Update on Keeli Jo

Good Morning!!
I have an update on our little miracle baby!!
Keeli Jo has gained half an ounce!! I have pictures too...
Seeing this makes me realize just how tiny she is!!!!


Keep her in your prayers, please. They have moved her to Arkansas Children's Hospital. They may have to do surgery to mend a tiny hole in her heart (I think that is what Tiff said). They will go in throuh her back so it is not open heart surgery, but still, it is bad enough. I think she said babies have this normally, but grow inside mom long enough that it closes naturally. Since she was born early she still has it, but they have given her medicine to close it. If the meds don't work, then surgery is the next option.
She is truely a miracle from God. I see that more and more every day! You can tell she is a Landers... she is STRONG!!
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Yesterday was my first listing on Etsy. This is what I have listed...




I do hope I can show them on my blog like this... I don't want to break any rules. If I can't somebody, let me know and I'll remove them.

I had SO MUCH FUN making them!! These are a combination of things from a few ideas I've seen lately. Karen from the blog http://polkadothouse.blogspot.com (YOU'LL HAVE TO CUT AND PASTE THE ADDYS TO GO TO... COULDN'T GET THE LINK TO GO IN.. AND THE SAME FOR THE NEXT ONE) she used some great punches to make those cute tags of hers! And Donna Salazar http://donnasalazar.typepad.com uses the BIG scallops on her pages. I LOVE the scallops, so I adapted my idea from their's. I think these little babies are pretty cute. I cut out a ton of the dictionary scallops last night for my embellishemt buffet for my class next month. I have to come up with LOTS OF EMBELLISHMENTS TO GO ON IT :)

Off to work on a book for a lady. I've got to get it finished and off to her by Sat. of this week.
Have a great day!!
Happy Scrappin' !!

Family Reunion and Father's Day

I went to our biannual Landers family reunion yesterday. I've never been to one of my family reunions before. It was fun! I got to meet a ton of people that I had no clue who they were... but they all knew me and my mom and dad. There was 55 of us there. They said it was the biggest one yet. A lot of the older generation have done passed on so it is up to us young 'ens to carry on with it.

I am so happy for the father's out there that have spent time with their families today. I'm sure the families have all enjoyed each other. But for us that have lost their daddy's it is really hard. I even stayed home from church to avoid the celebrations. I know it is REALLY selfish of me, but in doing that I still didn't avoid it completely. I read a lot of blogs on here and this one lady was writing about her dad. His name is Robert, they call him Bob, but mostly Bobby-I think she said. Well, mine was Robert, Bob...but everybody called him BOBBY. Her story of the two of them was a lot like mine and daddy's. My dad passed away on April 7, 2000. He never got to meet my little Dakota Bob (his name is actually Bobby Dakota...named after daddy, but we call him Dakota Bob)Dakota was born Dec. 13, 2000. He missed a great man! Daddy was diagnosed in 1998, I think it was, with Schleroderma. It is the hardening of the tissues under the skin. There are 2 types... one is where it affects your skin and outward appearances more and the other is internal. Daddy had the internal kind. It eventually shuts down the blood vessels going to the major organs of the body. It was hard to see him go from a hard working man to one who went in to the hospital on Dec. 31, 1999 and never walked again. He could set up, but didn't walk. He just couldn't, his muscles just went away. Me and mom took care of him at home as much as we could. His kidneys failed and he had to have dialysis every week. The ambulance would come to their house and pick him up and take him back home. They were so good to the family (the drivers of the ambulance). He had trouble breathing on the 6th day of April. They put him back in ICU and I got to stay with him a few minutes. He had on the oxygen mask to help him breath, but when I had to go I told him I loved him. He said I love you too. That was the last thing I got to hear from him before he left the next morning. I got the call that morning about 9 am and made it to the hospital too late. He had not been gone but just a few minutes. I saw him in a way that will forever be burned in my mind. I hate that memory. I wish I could erase that one. But he gave his soul to Jesus in Dec. of the year before he passed away. So the I love you' s spoken that day and knowing where he is now makes it a little more bearable for me. I'm sorry to have carried on about it all, but crying through this is kind of a way for me to get through it. Even if no one ever reads all of this, it is still good to get things out.
BUT... NOW I'LL TELL YOU THE GOOD THINGS ABOUT THIS MAN...
Born Robert Brewer Landers May 7, 1937 ....

This was one in school


These were when daddy was in the ARMY in '60 & '61




He was a mess... if I had friends over he would dance across the floor, or something silly. He never-hardly ever- got mad! He was so even tempered and happy. I tell you the world could be falling around him and he would still be OK. He worked so hard. He would come home from his job and go to work outside, either in the garden or at his one-man saw mill. He loved what he called "piddling". I loved him so much, I was a DADDY'S GIRL!!

Here we are ... It was a LONG time ago... not sure what year, prob. 1973 or '74



I just had my head screwed on wrong for so many years that I missed a lot of things. I messed up a lot, but he still loved me. He never spanked me, that I can remember...but all he would have to say was "Lisa Ann..." with the middle name that meant business. That was all it took, oh, and to hear those words... "I'm disappointed in you..." that was as bad as any beating he could have ever given me.

This was the greatest man I've ever known. No one can EVER fill his shoes, not in my eyes at least.
This is one of the last few pictures I have here with me (mom has TONS of them at her house)taken not long before he got sick. I love this picture. It is daddy... from the tanned, wrinkled skin, to the glasses and crooked smile (that he gave to me :D ) It is the way I remember him most.



Happy Father's Day Daddy, I miss you......

COLOR....

If you like COLOR, you'll prabably enjoy this....(PLEASE SCROLL DOWN AND TURN OFF THE MUSIC BEFORE YOU PLAY THE VIDEO)



I found the video at this blog site - she has the CUTEST blogs!!
http://www.littlepinkstudio.typepad.com/

Good day and Happy Scrappin'
- off to go grocery shopping! WALMART HERE I COME :)

PURE JOY! NEW SCRAP STUFF AND ICE CREAM CAKE!!

My dear sweet husband got me an ice cream cake for my birthday. He got it from Dairy Queen this morning. He called on the way home upset because they wrote my name in blue. He thought it was awful that it didn't match the rest of the cake. It is fine... the cake was good! It was vanilla ice cream with something thick and chocolatey in the middle with some cookie filling and then a layer of chocolate ice cream. WOW!! IT WAS GOOD!!!



I also got something else. I won 3 auctions on ebay for some milk caps. I got two packages in the mail. I saw these used on Jenni Bowlin's pages from her blog. I looked on ebay for them (I bought a handful in the antique store here at town for 3/$1. I bought 80 on ebay for about $7. I can't wait to use these on my pages!

I have a box full and have more coming! I need to get busy scrappin'!!
I also have another picture... I've been meaning to post if for a while now. I took it last Friday about 5:45 am. My hubby was about to leave for work and I was out on the side of our road (in my PJ's) taking pictures of the sunrise! It was worth it too! I love this picture! Oh, we do live in the country so the traffic is little, if any, that early in the morning!


and another pretty one...


While I'm at it... here are pictures of the first swim of the year. Dakota had a ball! His brother wasn't home at the time or they'd both be swimmin'!! Love being in that pool!!



I really should blog a lot more often! I have things for "show and tell" so I should "show and tell" more than I do!!!

Have to go fill the humingbird feeders and feed my ferns. Need to water the garden again too. We need it to rain more!! I guess it is just the beginning of a dry, hot summer.
Until the next post....Happy Scrappin'

Look at THIS!!

This is what Dakota (he's 7) came up with when I gave him some scrap stuff and an old picture of me before all I had all my teeth taken out.


I don't know if you can read the journaling in the blue block, but he wrote moma is butiful without her teeth. It nearly made me cry! He loves me with AND without my teeth :) He says he likes me better without my new ones!!
And I love his first scrapbook page! I'll keep it forever!
Well, it is nearly 10:00 am and I'm still in my PJ's with no makeup and icky hair. My hubby went to get me an ICE CREAM cake for MY BIRTHDAY!! Yep, today I'm 36!! 40 is coming fast :D
I have to go and do the "girl thang" ... you know the hair and makeup- sometimes I wish I could have my makeup TATOOED on!! Ain't I just lazy!!??
Will post more and have more pictures later today sometime. I'm eating cake when he gets back and going to get in the pool!!
Have a great day!!

UPDATE ON ELUSIVE THREE TIER WIRE RACK!!!

WELLLLL.... I bought one... had to get it from EUROPE!!I paid $22 for it and $22 to have it shipped. It was expensive (the shipping was high, but it is coming from Europe!) but well worth the money... my hubby got it for me for my birthday tomorrow! AND GUESS WHAT...?? THE BEST PART OF ALL.....IT IS PINK!!! AND JUST LIKE THE ONE IN THE PICTURE BELOW!!!!!!!!Yippeee!!

Will post pictures as soon as it gets here!!
Just an update... have to get ready for church. I hoed in the garden and it was HOT!!! But...it will pay off soon as I have baby cucumbers, baby squash, and LOTS of small tomatoes all growing! Can't wait for a slice of red ripe tomato!
Good night and Happy Scrappin'

The ELUSIVE 3 tier cake/fruit stand/basket....

OK... So whoever is out there reading my blog.. I NEED YOUR HELP!!!!!!
I WANT, NO -- HAVE TO HAVE, ONE OF THESE!!


If you have one and want to sell it... I'll GLADLY take it off your hands...OR please look for one for me and I'll buy it that way. I see them in scraprooms and want one for mine. I've looked EVERYWHERE!!! Can someone please tell me where to get one??
Happy scrappin'!!

TINY FOOTPRINT...

I talked to my niece Tiffany yesterday and she said little Keeli Jo had to have a blood transfusion because they draw blood so much that they had to give her one. I found out today the Tiff got to touch Keeli Jo for the very first time. I can't imagine what that must have been like for her. I think the baby is still doing fine. Tiff said they had her all rolled up in a comfy little ball like she should be. She said they don't keep them all sprawled out like they had her in the first pict. I put up. Here is the latest pict. I have... it is her tiny footprint next to a quarter!! Oh, and I found out, she didn't weigh 1 lb. 9 ounces, she was actually 1 lb. and 6 ounces! Wow, a pound and a half. I had to explain to my boys how small that was... the only comparision I knew of was a whole block of cheese and half of another one. They were amazed!! We all are!!


It is getting late ... will post more tomorrow. We got in the pool for the first time today and it was SOOOOOOOO nice!! The water was warm! Will post more about that tomorrow and have pictures too!!

Good night!! and Happy Scrappin'

Mom and Baby are both fine...

Today I have good news... my niece and the baby are both fine. Tiffany, my niece, came home from the hospital today. She had to leave little Keeli Jo there though. She'll be there for a long time to come. Tiffany will have to drive back and forth to see her. Her little footprints are the size of a quarter and her legs are as long as Tiffany's finger. She is so tiny. A miracle from God.

Thanks to Amber my blog is finally SCRAPPY!!! THANKS AGAIN GIRL!! I'm happy with my music and pretty papers!

More tomorrow..............

Sleepy....

It has been a long day. Got up at 5am to see my hubby off to work, went to get groceries and ran my errands for the week, put away the groc. when I got home. Not a very busy day, just a long one. I'm about to fall asleep now...

I FINALLY have music on my blog! A very GREAT gal told me how to do it, and it was sooo easy!!

Still no word on the baby other than she is OK, just very small. I'll keep up to date with the progress.

Can't hold my eyes open any longer...good night :)

Keeli Jo is here!!!!!!!!!

My niece has been at UALR. This really big hospital at Little Rock for 2 or 3 days now... seems like forever(to her especially!) She finally had her baby sometime last night. I got up this morning and checked my phone for a message and this is what I found....

She weighs 1 pound and 9 ounces! I have no details about her or her mom yet, I just have the picture.
Will write more this afternoon as I should know have Tiffany and Keeli are doing. I know Tiffany was miserable and dilated to 5 cm for a long time. They gave her a double dose of pain med. yesterday!! One nurse came in and gave it to her, then another one came in a gave the same thing-not knowing she had just had it!!!! I would have had a fit if I'd been her mom!! Tiffany is special to me. We share a birthday!! June 12 is our birthday. She almost had a baby for her birthday present...well, she does, just not born on HER birthday :)
Have to get ready to go grocery shopping.... the highlight of my week is going to WalMart.... boy, do I need a life??
Happy Scrappin'!!!

What a great day!!

Today has been the best day! We finished putting up the pool and it is full and ready to go.. it just has to warm up for a few days!
It is so nice outside tonight. It is warm and windy and feels so good. I'd be out there but the Lakers and the Celtics play tonight and me and my hubby love watching the NBA... especially the playoffs!! GO CELTICS!! Yesss I love basketball!Can't play, just like to watch. It is on and I'm going to go watch it. Just wanted to make sure and blog a little. Trying to be a better blogger!! Even if it is a little bit!
Will post more tomorrow!
Goodnight all!!!!

Summertime is FINALLY here!!

Well, here I am again and it has been awhile. I've got to start blogging more regularly! I'm here at my computer every morning- reading my LONG list of blogs. I guess I can say, my name is Lisa and I have a problem. I am addicted to reading blogs. My list grows by the day!...but I can't update my own blog. What is wrong with that?! I just wish I could make my more ARTSY-FARTSY.. that is my new terminology for a lot of things! :)

I do have some pictures to share though...
These are my recent finds at the local antique store.
Well, shoot! I can't find the picts. Apparently I deleted them off my computer. Goodness only knows what went with them!! Oh, well, I'll just tell you.
I got 2 really cool really old dictionaries. I don't know if I can stand to cut them up or not! Old milk caps. They are so neat. I got these because Jenni Bowlin used some on a layout and they were perfect! She has a ton more up at her store, but I just got a few. I'd like to find some more-different ones. Hmmm.. what eles, oh yes some old thread on wooden spools. They really look old. 2- 33 records. I'll post the pict of what I do with them later (if it works). Got a big and I mean BIG stack of packaged paper for the boys to draw on. I bet it is 4 inches thick!!legal size paper, manilla color- I may have to sneak in to their stash! OH and I got this cute double sided orange bucket...it is small, one side for my pens the other for my paintbrushes.
Tools I recently acquired.... a Zutter Bind-It-All (thanks to ebay), a Cuttlebug (thanks to my husband and ebay), a cool set of Stampin' Up "office" stamps (thanks to ebay), a new Fiskars hand drill (thanks to ebay), and ON THE WAY...(YESSSS. FROM EBAY) is a DreamKuts and a Giga square scalloped punch. YES,OH YES... I have spent WAY TOO MUCH MONEY ON EBAY!!!!!!!! But boy, I'm a happer scrapper!! Since I'm off work I've been having so much fun here in my scrap room!! I've been painting and have started a private art journal. I try to write in it daily, well almost daily. I paint in it, and scrapbook in it... things I wouldn't normally do. I've given myself the OK to play in there... do and say anything! It is liberating!! You should try this! I'm doing things in there that I wouldn't even try on a scrapbook page for fear of "messing up"!!

Hubby is gone to town so before he gets back I'm going to go make myself look like I belong in the land of the living!! We are supposed to be putting the pool up today!! Yipppeee!!! I can't wait! Since I'm off I can go jump in anytime I want!! I LOVE that I'm home!! I could get used to this!! Better not, when August rolls around it is back to the store I go. Maybe just part time though!

Summer is here, at last. I'll leave you with one picture... this is one of our roses in the front yard. We did not know that it would bloom pink! My hubby was a little disappointed because all the others are red. I, however, was thrilled! So it is My Rosebush now!! Happy Scrappin! !!!

Good Morning All!

Look at what I found, if this works... never put a video on here before.

This was found here http://scrapbookobsession.wordpress.com/2008/04/14/more-on-the-slice-by-making-memories/ I hope that link works, I'm still new at this thing!
A quote taken from the Scrapbook Obsession blog (Great blog by the way.. go check it out!)..."I know I’ll be a fan of MM product lines to come and I imagine they will keep making compatible discs for The Slice to match. Why oh why must they keep coming up with products like this?!?! It’s a scrappin’ tragedy, I tell ya…"

This girl hit the nail on the head!! It IS a scrappin' tragedy. My poor, poor hubby he says I'm an addict. I won't admit to him, but I'm thinkin' maybe he's RIGHT! What is up with this stuff. It is like the more I have the more I need and want more to go with the stuff I'm not usin' now! And the companies that come up with this stuff. They know what they are doing! I mean, it is like the guys who intentionally "plant" those quarter machines at the front of the grocery store. It is to drive mom's completely over the edge of their grocery buying nightmare because when we make it to that point of the shopping experience with any hair left on our head then the kids want A QUARTER??? By then you will just about give them anything they want to have that minute of peace until the cashier hits you in the face with that whopping amount you just spent because the kids went shopping with you WHILE THEY WERE HUNGRY-you mom's know what I mean!!

WOW.. I got lost from my scrappin' addiction didn't I?? But come on, you know it is close to the same thing, we revert back to our childhood wanting EVERY SINGLE NEW INVENTION EVERY COMPANY CAN COME UP WITH!!
Come on guys? Can't you create something that will wash the dishes WHILE WE SCRAP?

I got my car back from the body shop today....

I finally got my car back today... It looks pretty good. There are some flaw in it, but compared to what it looked like 2 weeks ago it is pretty nice. The body work was really good, but the paint job lacked a lot!
Here she is all fixed up...



I am enjoying my summer off so far. This was a really good day. I stayed in my scraproom pretty much all day. This is what I was doing. I'm really loving Donna Downey these days. I live on her blogspot and love her video blogs! She is so great! I want to be Donna when I grow up! Ha! Ha! I have been looking at all her stuff and have been trying some of her techniques. I hope it doesn't seem like I'm copying her work, I'm just trying some of the things she does to see how they look.
This is the canvas I did today and some close ups so you can read the print I've highlighted.






I'm planning on trying to go yard saleing in the morning. If I wake up and feel pretty good. I'm on the look out for books. Books that I can tear and rip out of for my canvases. I'm planning on doing more of them and maybe listing on ebay. Things are pretty bleak these days, so faith in ebay sales I have very little of these days! I may try it in hopes to be a "bite". Selling one of my canvases would be all it would take to get my spirits up. And earning money this way while being off of work would definately put a feather in my cap!!
Well, off to bed. I'm pretty tired tonight. Until the next blog...Happy Scrappin'!!

WOW! I HAVE TO BLOG MORE!! CAR WRECK AND NEW SMILE!!

I was supposed to blog last Monday. I do have MAJOR updates from then. I went on Monday morning to get my teeth made. Let me tell you-it was AWFUL! Yucky and somewhat painful(because of my gums not being 100% healed). I was there for about 3 hours and dropped mom off at her house. I was leaving her road and pulled out in front of a lady and caused an accident!! It was horrible! I looked and saw nothing coming and looked again and it was too late. She swerved to miss me and we collided. She took my front passenger side bumper off and I hit her passenger side front tire. I think it might have broken something inside of it, because the tried to get it on the wrecker by driving it but couldn't. I felt(and still do) feel terrible for what happened! Thank the Good Lord above that no one was hurt and we didn't have passengers. My car has about $3,800 worth of damage done to it.


We were both VERY LUCKY that we weren't hurt. Cars can be fixed.

Oh and then mom had to take me back up to get my teeth. Well, they were more like evil filled pieces of plastic! They hurt so bad and I thought they looked awful in my mouth! I gagged every time I put them in. Oh and you know when you put those fake teeth in at halloween how it feels to you and how you sound when you try to talk with them in? Well, that sums it up pretty well! But... that was 5 days ago. My speech is getting better and they look pretty good to me now. I just wish I could eat with them. I can't do that yet. I tried drinking soda pop from a can yesterday and thought I was going to drown myself right there. I couldn't really tell where it was in there. It was an experience that is for sure!

I promised some before, during and after pictures when it was all said and done. Here they are. Some are just horrible but you have to get the full effect to really see the before and after.

This one is the day of my surgery just before we left. March 19, 2008


My hubby took this one on March 23- 4 days after the surgery. You can see the massive bruising on my cheeks. Terrible picture with no makeup and hair not fixed.


This one was taken the same day. My first day in "the land of the living". It was nice to fix my hair and put on some makeup. You can still see the bruising even with the makeup.


This one was taken on March 26. You can still see the bruises but they are getting lighter.


OK... are you ready.. this was taken today... with my new teeth. I sure hope all that was worth this!


OK so there you have it. The long road from then to now. I can honestly say that trying to wear the teeth hurts worse than having them all cut out!! I have to have another adjustment next week and hopefully that will get me all fixed up. Then it is on to learning how to actually chew again. Hard to believe you can forget something like that, but after having no teeth for (2 months on Monday) so long you really do forget!
Off to bed! Goodnight all- until the next blog!!
Happy Scrappin'! and God Bless!!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!! A REorganized Scraproom, and ME!

Well, hello! I've been a bad blogger lately. I can't seem to get back on track with my blogging! But I'm here now :)

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!! I have really enjoyed mine so far. Church was really good, mom liked her hummingbird feeder I gave her and I love my necklace James gave me. And it is really a beautiful day! Windy, but beautiful!!

Well, let's see...hmmmm what can I blog about? Oh yes... I rearranged my scraproom AGAIN! I think I like to move it more than use it sometimes!!

Here are some pictures of what I HOPE it will look like for a while now... It is a pain to move those white cubes! But well worth it in the end. The bottom picture didn't turn out very good because the light coming through the window was so bright. But,I'm VERY pleased with it this time!

My new favorite thing is having my table out and actually be able to use it now. I have a 10' long piece of cabinet that I use for my computer (now that I've re-done it all) and my sewing machine and just to work at for what ever... but my table, ahhh yes! I can spin to my computer, my printers, all my paper stash, and then work at... MY TABLE! And it has STUFF on it!! Oh, you may be thinking this woman is NUTS! Nope, just doesn't take much to thrill my little soul!!

I also have a new phone... It is PINK! I love PINK- again. I got off of it for a while, but I'm back on a "pink kick" again. But, back to the phone. It is pretty neat! It is a Sony Ericsson and it issuper shiny. If you look close you can see me in the reflection! Yes, it is kind of like a mirror. It has all kinds of bells and whistles with it. I had to get a new one because my KRZR I had would not get reception here at home. This one barely does. So I asked about it. The man at Radio Shack said that AT&T reduced their power to save energy! I'm all for the "green thing" BUT COME ON PEOPLE!! LEAVE THE CELL PHONE SIGNAL A-L-O-N-E!!! I WANT TO USE MY PRETTY PINK PHONE IN PLACES OTHER THAN THE MIDDLE OF TOWN!! But enough of that... here is a picture of it.



Hmmmm... what else can I tell you? Oh, little Dakota Bob, my 7 year old went on his first long field trip yesterday. I was worried about him, of course. It was a 2 hour bus ride to the Little Rock Zoo. He had fun, I wish I'd have gone with them. But here he is before school, ready for his trip. What a cutie, hu?

Here he is after the trip... I think they were all just wore out!


And here I am if you have read all this I can tell you I GET TO GO TOMORROW TO GET MY TEETH MADE!!! SO HERE IS A PICTURE OF ME FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE - HA HA!!I said I'd post the before and afters... so this it-the before and I'll give you the after shot tomorrow afternoon... I'm supposed to be able to go back tomorrow afternoon and pick them up. I'm going to put the before, during, and after pictures up tomorrow. I can't wait to see them myself! So here I am and I'll sign off with it... until tomorrow!!

Slow cooker sunday, beautiful photo, Donna Downey, and pancakes!

Look at this picture! I am so amazed at the beauty and the fury in these clouds. We had a storm pass through the other day and I was home with Dakota, he was sick again :( But I stood in the door *like an idiot* and it was lightening all around. I could not resist taking the pictures! I am getting more and more addicted to taking pictures! I love it!

Today is my Slow Cooker Sunday. I have butterfly chops in the crock pot this morning. I love cooking that way. I wash them really good and massage them as water runs over them, I do think this helps tenderize them. I put them in the pot then massage BBQ (Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce, trying a new one- not sure how it will be but I've heard it is good) back to the recipe... put the sauce on them, pour just a little dab more in there with them and sprinkle a little What's This, yes that is the name of it, seasoning on them all ( a special seasoning we have around here.. and it is FANTASTIC on EVERYTHING! Menu for tonight: BBQ Butterfly pork chops, carrots, fried potatoes, and hot rolls. Yes... I make a menu for every night of the week. It works, and it makes fixin' a lot easier.

I am exahusted! I stayed up until midnight watching Donna Downey videos on You Tube. I'm not a stalker, but she is just so funny! I love watching her time lapse videos! She has inspired me to get out my paint and just play! It was good yesterday and I think I'm going to do it again today! Oh and I think I'm also starting to talk like her... I noticed it this morning on the phone with my hubby. I think he thinks I'm on something- NOT! I'm so hyper these days. I'm just happy and INSPIRED!! Maybe it is the LEGAL steroids I've been taking. I feel good! MAYBE I'm about to be all better after the tooth thing. OH... and the little package that the medicine came in is a clear case with a couple of hinges on it. Like a credit card case, but bigger and clear. I'm going to do something with it. You can make scrapbook stuff out of just about anything!

I'm hooked on microwave pancakes! I have to have one every morning! Quick, easy and good!
I'm down to the last bite of my yummy pancake, it is 8:40 am and I do need to go start getting ready for church. I can't wait to get there. I'm back in and so happy. I missed a long time... was out for a few months and now I'm so happy to be back in there! I'm getting fed and feeling the difference.

Have a wonderful day!! I know it will be a good day!!

What have I been up to?

WOW! I can't believe it has been one month exactly since my last post! So much for the everyday writing since my surgery! I do get my new pearly whites on May 12!! Will post the before and after shots!!

So much for the weight loss as well. You can eat without teeth, boy can you eat! I am back to my 140 lbs. argh!! I will start walking soon as it warms up enough and try to get rid of some of the extra stuff.

I have found Donna Downey's blog. I LOVE her! She is a hoot! I love her stuff! I new she existed, but never new much about her stuff... I'm hooked on this bloggin' thing. I didn't know there was so much good stuff out there, until I found this blog stuff! She has a video blog on there and a thank you to Stacy Julian. She made a cute canvas on there and I got the idea that maybe I could do something like that, so I did. Here it is....

Please keep in mind, I'm not a painter. I just like to play like I am! I know it isn't perfect, but it was FUN! And that is what it is all about!!
AHHH... TODAY HAS BEEN A GOOD DAY!!

My dear sweet hubby is on the road tonight, sleeping at the WalMart store in Festus, MO. I miss him!! He just told me he bought me a new stand up easel and THE NEW CRICUT SOFTWARE ( HE PRONOUNCES IT KRI-CUT--THIS DRIVES ME SOOO NUTTY!!) But hey, he takes care of my "habit"!! I can't wait to see him, and my stuff :) It will have to wait until Tuesday night though!

Oh, and I booked my room for the Hot Springs Scrapbook Convention in Novemeber! I can't wait, I just dread to see how much gas costs us then. I live about 3 1/2 hours from there! That is a lot of gas!!

Well, I'm going to close now and say good night...
ONE MORE THING...
Camille if you are reading this, girl you are in my prayers.. I love ya and you hang in there! You know how it is, hang on to it and never let that go! God is with you! You are loved and lifted up in prayer!!

Checkup Today...

Today I went for my checkup. It went well. He said I am healing perfectly. I'm glad to have it behind me. Now it is time to heal. I did get to eat a little more today. I'm kind of getting used to all of it now and dealing with everything a little better. It is still soft foods, but I'm learning to eat it better. We put some BBQ Pork steaks in the blender with BBQ sauce and it looked horrible- but it was YUMMY!!
I don't think I'll rattle on much tonight - I had to drive nearly 2 hrs. just to get to Mt. Home to the dr. today- then come home and it seemed like it took forever to get back here! So, I'm tired and got a headache tonight. I'll post more tomorrow night.

Another Better Day!!

Today has been FANTASTIC!!! I drove myself to town today. Went to the store where I work and visited with everybody, made myself a hair appt. for Friday, made a pot of soup, which was SOOOO good! I have not really had any pain today at all! My menu for today: Breakfast- Mashed potatoes, lunch- soup with crackers, supper- cauliflower,carrots, and broccoli smashed together with 1000 Island Dressing. I've actually had a variety today and BELIEVE ME THAT MAKES THIS GAL A VERY HAPPY GAL!!! Oh, I forgot sometime in there I had a good bowl of cinnimon and spice oatmeal. I can not believe the things I've been missing the last few days! I've got to go eat something in a little bit so I can take my medicine before bed. Oh, and my stitches have started to come out. That is an added bonus! Those little critters are driving me crazy! I'm growing quite fond of my "new look"! I put my pretty pink toothbrush away yesterday! Feels weird not brushing my teeth everyday!! I got James a while ago! It was SO FUNNY!! I yelled at him as he was walking away, " Hey! Do I have any broccoli stuck between my teeth?" He stopped for a second and then it hit him! He did the oh ha ha thing!!
Going to go get something to eat! OH WOW!! THAT SOUNDS SO GOOD!!
I can actually eat and enjoy it somewhat now! Didn't think I would get that feeling back for awhile, but I am there!! YIPEEEE!!!
Good Lord has got me through another tough time... He ALWAYS comes through!!

It's Easter!

Today is day 4 after the surgery and I'm feeling unbelievably much better!! I was thinking I'd never feel better, but I am! I'm still sore and it hurts to try to eat something, but I'm making it OK. I don't know if I'll go to mom's for the Easter thing but it is OK if I don't. She came here yesterday and brought my little Dakota Bob, who I have not seen since he got on the bus last Wednesday. He wouldn't hardly look at me. He hugged me and held on for awhile and just patted me, but I think he's afraid to look.

I've missed my little boys that is for sure. But I've also got some much needed rest through all of this. Mom came to get his Easter basket and brought me some beautiful Hyacithinths (spelling?). I want a yard full of those! They smell so good!! I know one thing for sure. I've been taking a lot of things for granted lately and that needs to stop. There are so many small things that I've not been able to do these last few days. I've not driven since last Tuesday! It would be nice just to hop in my car (nasty as it is- she needs a bath real bad!) and go. Getting groceries, not an elaborate task, but I enjoy it none the less! Poor James had to go last Friday and get them, he had some trouble finding it all I think. But, I am on the mend and this WILL NOT get the best of me! I'm scheduled to go back to work this coming Thursday but I may take it off too. When I go back I want to be as close to 100% as I can be.
"Hopping" today will be a great Easter Day! Until next time, I keep eating my mashed potatoes with Terrikay (spelling?)sauce!! :)

Made it through another day!

Well, I've made it through another day... been out of bed more today and felt a little better, not much, but some. I'm hoping tomorrow will be a better one. Just taking the days one at a time. I don't know if it is possible to lose weight this fast or not, but post op I was at 144 lbs. now, 3 days later I'm at 138. I've not been eating much. Enough to keep me going. I woke up sick this morning. Felt like I might loose my tummy or pass out. James cooked me mashed potatoes for breakfast. Unusual, but really good. They seem to be one of the things I can eat really well. I had a few more mashed potatoes with some salisbury steak gravy for lunch and some beans smashed up with lots of bean juice and hush puppies smashed up together with pickled green tomato juice to get it really runny. Sounds really gross, but at this point there was nothing gross about it!! It was really good until I got choked on it... not too bad but it caused my gums to really hurt REALLY bad. I do not want that to happen again!
Well, I'm too pooped to pop for tonight, going to go to bed soon and hope that tomorrow is a better day. Can't wait to eat real food again! Oh, and to see my cheeks there normal size:that will be good too!!

I'm OK...swelled up but alive

Well,I'm ok. I survived. In pain, but can eat soft foods. Slept most of the way home on Wed. Slept most of the evening away that day. Stayed in bed most of yesterday. Living on Jello, applesauce, and mashed potatoes. Don't look too good. James took some pictures but I WILL NOT post those. At least not until I have an after picture. I'm going to try to keep a journal everday until I get my dentures. I know it won't be everyday, but I can keep up the best I can. I look like a swelled up chipmonk! My cheeks are really swollen and bruised. The pain is acutally not at all like I imagined. The left side of my top side of my gums is what hurts the most. It was supposed to take 1 hour, but it took him 1 1/2 hours. I had some that were harder to get out than others. But at least it is over. I'm going to go hit the recliner and at least try to be UP more today. Going to go finish my applesauce and Sprite!
Your faithful toothless wonder!

TODAY'S THE DAY!!!

Well, today is the day I go to get all of my teeth cut out. It is a bittersweet day... boy that sounds silly. BUT... my teeth are awful, but they are my teeth. I've ate with them since I've had them... obviously. But, now it is soft foods for awhile and I'm already hungry! I can't have anything else to eat (not since 6:30 this morning). I have problems with my blood sugar lately and I get really weak feeling and my legs and arms feel like noodles when I need food. SOOO... by the time they start on me I'll be glad to go to sleep!!I just hope I do go to sleep with this medicine!! I don't want to know a thing about it!! I'm actually better this morning than I thought I'd be!SO FAR!! I'll get worse the closer we get to Mountain Home. But I know there are a lot of people praying for me and I have the Lord by my side in all that I do. He doesn't see anything too small to care about and eventhough some people say this is no big deal, it is to me and He knows that. Maybe that is why my nerves are at ease as much as they are so far. I just hope we can get through up there. It is flooding everywhere around us! A lot of the roads are under water, but I think we will be fine. I DO NOT want to have to reschedule and have it to dread one more day!!! I would have blogged yesterday, but couldn't get on because our internet was down. It goes down in the heavy rain, wind, snow... But for the most part it is up most of the time.
I'm going to go and get ready. I did fix my hair, but am going without any makeup, which I HATE to do!!! But I doubt if I care this afternoon if I have any on or not!
Next post, toothless!!

2 More Days...

Well, I have 2 days left to go before my surgery. It is finally starting to sink in that I will have NO TEETH! I usually do really good up until the day or two before something like this, and then the day of... I completely freak out!! I'm holding together pretty good for now, but I can feel it building. I keep telling myself it will all be OK, but still shakin' in my shoes!! I've heard horror stories of people getting a vein cut and bleeding alot and that bacteria can get in to your blood stream and it can be very life threatening! So, my calmness, if there was any- is long gone!! I know that when it is all over I can look back, just like it did with getting my gall bladder out, and it will seem like no big deal- or that is what I'm hoping for anyway! I've got good pain pills so I know at least I can sleep through most of the discomfort that day and the few days afterward.
I've been eating everything I can get my little hands on too! I am going to bring pizza home tomorrow night for all of us! My last meal, er well, last one with teeth- I plan on sticking around for a long time! I can eat until 6:30 on Wed. morning, so you can bet I'll be crammin' it in then too!! I'm gaining weight, but I plan on losing some too. I guess on applesauce and soup, I've got to lose some. And I plan to walk when it warms up. My mom says she's going to walk this summer too! I want to look good, so when I do have my teeth made, I'll have my own "REVEALING", my own Extreme Makeover!!
Well, my stuffed belly full of 2 chili, slaw, and cheese hotdogs, french fries and a cherry turnover are signing off tonight... will post again tomorrow and the morning of to try to ease the nerves.

3 MORE DAYS....

Well, here I am in all my crooked smiling glory. I know we are supposed to be happy with the way we look, but all my life I've hated to smile. My teeth are just awful, some my fault from not caring for them like I should have when I was small, and the other is just the fact that I just am one of those people who was not blessed with a pretty, healthy smile. So, I am having surgery on Wednesday and they are all getting cut out!! My gums are in VERY BAD SHAPE, terrible to say the least. My hubby is driving me nearly 2 hours away to an oral surgeon that came highly recommended. My appointment is at 12:45 on Wednesday afternoon. I can eat until 6:30 that morning. I have probably gained 5 pounds in the last few days trying to eat all I can before Wednesday. BECAUSE... I won't have any teeth back in my head for at least 8 WEEKS!!! It'll be soft foods, and soups for me...no pizza, no hamburgers, no popcorn, no NOTHING I LIKE!!! for 8 weeks... but---- I will have my dentures then and will have a BEAUTIFUL SMILE!! Now that is a day I'm looking forward to!! Straight and white, a movie star grin is what I want! My hubby says they won't look real. My philosophy is they are not going to be real and if I have to go through the trouble of doing all of this, then they will be as close to perfect as they can be!! At least these can be taken out at night when they bother me... whereas the ones I have stuck in my head now can not!! Wish I could! Wish I had all the trouble I'm about to go through behind me , and all the pain. Which leads me to another point... they say there will be not as much pain as I'm expecting... HOW CAN THERE NOT BE???? Guess that is one thing I'll have to post about later.
So as for now, I'll sign off with 31 teeth all permanently secured, where they are supposed to be, in my jawbone, not in a cup by my sink!! Until next post...

More pictures of the snow...

I had problems getting all the photos in the last post and wanted to get these on.

The boys are playing in the front yard in this picture. They are wearing their camo, so they are a little hard to see!

Dakota and Hunter playing in the snow! - And LOVING it!!

This is my little Dakota Bob, Ain't he cute!?

I love this barn! I have to stop on the side of the road in a curve to take a picture of it. It is worth it! I think I'm going to ask permission to go on this property and get some close ups when it gets warm enough.

It's Been awhile....

Wow! I didn't realize it had been so long since I posted last! We have had storms, snow and spring like weather all within a few weeks of one another. A tornado ripped a town to pieces just about an hour from me. It was awful. It went right through the middle of this little town. I didn't go see it personally, but I did see pictures of it.
I do have pictures of the snow we got... lots of pictures! It was beautiful and I DID get my wish to get to stay home with the boys and miss a couple days of work!! I thourghly enjoyed myself and so did they!

That was the first time to get them out and me off of work. Next came another one. Well, by now I don't need to miss anymore work and the kids are borderline to losing their Spring Break. We made the best of it though. It was really pretty and I got some great pictures!