured article is about the recent flooding. I figure 25 years down the road someone will see this paper trunk and it will be similar to a time capsule with bits of news from the past. No matter where it ends up, the person who has it will know something about the area that the artist who created it, and where she is from. I had a great time making the project, and it was about time I blew the dust of the dremel tool and used it to drill holes for the brads, aka rivets.

For now my plans are to keep current photos in the trunk. I realize my family sees few photos as I am always filing them in craft keepers with papers, etc. upon receiving them. Taking our trunk to family reunions is also much classier than a couple envelopes of photos, don't you agree? I made index card separators so that the photos can be sorted by season. Which will also make it easy for me when I want to find certain photos for scrapbooking. The index cards, simple in design, each feature a photo that has red in it.



I also had fun layering flowers, felt leaves that I cut out and stitched on the sewing machine, and a black key on top of the trunk. I found a Sarah Heidt Photocraft diecut in my stash for "Family" that was pefect in its raw chipboard state for the front of the trunk. I totally love all the details on this project. I am excited to share it with you - enjoy!


On another note all together, I just learned that Maelynn is going to be teaching a class on doodling at Big Picture Scrapbooking, and using the book she authored that includes some of my work! If you have always wanted to doodle or would like some more practice from a great artist - consider Maelynn's class. Sign up at Big Picture Scrapbooking - - doodling on pages is great fun and SUCH a stress reliever. I think I do my best doodlign late at night...kind of going a little crazy, thinking I maybe went too far, but after a night's rest I love it.

Last but not least...Creative Express is making the BIG decision today. I would SO LOVE LOVE to be on this team. With the week I have had it probably won't happen, but I will say Scatty and crew have a really fair way of figuring out who the team will be. They should share their method with CK and MM for their annual big contests - no one can argue fairness and impartiality with the CX method! Good luck to everyone who has tried out for this awesome design opportunity!

Toadally LOVIN' It!

This is my boy...doing what he loves best - playing with the critters outside. This toad, for one day, had a lot of love. Not sure if it is just me, but this toad seemed more cute than others. There was something about the expressions of its face, but maybe it was because of love. On this day this toad was crooned at, held, stroked, given a bath with fresh warm water. Logs and rocks were placed in the back of the pick up truck and Kyle used it as a play area for himself and Toad. In the photo where toad is perched on the log, he seems to have quite an "all about himself" attitude, perhaps because he had just been bathed and was feeling more handsome than the coolest frog prince.

I had fun creating this layout, using Piggy Tales papers which perfectly coordinated with the colors in the photos. The circle designs allowed me to layer and create movement throughout the page. The pictures made me smile as I created...which I needed, for when I made this layout the calls were going out for the next celebrated group of Memory Makers Masters. Scrap therapy - that's what I love about creating. I had so much fun making this, that as I got into my mojo zone, I did not even think about the calls, and the next thing I knew it was midnight. This simple layout was created for pleasure, and to preserve the memories of a little boy who one day wants to be a veternarian. It is not one of, what I would consider, my best layouts. I wasn't even sure if it was worthy to sumbit to Piggy Tales for their design team call. But as I shared it in on line galleries I was surprised by the reaction. People love this layout, and they want to scraplift it. WOW! It makes me take another look to see what people are seeing that I do not see in in my own work. I see details that, although I put them there, did not think much about as I created. All I can do is give God the credit. I think that night, when He knew I was feeling disappointment inside, He was at the helm, giving me peace and joy using a gift that He has given me. As my son toadally loves all thing amphibian, I totally love all that there is about creating - we are both doing what God has made us to do.

Counting Down!

Whew...summer seems to have flown past! It seems I am counting down for a lot of things right now. Counting the days I have left to do fun summer activities with my family, yet also counting the days that we return to a routine and less hectic schedule (yes, the school year will bring some normalcy for us), and counting down the days that Memory Makers will be making calls to the next ten Masters. Perhaps they have already started the calls for the contest, but I am hoping that is not the case...as I am really praying for my phone to ring. I would love the opportunity to create for a magazine for year - I love the challenge of deadlines.
On that note, August has been a busy scrapping month for me. I was laid up for about two weeks since end of July with a back sprain, but that did not make my design team deadlines go away. In addition I had receieved several private invitations to submit work for upcoming publications - no guarantees that my work will be published, but I felt very honored to be included with an exclusive list of designers for the various publications. Once my back was healed so that I could return to a normal life, I set a priority list by deadline date and began scrapping furiously. Unfortunately I am not able to share most of these projects, but I created some wonderful treasures in the process. And that, is really, what scrapping does for me. Not only is it my creative outlet, but it has definitely made me more aware of life around me, not to take things for granted, and scrap that which is most important to me. I almost lost a very dear friend in July, and prayed fervently that God would keep her here on earth so that I might visit with her again and take a picture of us together. He heard my prayer, granted it, and I was able to scrap a layout that means the world to me.
Up until recent rains, and my back sprain, the kids and I have really been enjoying the summer in our EasySet pool. I created this layout using Cherry Arte papers for the Scrapbook Playground - Kyle is sporting his bright green swim goggles. It is his favorite color, and what strikes me as funny is that Kyle wishes to remain an unnoticed "wall flower", yet his goggles are very loud and he is easy to find in the pool. (LOL)


Yesterday we were finally able to take Kyle and Abby to Lil' Amerika. We have taken the kids to this amusement park every year since Kyle was four. It was a perfect sunny day in the 70s - the weather could not be any better for us.
When I saw the chiropractor Tuesday I asked for permission to ride the TiltAWhirl with Kyle. Jesse won't ride it, and I am the only one game enough to do so with Kyle. Dr. Joe was not too thrilled that I was going to push it so soon, but told me to wear my support belt. My confession - I did not. I wasn't going to spend the day wearing this huge black belt, which is not that comfortable, and it is warm. But I did really well. The force of gravity plasters my body against the back of the car as the Tilt-A-Whirl spins - I think the only repurcussions I suffered was a bit of a headache and upset stomach from all the spinning. And yes, I went back and rode it a second time, even though I told Kyle I wouldn't do it again.
Abigail is the daredevil in the family - no one else would ride the Ferris Wheel with me, which easily towered over all other rides in the park. Abby asked to go on it, however, and she and I did. I fully expected her to start crying and that they would have to stop the ride to let us off...but she proceeded to count the cars and give a play by play as to when we were going backward, up, forward and down. When we got to the top I was actually the one who had a lurching stomach...I learned the only way to get through it was to keep my eyes focused on her. And yes, we did that more than once as well - she loved it. The park also had a new wooden roller coaster...and it seemed to run so much more smoothly than the others. On that note, near the end of the day I decided to ride it. It was a blast - and my body (neck, spine, etc) was not jarred at all - I give the Meteor 2 thumbs up for being a chiropractor approved ride. (LOL) Abby rode beside Jesse - he kept his protective arm around her while she raised her hands up in the air like all the kids in front of her. Yes...that is our fearless 4 year old. I always suspected she might be a daredevil from the moment she first began swinging and kept telling me to push her higher and higher.
Abby also learned to play mini golf. I needed to create one more Junkitz product layout for the SBPG, so when we got home I printed some photos right away. I created a layout telling the story of how Abby mastered the art of mini-golf in about 10 minutes.

The miniature golf course is a tough one, and Kyle and Jesse had some frustrations getting through the obstacles. By the third hole Abby declared, "I know how to play this game!" She picked up her ball, strutted over to the hole, set it a few inches from the target, and push-putted the ball in. "See, this game is easy!" she said with a big, proud grin. She proceeded to play the game much faster than Kyle or Jesse, having mastered the game with her own set of rules. It was too funny - and of course she was quite proud of herself the whole while.
I hope as you count down the final days of summer all who read this blog are finding themselves in good health. And while we are counting down...don't forget to count your blessings one by one...God gives us many as we enjoy the journey!

Weeks After CHA

CHA has been over for several weeks now, and I had all these things I wanted to accomplish with the rest of my summer. As luck would have it, I sprained my back which has put me in ultra slow mode, when not immobile.
A week ago it was awful - I am pretty sure the pain was worse than when I had had ruptured discs. Monday morning I stood up, got dizzy, nauseous and was not so sure I wasn't going to pass out. I had not felt that bad in all my life. Thank the Lord for Dr. Joe Teff, my chiropractor. He came in on weekends and even saw me more than once a day. I know he is "all natural" and probably cringed when I asked if he could provide a prescription.
My MD was out for the week. She had always said we should keep Rx on hand in case I ever had my back go out when she was gone. We never followed through on the idea and I was desperate. Fortunately her nurse had another doctor prescribe pain meds, but I was disappointed to get no noticeable relief.
On Tuesday Dr. Teff used "light therapy" on me, which is supposed to help alleviate the pain. He treated me late in the day, but it really did not seem to help. (often requires multiple treatments)
By Weds. morning my leg muscles were so tight I could barely walk. For lack of knowing what to call the thing, he used a "jack hammer" on my tight muscles - pressing it against my thighs, pounding hard- surely thought I was going to be black and blue. The thing sure hurt, but it did wonders for going deep into the muscle to relieve the tension. Thursday I felt better, and went to work - but I didn't last an hour sitting at the computer and I just had to lie down. Friday I just behaved and laid around all day, and by Saturday I felt pretty good. My legs are almost pain free (the stairs can still be a problem), and the only pained area is the lower part of my back where the sprained ligaments are.

Thanks to Dr. Joe I managed to get some layouts done for some call deadlines that I really wanted to scrap for. I worked on them Saturday with my husband reminding me to stretch and take breaks. I did push it a bit, but that is how I am when I have deadlines.

August is full of deadlins for me. With two deadlines met my next is working with Tinkering Ink's Noir Blanc collection for Scrapfriends Review in mid-August. I know Wendi at the Scrapbook Playground has a box enroute to me as well for uploads on the 20th, and there a couple of DT calls that I am considering, if I can manage to find time to scrap for them.

It is amazing how one week out of commission can really make me feel behind. On the up side, I discovered just how compassionate my 9 yr old boy is. All of last week he played mom, dad, and nurse while Jesse worked. He took care of me and Abby - made us lunch (sandwiches all week - but they were good!), cleaned the living room, organized kitchen cupboards (a bit of that "OCD" showing up), used the massager on my legs, and was the best boy a mom could have. Jesse had a hard week, too. By the time he got home the kids were tired of sitting around all day watching television and video gaming - so he would get them in the pool as soon as we were done eating the supper he had made.

It is times like these where God reminds me just how wonderfully blessed I am. I have the best family, and even little Abby could think about someone besides herself for a bit. Although Kyle declares he is never going to get married (he is at the "girls have cooties" stage), I dare say I think he has the makings for a wonderful husband some day. I see how he has learned to be caring and compassionate, just like his dad. I would love to scrap this, but I guess I will have to stage some photos as I couldn't possibly do it last week while he made lunch and cleaned the house for me. He is one very special boy.

So that is a summary of our family's past two weeks - and now, back to the last baby layout for the Memory Makers book call. I have started this layout topic no less than three times since I began scrapping, and this time I am going to get it done!

More Fab Discoveries!!

But first...I want to shout out a WOO HOO! Memory Makers requested an "I Wish" theme LO for the January 2008 issue. It was my original idea for the Masters contest, but then second guessed that everyone will "wish" for their children, so I created another for the contest. Hope I made the right layout choice for Masters!

Today I want to introduce The Paper Element....www.thepaperelement.com

Sunday at CHA I had no agenda...I just wandered around. In the far back room I came upon this row of fancily decorated tables... it was apparently a deisgner showcase of party tables with themes - the settings would put Martha Stewart to shame.

I get done checking out the tables and come around the corner to what must be the most remote booths in the entire trade show...and there on the end was a collection of papers that stopped me in my tracks - designed by Lisa at the Paper Element. Boy stuff, girl stuff, any where you go stuff... every single sheet of paper was totally delicious and I could easily be inspired and scrap with every one! As a designer, that was the big thing I noticed about CHA - I was either inspired by new product, or not. I will say that the mojo flowed very readily with some of the newer CHA discoveries. Without further a-do -check out The Paper Element. I love it all, but totally am drooling to get my hands on Coffee, Fruits, and Sweet. It's even better IRL - gotta get it now!

Best Kept Secrets of CHA

MY LITTLE SHOEBOX

Sunday I had no agenda...I decided to wander around and see what I missed. I think everyone gets so caught up in the new releases of the BIG names in the industry...that there are little gems out there with a treasure of products to offer. We can easily miss out on some of the best product out there when we walk around with blinders on.
One of my first discoveries on Sunday was My Little Shoebox, products designed by a very talented Helen Chu. Helen is all about details. Her embellishments remind me of some of the things I do when I am playing with product. She tops the glitter on her chipboard letters with glaze to ensure it stays put, she layers her large flower embellishments and adds glitter around the edges, her tag stickers not only have the option of a message on either side - BUT WOW - the sticker tags have holographic properties!!!!! This blew my mind - holograms are so fun to look at - my kids love holograms. I really think Helen's sticker tags are a breath of fresh air in the industry.
Take a look at her papers - aren't they beautiful!? Gorgeous papers with complete lines of coordinates. Alphabet stickers, epoxy stickers, treasure compacts with brads and buttons (and the compact itself is totally alterable when emptied) - Helen really has it all. She and her friend Tricia were a delight to talk to. I think I loved Helen's products so much because she really has thought of the little details - and if you know my style, I am all about that. For anyone who loves the look of detailed layous, but only has 30 min. - you can achieve that with Helen's products. For people, like me, who enjoy spending a couple hours on a layout - there is so much to play with, layer, cut out for a unique design.
Are you a teacher, or do you have a store that offers classes? Helen has project kits that have EVERYTHING in them and prepared for a class. I gave up teaching at the LSS as preparation was SO time consuming. Helen has done all the work for you in her project kits. These kits would be great for kit clubs as well. So please check out My Little Shoebox - the link has been added to your right - you WON'T be disappointed!

Surviving CHA!!

Well, I made it back...but I had to wonder if I would survive the last couple of hours in Chicago Sunday evening as the GPS system took us down North Cicero to go to the airport. (ummm, wrong airport!) Let's just say the doors of the car were locked, I could not read the signs or names on the shop fronts, and I felt very blessed and rich living in a 1,000 square foot home. I wasn't afraid of dying on Cicero...that came a short time later as we were speeding down the interstate trying to reach O'Hare in time for a flight. But enough about that...I am sure you will be able to learn more of "adventures at CHA" from my friends Stephanie, Melissa and Lynne at Homegrown Scapbooks. I just pray Lynne has made it home today. I know she did not make her flight, and I caught my nearly filled bus JUST in time! I haven't prayed that hard in years! (LOL)

Because friends had told me what to expect at CHA I did not feel overwhelmed. I went prepared with a new pair of Ryka walking shoes and Aleeve. My chiropractor was very impressed this morning that I needed little adjustments - we are chalking this up to the new Rykas. Thank you RYKA! The worst was having to lift my small wheeled suitcase onto my lap Friday evening at the end of the show day to allow the bus to completey fill. I knew I threw my back out, but returned to my room to rest a bit, take more Aleeve, and prayed it would go away. I felt great Sat. morning.

I had no set schedule at CHA, so could meander and stop at booths at will. I was so happy to meet Sharly at PageFrames, Deb, Stacy and Wanda from ScrapTalk, Tami at One Heart...One Mind, Jamie from BusyBee, and Laura doing MNTs at Your Pictured Memories. I actually ended up meeting lots of "avatar familiar" faces Saturday - it was fun! I did very few Make N Takes and focused on finding potential product for our kit club. I took very few pictures...can you believe it? I had so much to carry, etc. that I just couldn't do everything. It's funny how mfrs. either blew me away, or completely did not...there were "uknowns" who TOTALLY blew me away with product. My plan for the next week or two is to reveal the "Best Kept Secrets at CHA" on this blog, with some photos and links of newer companies that I really think will knock your socks off.

I was hoping to meet the editors of several of the magazines, but only Creating Keepsakes had a schedule posted of when you could "great and meet" the editors that I was aware of. I enjoyed meeting Cath Evaldson of PaperCrafts, who recently requested my Selah layout for an upcoming issue. I love that CK is launching severeal new magazines. ALso, I was thrilled to meet Brittany Mellen, CKs Creative Editor and show her a project that Lana, associate editor, had requested on the Thursday evening before leaving for CHA. We discussed the project and then I set out on the CHA floor Sat. afternoon and Sunday morning to obtain some vendor products that would work for the ideas we discussed. As luck would have it I learned moments ago that my project is too similar to the December challenge. Oh well...


My other BIG thrill at CHA was meeting the talented Wendy McKeehan and fabulous Miss Kitty Foster at the Memory Makers booth. I had them sign my own personal copy of "Finding Your Groove" - don't forget to check page 94! (LOL) Aren't these gals the cutest? I just loved the t-shirts that Wendy's sister had made for them...even if they did have a hard time catching their breath. (LOL)

Stay tuned...I plan to share and post more in between some project deadlins!

Growing up too fast!

This is what Jesse and I tell ourselves as we are watching our children mature this summer. Both are getting taller, but growth is showing up in their behaviors, too.

This morning Abby reports to me in an exasperated voice..."I NOTICED my brother doesn't like to help me, so I will JUST HAVE TO DO IT MYSELF! Uggg!" All in reference to the fact that she wanted to play Madagascar on Kyle's PS2 and he did not want to go downstairs to put it in for her.

When I told Kyle this he said, "yeah, you should have seen her...she comes to me with hands on her hips and accused me before she even asked!" Can you see the man and woman of the future here? I can. It seems a little frightening right now for a future husband for Abby, but hopefully she will change a bit! (LOL) BTW - Kyle did go put the game in for her when I asked. I admit, Abby demands more than she remembers to say the magic word in a nice tone, the latter of which usually gets some results.

Kyle has been enormously helpful this summer. Now that the pool is up he is the official water skimmer...cleaning bugs and other debris out of the pool before we all go in. He is also very good at noticing plants in need of water and helps me with that - woo hoo!

I leave for Chicago in a few more days - Craft and Hobby Association Show...for all my family and friends who have no idea what CHA stands for. I wanted to be so organized with lists and charts..but so little time left. On Friday I will pretty much be on my own. I will be dropping of sponsorship letters for the Scrapbook Playground. Wendi is not able to go...so disappointed I won't be able to meet her. I look forward to making some follow up contacts for the DT. I also plan to scout product for Selah Scrappers.

Then on Saturday I hook up with Stephanie Fearn for Selah, and it is my hope to lead her to the booths with product that I feel we must have, or totally inspired me on Friday. I even altered a pretty little notebook to write down kit ideas, sketches, product mixes and coordinates - so hey, even if I don't know what I am doing perhaps I will look like I do. (LOL)


I am really looking forward to meeting friends from the boards. Especially Deb from Scraptalk, Kitty, Kim, Crystle, Kelli and others I have noted on a chart as to where they will be when. I am really counting on my new Ryka walking shoes to get me through the three days, and plan to just stay on Aleve the entire time so my hip doesn't act up and put me out of commission. Prayers for my bod to make it through CHA would be appreciated. (LOL) ALso, please keep Jesse in prayer as he plays mom and dad for several days. I don't expect the house to get cleaned, but I do know he will play with the kids and feed them. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband and father of my kids - thank you Lord!

Color - You Are What You Wear, Right?

Seemed like a good reason to go shopping, so if you don't believe in that statement keep it under the rug. (LOL)
Aqua blue has long been a favorite of mine. Chocolate brown is another color I love on my scrapbook pages. As much as I have loved these colors for the past several years they have not been present in my wardrobe. Until today...
While all the manufacturer's are releasing sneak peeks of their new product lines, here's my sneak peek of some new additions to my wardrobe! Aren't they wonderful? What I would do to get my hands on patterned paper in these colors and prints!



Ok - call it vanity, but I am going to CHA in a couple weeks. My first scrapbook industry related tradeshow. I looked in my wardrobe... I haven't bought anything new this season, nor last I am pretty certain. The fabrics of my print tops have lost that smoothness that new clothes have - did I want to attend CHA as a designer wearing slightly shabby chic? That's not my style... or I would.

I love color - I love bold greens and pinks, black and red, and dark chocolate brown especially with shades of blue. I am always attracted to these combos when it comes to scrapbooking supplies. Well, today I went into my newly discovered "made for me" store - CJ Banks - and found these colors. I have never worn the color brown..my hair is brown, my eyes are brown - monochromatic is not me when it comes to clothing.

I have not splurged on myself in the NEW clothing department for years. Yes, I did buy 2 pairs of crop pants this spring...and a tank on clearance, but sometimes it's necessary. I have just melded into the world of CHOCOLATE - I love brown in my pages, but always avoided it in clothing. Now I wonder why - I just discovered I look GOOD in brown! I splurged, but in the most sensible way. $85 total and came home with a pair of crop pants, a black skirt with white floral print (and I have been in need of a nice black skirt for years - never found what I had wanted before). I found my FAVE color combo - chocolate and turquoise/aquas for a couple of tops, and a fab kiwi green printed T - and when I put that on my face really lit up. It's all about color -on the pages and on my bod. (LOL)

So hey - I just wanted to share my happiness in finding colors I love to wear. The best part is my greeting card sales can pay for it. If I can only find a red top to go with that black/white skirt I found today... (LOL)

First Week in July - Preparing for CHA

As I type this I am listening to some old recordings Jesse made of Kyle leaving messages for him at his workplace. Kyle must be 5-6 years old, and the messages are just cracking me up. It is amazing how his voice has matured. In one message Kyle is asking his father questions..."what does divided mean", and "what is toothpaste made out of?" So cute!

It is the first week in July. It is going to be a hectic work week -always is with a holiday or vacation involved. Tuesday the kids and I are going to visit my sister's family for the 4th celebration. My folks are driving us - which is so very sweet of them and alleviates any worires Jesse has about our old car. We look forward to the parade, fireworks, and time in the pool.

Speaking of fireworks, it's the first year Abby enjoyed them. We watched fireworks at Jesse's sister's home Saturday night. Sure, she covered her ears, but she was yelling out the colors as they burst in the sky and clapping along with everyone else. I love going to Nola's to celebrate the fourth.

Freedom. What a gift we have in this country. I came across a photo of Kyle in his grandpa's army jacket and cap for Halloween. It is interesting how one can have a plan for a photo, but months later the plan changes. Perhaps it is because Independence Day is soon to come, and I know that freedom is never free. Kyle prays for the soliders every night before bed...and that is going to be the focus of this layout. I wish I had time to get it down and share before Wednesday, but that won't happen.

My cards are selling really well at the Crossroads Coffeehouse on Main St. in Cross Plains. In fact, I was quite surprised Friday night to see the inventory is under a dozen. My next two weeks will be focused not on creating layouts, but making and restocking my card inventory!

I am also preparing for CHA - the big tradeshow for all things scrapbooking in Chicago in two weeks. I still have to review the schedule and get my tickets booked for Van Galder bus lines. I am not sure how I will ever find Stephanie Fearn, of Selah Scrappers, in the convention crowd without a cell phone. But God will bring us together no doubt! Steph told me to create a portfolio on a CD. I have spent the weekend gathering up my layouts, and am ready to burn CDs. Not sure that I will really be able to go around to the manufacturers and "sell myself". That is SO outside the box for me. I am really looking forward to meeting people I have only "talked to" on the message boards in person. I am so excited to meet my "sister" Stephanie, in person. I can't wait to meet Deb from Scraptalk, and Wendy from the Playground. Sure hope I am able to meet with these ladies and more! Have a great July 4th everyone!

Exciting pubs and discovering my style!

As I type this I am listening to the fun music on the new Glitz Designs web-site - Ginger, Erin and Laura really rocked their site - it's fabulous! I look forward to seeing more from Glitz! The link to their new web site has been updated on my page.

It's been a great couple of weeks. I've had a layout picked up by Paper Crafts, and a project picked up by Creating Keepsakes. One would think it would be the other way around - so hey, hats of to turning the tables a bit! (LOL) Brittany Beattie (she is such a sweetie) asked if they could put a template for my project on the Creating Keepsakes web site for November - how cool is that!

On the first day of summer we had monarchs emerge from their crysalis' - what a great start to our summer! Kyle and I spent much of that Thursday afternoon enjoying them. Abby did not want to hold them, but I managed a fab photo of her admiring the butterflies, which is now on my very last Making Memories Masters layout. I am done with my contest entries -woo hoo! I noticed, reviewing my five layouts, some unsual things. First, I have NO pink in my layouts - what's that all about? I love pink! Secondly, my daughter, cute as she is, is not a featured close up on any of my entry layouts - huh? Thirdly, I discovered something about myself - with the help of my friend Susan. It's been obvious for a long time that I love circles in my layouts. Circles give me a sense of unity, make the "world go round", and gives a greater sense of love than say, perhaps a triangle or rectangle. Curves and circles are me. I did not really grasp that until my last layout had no curves. Susan pointed out that it just didn't look like me. Granted, I was keeping the layout simple and clean to go with the theme, but I certainly don't want to lose my identity either! I dotted in a few circles, and walah! I am back in my groove! (LOL)

I took a self-test this past week from a great new book "Discovering your Groove" by Kitty Foster and Wendy McKeehan (want to discover your style - get this book!). The test confirmed that I am an eclectic scrapper, but that,combined with my discovery of "circles is me", I would have to add "well-rounded" in the literal sense of the word to my style. (LOL) Want to get to know your style better - pick up this book! And while you're at it, check out the adorable little girl on page 98. (wink) She really is my gift from God.

Today is BIG! Visit Busy Bee Scrapbooking for a great CROP with a bang!!! The guest design team is hosting a crop - and I will be posting my challenge later this evening. The link to visit and join in is to your right.

ALSO, the new Magistical Memories design team was announced this morning - and Crystle has a fabulous line up of designers to work with the BBQ! Congrats to everyone on the team!
Chipboard is so versatile - it can give your page a rustic, down to earth look, or you can bling and glaze it to create a breathtaking work of art. The latter is how I describe the butterfly on my last MMM page. I had a vision, and the results are even more awesome than I envisioned. That doesn't happen to often, I must say! I can't wait to share it with you, but even better - I hope you get to see it in publication some time down the road. If only Crystle could have seen this butterfly I KNOW she would have wanted me on the team. (LOL)

We're heading to the zoo on this fabulous day - I want to scrap with the great new zoo animals shapes being offered by Magistical Memories. Enjoy your weekend and upcoming Fourth of July holiday. I expect to see red, white and blue layouts, and all that sparkles, rockin' the galleries!

Away with mundane children's portraits!

I love the deals at Kohl's. Abby has a closet full of hand me downs, but once in a while I like to splurge and buy her something new. Splurge, in the most frugal sense of the word. Sundresses were 50% off plus I had a 20% off coupon - racks of cute dresses could be had for $7! I chose one, but Abby had spotted one she wanted, and vetoed my choice. So I made a deal ...I would get the dress she wanted if she let me take pictures of her, without her hands in front of her face which has become the norm - taking after her dad when a camera comes out. She agree, I bought the dress.

Did I mention that I had just received Prima papers for a design team, and while at Kohl's I realized the dress was a perfect match for the papers. One reason I caved so quickly on her dress choice. To make it even more sweet, I attended a wedding shower this past Saturday and potted flowers were being offered as prizes. I brought home a beautiful salmon pink daisy - you guessed it -perfect photo prop!

Sunday I took photos...cooperation lasted about 3 frames. Out of all my shots I really only captured one nice photo with a NATURAL, as opposed to forced smile. Obviously it is the focal point photo in my layout shared above.

Not to let all the "bad" shots go to waste, I creatively cropped a few and used a great Magistical Memories circle border to frame accent photos. I embossed the frame with black powder for a cool effect. I love how black pops off the corals in the Prima papers. I really do need to hang this layout on the wall. Away with the standard issue, boring children's framed portraits. Scrapbooking on the wall is my new thing... and if you want me to do something for you, let's talk! Why hide all those great family photos and memories in a scrapbook, or worse, a box? Get your life out on a wall, and make your home really a part of who you are!

Link

Monarchs and Summer

What a busy start to our unofficial summer! Even before school was done we were able to find Monarch caterpillars, which means our summer "science lab" or raising Monarchs, charting growth and documenting the process from egg to beautiful butterfly begins much earlier than last year.

As I type this we have two crysalis in the butterfly habitat, and a caterpillar in J formation - preparing to create his/her beautiful green enclosure. We also have on egg - a microscopic tiny white pearl, that should hatch soon. Once hatched the teeny tiny caterpillars will appear as black speck. Some of you asked to see photos so that you might be able to track down some milkweed in your area and enjoy this same type of summer activity with your children. Hopefully the slide show will help. I do warn you, you must make the commitment this involves, as each caterpillar will devour and need a new leaf EVERY DAY! I encouage everyone to plant some milkweed, as the Monarch populations continue to be in decline as developments and "progress" weed out the only plant that a Monarch seeks to lay eggs, and caterpillars eat to begin the cycle of metamorphasis. This slide show will be a permanent fixture on this blog for families to review. Unfortunately my captions did not show up.

Jesse and I began the tag team approach to child care this week -how different! Jes works, comes home, and I hurry down to work to be there at 9 a.m. I leave promptly at 1 p.m., working only posted office hours, and tag team Jesse who returns to work and gets home around 6 p.m. We are home less as a family of 4, but the kids see more of each of us, and we are saving lots of money this summer.

Abby finished swim lessons... and there is a night and day difference between her first session and last. She is thoroughly enjoying the water and actually putting her face in. Kyle's summer will be one of learning... he has checked history books out of the library - he loves history of wars and battles. We also need to order ants for his ant farm...and we have the butterfly thing going. I know of a local site should we wish to care for crawfish this summer as well. Jesse is constructing a level platform for our EasySet pool. I hope in two weeks we are swimming in it - I anticipate many afternoons out in the pool with the kids.

I hope you are all having a wonderful start to your summer as well!

Glitz in the Journey!!!

Wow - I feel like I had a very productive day!! And week as far as that goes! Last Saturday I received my Glitz Design products from Ginger and Laura. I was very excited to get creative with them and managed a half dozen layouts from the 7 sheets of patterned paper and index sized, cool cards. I love the GlitzNetz and wish I had a piece of black right now, to work into one of my Making Memories Masters layouts. I have enough left over patterned paper scraps, and plan to squeak out some thank you cards for the teachers this week - better be getting to that project fast!

The Glitz product arrived last Saturday. I started creating as fast as I could, knowing a DT for this great new company was no doubt in the making. I was hoping in the back of my mind that I could showcase Glitz product well enough to pique their interest in myself as a designer, but alas, the Glitz team of talented designers was announced a few days ago, and time was simply not on my side. But that is okay - I know God puts me where He wants me to be, and He has opened doors of opportunity in recent months that I am very excited about.

I truly came out on top with my Glitz prize package. Not only did I create some layouts I love , I, at very last, added some FUN to my blog! Do you like the music? Or do you find it distracting while you read? Curious about that.

My friend Emine, who won the other prize package, said the Glitz gals checked out her blog. I thought "oh no - mine is SO not interesting!" I write a lot, but it has no pizazz. Today I figured out how to add links, and more are to come no doubt. I was just thrilled to finally do this. The reality of it is that it wasn't all that hard...it is simply taking the time to do it. I admit, I have so much fun creating layouts and playing with patterned paper that I have a hard time dragging myself away to do anything related to computer housekeeping. Glad I did it, however! Thanks to Ginger and Laura for the push, even though they know nothing about it! (LOL)

NOW to see if I can show you a slide show of all six of my Glitz layouts. Let's see if this works!

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Helllooo! Anyone there?

Life can put a real kink in your neck, but it is worth it! Yesterday I couldn't turn my neck right or left...no idea why, but put my call into my wonderful chiropractor, Dr. Joe. No one was there, but later was set up with an appointment. Didn't stop me from scrapping though...I had fun working on some more layouts using Glitz papers - turning my neck is really not needed. (LOL)

When I went to my appointment it turned out I haven't seen my chiropractor since February - wow! As I figured, my pelvis and hips were so out of alignment that everything worked its way up to my neck...funny how the spine is in charge of so many things. I was adjusted, went home and iced my neck - which felt GOOD.

I can't help but wonder why insurance companies don't help with payments on maintenance adjustments. I know that if I were adjusted once every 6 weeks that my body would stay pretty well tuned up. Did you know we need tune ups just like a car? We can't operate smoothly without an alignment now and then. We simply can't afford the cost of maintenance, however, so I wait until I am in such bad shape that I have to see Dr. Joe 2-3 times a week for a month or more. Sometimes health insurance makes no sense at all.

I couldn't play badminton with Kyle on the sloped lawn last night (no wonder my hips are out of whack...trying to run on uneven ground is not the best for me!), and I told Abby she could no longer straddle my neck and sit there while we watched a show. As small as she is, the girl insists on "beating" up on mom. I took a pain killer and enjoyed WATCHING Kyle play badminton with his dad. But, then I remembered that the boys had spotted a robin's nest, a chick had hatched, and I wanted a photo.

I grabbed the camera, went out back and with Kyle's help found the nest. The beauty of digital is you can aim the camera above (when you are too short to reach the subject), click, check the LCD screen to see how you did, and take a few more shots until your subject is where you want. I think the results are pretty good, eh? The photo makes me laugh with that wide open beak...yet it also reminds me of God's everyday miracles. The hungry 2 day old robin instinctively opens his beak wide when a branch or leaf moves, expecting that his mama has returned with a yummy morsel of food. Meanwhile, mama chirped in protest at my intrusion. I was quick - three shots and I was out of there. Rather than go through the overgrowth, I decided to walk the ledge of the block wall. Not far off the ground, 18 inches or less (I'm not crazy).

I would have made it, too, if it weren't for a hose that came out of no where, and tripped me up. Down I went - scraped up a thigh and landed hard on the other knee. Blood was minimal, scrapes not too bad...and hopefully the stains will come out of my favorite capris. "Murphy's Law", Dr. Joe said this morning when I told him he would have to start over on my adjustments. Oh well...hopefully by the end of the week my body will be tuned up so I can sleep better at night. I love the photo though - it was worth it.

Maybe insurance companies should invent a camera with a periscope for people, like me, who like to take photos of subjects way over our heads. Hey! what a great idea, huh?

Summer, Glitz, and Smart kids

Our family enjoyed a busy Memorial Day weekend. It seemed we were always on the go, and now that the weekend is over I am beat and finding myself very tired compared to the norm. I so wanted to scrap tonight. It's 10 p.m. and I just finished helping Kyle with a Powerpoint presentation on Navy ships and aircraft for a classroom presentation. I love the people I meet on the message boards - my friend Kristi Bergin-Smith assisted with the class project by sending photos her husband had sent her from where he is stationed. May God keep Dennis and all of our military safe and bring them home to their families!
Take a look at the great new product sent to me by Glitz Designs - I love it so! I love the bright colors mixed with muted tones, lovin' the cards and droolin' to use the Glitz Netz - can't wait to play with it all!Tonight, however, I am too tired. I want to be overflowing with mojo when I play with these products as I want to send the layout images back to Laura, who is so sweet! For tonight I am just going to continue with the "tidying of the creative station" and pull photos to go with the product colors, and perhaps sketch a few ideas.

Why is it that the end of the school year seems so busy? Jesse and I are busy planning how we will juggle schedules. We're going to work in shifts this summer and avoid the entire summer babysitter dilemma. Yes, we will save money, but I am worried about Jesse burning out with his "before dawn" work hours. The kids will also have to adjust to the fact that daddy will be too tired to stay up and play with them at night.

Today I wrote a letter to our principal at the elementary school to see if it is still possible to have Abigail tested for early Kindergarten. She doesn't turn 5 until October - but she is SO ready for school. I had given this thought much earlier in the year, and sought advice from others. The school gifted teacher had very little to offer for suggestions, and indicated that nothing is offered until third grade. After asking other moms for their opinion I decided to just wait, as I certainly was not in a hurry to see my baby girl board a school bus this fall. However, Abby continues to amaze me with her spelling, reading and counting - and the girl has been a social butterfly for as long as she could talk and walk. I realized that our holding Abby back is purely selfish, and in all likelihood - not in her best interest. I wrote a letter to the principal, as required, but we are way past the due date for this request, so I am not sure they will do any testing at this point.

If not we will just make the best of it, and make sure she is challenged here at home. The girl is totally into the learning thing. Kyle brings home his spelling words and Abby takes the list, spells out the word and wants to know what it is. I give her the answer with a smile, but suggest we continue focusing on the three and four letter words. Since the age of two Abigail has taken at least one book to bed with her every night - so much for stuffed animals or dolls, eh? It was an early indication that our girl was going to be above average in the department of smarts.

As I did some reading on the internet today in regards to gifted children, and read the list of how to determine if your child is ready for kindergarten, I noted that Abigail exceeds many of the kindergarten expectations. Count to 10? How about 113? Spell their name? Yes, hers, and mine, and Kyle's, her dad's, and at least 15 other words. She recites our address and phone number in a made up song. Identifying shapes and basic colors has been mastered since age 2. I remember being surprised at how early she could identify gray, brown, and other colors not included in the primary and secondary categories. Today she put a 50 piece puzzle of the U.S. together in less than 15 minutes. She is independent - not wanting any help in doing things. Her small size can certainly fool people as to her age, but once she starts talking it's pretty obvious our little girl is a big girl, and proud of that fact. I really do hope that our school will be able to keep up with her!

In the meantime we are in prayer that God will put Abby where she needs to be. Whether she begins kindergarten this fall or ends up waiting another year. We know that God is in control.

Scrap time today!

Friday I spent the entire, gorgeous day making graduation cards for a consignment job with the local, new coffeehouse in town. I made about 20 cards! I hope they get noticed and sell. Part of the proceeds help my niece with funding for Schools for Haiti.

I have been working with some fabulous papers from Creative Imaginations Fresh line for Scraptalk- just love the colors. Several were in muted shades of blue and brown - a favorite combo of mine. I worked on these last week and posted them in the Scraptalk gallery.

Today I had a blast working with the line containing the hot pink and girly colors - too much fun! I also incorporated a few challenges from Busy Bee Scrapbooking. The first was to make something out of chipboard - I couldn't resist making a crown for Abigail's head in a photo taken at swim lessons this past week.

Yesterday I spent the entire day working outdoors - weeding flower beds and transplanting perennials, and planting the flowers that I just love from Vermon View Greenhouse. Of course I had to take photos - I am so attracted to the hot pink colors. As I look at my flowers freshly planted in pots - they just glow. Especially the geranium planted high on a corner of the deck - it just glows with the background of green pines behind it. It seems to be waving to the hummingbirds- here I am! I know I was buzzed by a hummingbird in the past week or so - I hope he flies over soon - I am sure he will notice that I have planted food for him!

I had to create a layout with some of the flower photos I took - a digitally created collage of hot pink flowers. I have been saving my plant ID markers for a long time to use in a layout. Finally did it, using those from the flowers planted yesterday. Welcome to a glimpse of my garden!

On Becoming A Mother

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. – Rajneesh



Oh how I remember becoming a mother….well, actually I don’t recall the exact moment as I was anesthetized for an C-section. My son was late… and the doctor said it was time. Come to find out that little guy inside me had turned himself around. Many efforts were made to turn the baby to no avail, and the monitor indicated it was time. I was carted off for a C-section, and resisted the insistencies of anesthesia. I wanted to see my baby born!

I remember clearly the doctor asking, “can you feel this” (as he pressed the scalpel against my bulging tummy)– oh, a little prick - “no prob Doc – get my baby outta there!” You see, I have always had a high tolerance for pain and I wasn’t going to let a little poke stop me from seeing that miraculous moment. But miss it I did…the last words I remember hearing…:”if she can feel that give her a general.” I drifted off.

Next thing I remember I was in a hospital room. My father and niece were there along with my husband, but not my mother. Nope – my mom was at an all important bowling tournament, and besides, our son was one of many grandchildren. Still, I remember the disappointment at my mother not being present for the birth of my first child. As I think back on that day over 9 years ago I am amused – in her own quiet way my mother can be amusing. Although she missed the birth of my son she has been and is a wonderful grandmother and I cherish times our children spend with their grandparents.

Being a new mom was not easy. This week I created a layout called “These Hands” http://scraptalk.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=22679&cat=879&limit=recent and I was reminded of how scary being a new parent was. It did not help that our baby had colic. My husband worked second shift and I had all I could do to keep sane until he came home and I could hand over the crying baby and escape for a bit. Mornings were a blessing, however, and our little boy was as precious as any baby could be. In “Discover” I imagine Kyle is checking out the mobile hanging over his crib, or hey, most likely – eyeing that contraption mom has placed in front of her face before blasting him with a light. For all you moms out there – colic does pass! I may not miraculously disappear at 3 months – but doesn’t hang on a whole lot longer unless there is really an allergy situation. If you have a difficult baby the best thing I can advise is to get a support group. I had no one to call on for relief. My parents lived too far away. From 1 pm to after midnight I had no break. Everyone I knew worked – who could I call at 9 pm when I had had enough? My advice –before you give birth find out who is willing to give you a hand at night if your baby has colic. I have also since discovered the wonders of chiropractic care for babies - colic to ear infections! Kyle had wedged his head in my pelvis bones - I shudder when I watch the birth video - they had to pry him out and then he loosened with a huge jerk. His poor little body needed an adjustment from day one, and had I known that our first months together may have been more peaceful.

Nine years later my troublesome baby baby has grown into a very kind and compassionate young man. He is my helper, my cuddler, and a lover of all God’s creatures – just like I was as a kid. Right now he wants to be a veterinarian, he writes stories and he draws – all reflections of who I was as a child. I am amazed at how he is so much like me. Thankfully there is the gentle and patient father, who can counter my not so good traits. (ha ha)

We’re also blessed with a precious little girl – whom God chose for our family after many, many nights of tears and prayer for God to give me another baby. My mother didn’t miss her arrival – and in fact an entourage of people paraded to O’Hare International Airport in Chicago the day Abigail was due to fly in from Seoul, South Korea.

What a wonderful feeling I had on Mother’s Day in 2003 – our baby girl had had some weeks to settle in and it was like she had always been a part of our family. I had never felt so blessed and complete in my life. Happy Mother’s Day to all moms, and for those of you who wish to be moms – stay fervent in prayer, and remember this verse from Hebrews 11:1 that got me through my wait for a daughter: “…faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” God knows the desires of our hearts, He wipes away our tears and delivers hope to all of His children.

Interview With A Special Young Lady

It is wonderful to see God working in a young individual, and when that person is related, in this case, my niece Sarah Earleywine, it is cause to be proud. I have watched Sarah grow up and ask become a Christ-follower at a young age. She was always involved with her church, leading in praise and worship, and has a glow and vitality that comes when one is filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Sarah has traveled to Haiti in mission several times. The stories shared have brought me joy as well as tears. She has a gift for working with impoverished children and bringing them a ray of hope that is in Christ. This coming June Sarah will be returning to Haiti, with an honor bestowed that is rare for such a young person. Sarah has been asked to be the Godmother of the children of the village who will be graduating. I don’t understand the customs and what this all entails, but it does mean that Sarah, who is in college and has no full or part time job to help fund this trip, is totally relying on God. When Sarah was questioning whether or not to plan on a trip to Haiti in June, God gave her a very clear message during worship one Sunday evening, that she needed to go, and He would get her there. Would you like to be a part of this vision?

Recently a fund was set up for the Haiti mission – all donations are tax deductible. If you would like to help Sarah return to Haiti to discover what God had called her to do, you may send checks or money orders to:
Schools For Haiti
301 Wyota St.
Cassville, WI 53806

In the memo of your check please indicate Sarah E.

To help you learn more about Sarah, I sent her interview questions via e-mail.

What prompted your first trip to Haiti?
I first went to Haiti in January of 2003 when I was a freshman in high school. My youth leader from my church had gone twice, and she decided to plan a trip through my church. I thought it would be neat to go, but did not say anything. Whenever I saw pictures of kids from organizations like Compassion International, or saw pictures in magazines or on TV of starving children around the world, my heart melted for them. "God, what can I do?" I remember thinking as young as fifth grade. After I heard about the trip to Haiti through my church, my mom actually approached me and said, "Sarah, I really want to go to Haiti; do you want to?" That settled it. I was going!

How did the trip affect you?
When I first arrived in Haiti, the culture shock was unbearable. I had seen all the pictures, heard all the stories and saw the videos. It looked exactly like how I imagined. But there was something about being there- it was real. Starvation and poverty really did exist outside my comfy life in the United States; it was not just on TV. I remember driving on the way to our mission site and looking out the window. I saw two half naked boys playing soccer with a deflated ball without shoes, right next to a pig who was rummaging through a massive pile of garbage and waste in a street ally with a river of sewage running between the garbage. I remember thinking, "God, I can't do this. I want to go home and be in my safe bed where this doesn't exist." I wanted to deny the reality my eyes were witnessing. Not that going home was a choice at that point, but staying there for the next ten days changed my life. I learned so much from the people and saw how strong their faith was. One instance that has stuck with me from my first trip was a conversation with a woman. When asked how she was doing, she responded, "I give thanks to God when I have, and I give thanks to God when I don't have." I often think about her words. There are so many stores of how my trips and relationships with the people in Haiti have affected me, but one thing God has made clear to me is my love and passion for Haiti and its people. Each time I go, I fall more and more in love, and am passionate for them.

How many times have you been to Haiti now, and with what organizations?
I have been to Haiti three times now. The first two times I went through an organization called Lifeline Christian Mission which began about 26 years ago by a husband and wife from Ohio. This past January 2007, I went to a mission called Haiti Evangelical Christian Mission (HECM), which was started by a Haitian man and is made up of about twenty churches around Haiti who encourage and support one another.

What type of work do you do there?
At Lifeline, they are pretty well established and therefore have numerous ministries that we are able to help with, including medical/dental/eye clinic, clothing pantry, food nutrition programs, delivery of baby layettes, projects around the mission (painting, welding, electrical, plumbing, building, fixing, anything and everything), and the most recent is home building. The atmosphere at HECM is quite different. Most of our time spent there was not doing physical labor, but building relationships with the people of the mission, encouraging them, learning and experience life as they do everyday, and learning their language.

Why do you desire to return to Haiti? (and possibly, how do you see Haiti as a part of your future?)
I don't know why I want to return to Haiti so badly other than the fact that God has placed Haiti on my heart in a huge way. I do not know what God has planned for my future, but I do know that Haiti will be a part of me for the rest of my life in some way. Right now, however, God has put me on a path toward physical therapy, and so that is what I plan on studying for right now. Eventually, my hope, God willing, is to take physical therapy to the mission field. I believe that there are a lot of missionaries who go into the mission field to just love people, and tell them about Jesus, and that is great. For me, though, God has really put it on my heart that I need to take a talent or skill, like physical therapy, to the people. I want to help heal their physical pain so that through that, getting to know the people, building relationships with them, and earning their trust, I can tell them about the hope that they will only find in Jesus. He is the Ultimate Healer and only He can heal them completely.

My Victory lies in Jesus!

Bible Verse: “He is not here, he has risen, just as he said.” Matthew 28:6

This layout, created last year at this time, is a personal testimony to my faith and the meaning behind the Easter weekend for myself. It is one page out of many that I am creating for a devotional album, that is meant for anyone to see who is curious about Christianity and how it has impacted me.

The journaling reads:
HE IS RISEN! These words bring such great joy on Easter morning. However, such joy is preceded by sadness on Good Friday. As I worship and approach the cross I am overwhelmed by the knowledge that Jesus died for ME. Tears flow as I envision all the suffering that my Christ endured to free me from sin. I can never make it through the words of the “Old Rugged Cross” - even though I know that the stone is rolled away, and the tomb is empty three days later.
The glories of Easter morning bring great hope and gladness. Christ’s redeeming blood has conquered death. When my time on earth is over I will conclude my race with a sprint for the finish, for my victory lies in Jesus!

My prayer for you this Easter is that you may find the hope and the peace of God's promise for all mankind. Happy Easter!

On That Tree

Last night Jesse and I had a wonderful first experience of Maundy Thursday at Blackhawk, our new church. The candlelight, gifted musicians and imagery on the projection screen created a powerful worship experience for us. Jesse commented to me how good it felt to be there.

Pastor Chris began with scripture- after the Lord's supper, after the foot washing, Jesus gave us a new commandment, "to love one another" as He loved us. Pastor's message was brief, but filled with the love of Christ for all God's people. The worship service was very different for us, comprised mainly of praise music, reflective music, and many, many people gathering around five stations to break bread and drink wine together as one family in Christ. As new attendees at Blackhawk Jesse and I only know a few people at Blackhawk, but the folks gathered around with us for the Lord's supper felt very much like family. It really is a reflection of how we are all one in Christ's love.

On the way home God put a poem upon my heart, and I would like to share it. At some point I want to scrap it, but I need to take the perfect photo. Either an actual tree, or large, rugged cross with the lighting just so. I will have to keep my eyes open on my country drives. You can be certain I will share it here when complete. You can come back Sunday to see an Easter layout I created last year at this time. If you are a Christian, I hope that this poem will have meaning for you. If you are not, I pray that you will seek the truth of Jesus' resurrection, and enjoy a life filled with peace on this earthly journey, and hope for eternal life.

ON THAT TREE

Candles flicker all around,
The music makes a holy sound;
I see the cross where Jesus died -
For my sins – crucified.
T’was on that tree He bore the pain -
Died on that tree for us to gain.
T’was on that tree His blood was shed -
Takes the sin from me, instead.
As I partake of bread and wine
Christ’s love around me doth shine;
I’m reminded of Jesus vict’ry
When He died - on that tree.

Ask, Seek, Knock

A favorite verse from Matthew 7: “Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."

This past Sunday we visited the church in Laodicea in the book of Revelation, to find out what kind of report card Jesus was giving this church for their ministry. It wasn't good. The church of "lay-odd-i-see-a" (it's always interesting to me to learn the correct pronunciation of a word in the Bible that I have totally pronounced wrong over the years) was lukewarm. The people had become focused on themselves, and had taken their eyes off of Christ and his teachings. Despite Jesus' rebuke, He gave them the greatest promise of all of the 7 churches in the book of Revelation. "20Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. 21To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne." Talk about grace and mercy flowing down, huh?! I find this exciting. Not only does this verse tie in with a favorite life verse from Matthew, it provides true hope and promise when one lives for Christ instead of themselves. I had created a devotional layout a few years ago, and after Sunday's message I am prompted to share it with you, journaling and all.

As a child I remember clearly the picture on my bedroom wall - Jesus stood at a large wooden door with his hand poised to knock. There wasn’t a door handle. Jesus was knocking to come in, but the true question the painting posed was "will you open the door and let him in?"

Jesus is always waiting - waiting for us to open our hearts to receive Him, and once this happens, life will never be the same. Mine certainly has changed...I have always believed in God. I knew He was there. I believed He created Heaven and Earth. My family attended church every Sunday. I was in the youth choir. We celebrated all the religious holidays. God and church - it was routine.To ASK God a question - to actually have a relationship with Him - that was new concept for me. I've prayed, now and then, throughout my life, but fourteen years ago I would have never asked God a question, and expect an answer. How pompous would that seem of me?

But I sought, and I learned. I asked questions. I listened in church to the message being given. I listened, I drifted. I listened some more, and one day I finally got it. God is not about going to church, God is about relationship - but not with Him alone; for there is no relationship with God unless one goes through His Son Jesus. His only Son died on the cross for EVERYONE… even a sinner such as me. No matter my past, my sinful ways, my slate is washed clean by His precious blood. His love and grace is beyond measure - a free gift to us all - if only we ask, seek and knock.

Nowadays I do not hesitate to ask, and I am always seeking His answer. Sometimes the answer is not what I want to hear. Sometimes I hear no answer at all. It's not that God is ignoring me... after all, He knows the count of every hair on my head. Either I am not taking the time to sit quietly and listen for His answer, or it is simply not yet time for the answer to be revealed. Yet, at other times I feel the warmth and love of the Holy Spirit envelope my body. He provides an answer, or sends a message for questions yet to be asked. He knows my heart, my mind, and my soul. I love Him, and He loves me - unconditionally. My world is no longer about "me", but about Him. I am SO GLAD that Jesus knocked on my door - and even more so that I OPENED the door and let Him into my heart. He welcomes all into His eternal kingdom - wouldn't you like to live there someday, too? All you have to do is ASK, SEEK, KNOCK.