What's new on the home front

The past six weeks or so haven't been fun as we started off March with both Monkey and I getting sick but Monkey was worse and needed to go to urgent care. Not one week later I again am taking him to seek medical care but this time at the ER for a groin injury he got on the oversized tires on the playground. Now on the day he gets released to go back to gym from this injury his best friend grabs his arm and twists it, on their way back to the classroom from gym class. No one in the school thinks much of it but I have to take him again to the ER where they put him into a velcro splint because his wrist is badly sprained and he lost feeling to his fingers. While all his adventures were going on I am slowly getting sicker but the doctor doesn't feel it was necessary to give me anything stronger then cough syrup when we went for a checkup. Monkey got both cough syrup and antibiotics. I was told I could take some OTC cold medication. OK I buy them but the pills and syrup are not helping me and we had a weekend getaway planned. The pharmacist knew who was coming just by my cough. By this time I was sick for a month but I was determined to take Monkey to see his adult half-sister and her family so I just sucked it up.

We drive six hours and stop at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. By this time I am in the iffy stage and due to health issues I can't walk the museum so I get a wheelchair and Monkey agrees to push me (it used to be his dad's job when he was alive and Monkey says he is man enough to do it). Monkey pushes my wheelchair like a drunkin sailor but we are having fun. We always have fun when we meet up with Em (late hubby's oldest granddaughter), El (the youngest) and Michelle (his daughter). It is always funny when stangers try to figure out how we are related. They think the kids are siblings instead of uncle and nieces and we adults are stepdaughter and stepmom when we are only nine years apart. They never figure us adults out. First thing everyone except me does is take a trip down the chocolate slide. It is just a large slide that you enter on the second floor and exit on the first floor. I was left guarding our belongings as you can't take a wheelchair and a stroller down a slide. 

Then it was off to visit the Aliens and Androids exhibit. They had R2D2, Darth Vader, CP3O and a few others like Ironman. The kids did a scavenger hunt type thing during it as well. From there we went to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Secrets of the Sewer exhibit. That was what Monkey was most excited about. He had been waiting months to see this exhibit and he was playing every game they had and helping Em win her trivia games too. Of by now the kids are starving so we take a lunch break at the museum cafe. Picky kids wanted stuff then didn't eat it. Em got away with more then Monkey did. 

After lunch it was time to see Pirates and Princesses: Storybook Adventures exhibit.

It was exactly as it seems.

Next we were off to Fables Across Time: Kalila and Dimna

Here the kids learned about how this Arabic collection of fables is similar to some of the tales in Western forklore. They also learned out drawing.

Now it is getting late as the museum was very crowded so we didn't see or do as much as we normally do we headed off to storytime. It was announced it was the story of the "Princess and the Pea" but there were no mattresses and no peas. Go figure!

We headed off to dinner at Chick-fil-A which was a first for Monkey and I. After dinner we all head to our hotel including my stepson-in-law so we can check in and go swimming. The kids and Jeff had fun in the pool. I wanted to go in the pool but since I was sick and coughing to much I decided it was best if I didn't. Pooh! After all the kids got worn out it was time for the family to leave and Monkey and I to chill for a little while. Monkey was in heaven as he got a sofa bed to sleep in. Kids!

Sunday morning we get up and meet the family for breakfast down the street. Afterwards they head to church and Monkey and I head back to the hotel to check out. One stop for snack foods for Monkey and some drinks and we are on the road again to go home. This trip home we take the scenic route. It was a little different then what my late husband would have driven but since he was a truck driver who traveled to nearly all the lower 48 he knew the short cuts. We were tired but happy to be home again and a cute little weiner dog was happy to see us when we walked in the door.

Roll on into April and I see the doctor again because I am still not better. This time she sends me for chest x-rays which I have to assume are OK because no one has called to say otherwise. I got a rx for antibiotics and cough pills. I have finished the antibiotics and have just started the second refill on the cough pills and I still feel like death warmed over. Pharmacist wants me to see a lung specalist if this bottle of cough pills don't work.

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I have been taking Photoshop classes and here are a few of the layouts I made.

Basic week 4

Basic week 5

Basic week 6

Techniques week 5

Techniques week 6

Soon Monkey starts year three in flag football. His team jersey will be the Indianapolis Colts which while it isn't the Chicago Bears is cool because it is his sister's favorite team. Bears are his and his daddy's team but since daddy died mom said she will be his Bear buddy and now I to wear Chicago Bears clothing.

That's all in our little world.

My Finished Layout From A Progressive Scrap

Made this for the progressive scrap at The Studio with pieces from this months mega kit "Handsome"

Lasting Memories

I made this layout for a progessive scrap at the Studio. I started it before my husband's death. I really do hope he knew these past 17 years just how much I loved him. As you can see from this photo and the one I posted the other day my husband looked like he aged at least 20 years. The last day he even ate a bite of solid food was on Thanksgiving. The liver cancer made eating something he could no longer do. I am glad he could enjoy this last outing out with the family.

Slow Scraps

I have been doing some slow scraps where you get the 7 steps in one hour but you have approximately 20 hours to get your layout down.

These are two I did this month at Gotta Pixel. I LOVE the one I did today called Soar.

Cur'Tisa Lynn has arrived.

My sister passed away in November not knowing she was going to be a Grandma for the third time. She was gone before grand-baby, Elijah was born in January. My nephew, Michael didn't know how to tell her as she was sick and other things were going on in their lives. I only found out a month ago and I had to confront him with the knowledge. My only problems were one I had never met the girl and two Michael wasn't eighteen yet. Well, on Wednesday Michael turned eighteen, I met his girlfriend, Myra and the baby was born. Little Cur'Tisa Lynn arrived at 1:25 PM weighing in at 6 lbs 15 ozs and 18 1/2 inches. Myra seems like a lovely girl and was happy to finally meet me. As I was getting ready to leave she called my Grandma. Some of you know I am Grandma to Nevaeh and Elijah because my niece, Krista asked me to be. I know I will not be their real Grandma but since I love my nephews and niece just like they are my own kids I will try and be the best Grandma I can be to their children.

Cur'Tisa brings my 'Grandchildren' count to six. I have my three step-granddaughters - Emily, Freyja and Mai and now Nevaeh, Elijah and Cur'Tisa. Now I'm just waiting to see how long it takes before Matthew tells me his girl is pregnant. Thank heavens Nicholas is only five. It will be a little while before I truly am a Grandma in my own right.

Without further ado... Here is a layout of the happy family.

This layout was made for a speed scrap so I'm not quite happy with it.

The Ones Who Touch Our Hearts

On November 27, 2010 our family adopted a Beagle named Molly. We weren't looking for a dog as we lost both Angel, our Dachshund and Betsy, our Spaniel mix just about a year before. Angel we lost on September 23, 2009 due to her body failing her but not her mind. Betsy developed a windpipe tumor just a couple of months later and on January 15, 2010 we lost her. We had already lost two amazing companions and we had decided no more for a while when I saw a posting on FreeCycle stating this dog, Molly needed a new home as her elderly owner could no longer care for her and if no home could be found she would have to be put down. We couldn't let that happen so her owner kept her for the Thanksgiving holiday and then we picked her up.

Molly was 9 years old but we were willing to give her a happy home for however long she lived. Since she was older she wasn't exactly the kind of dog a little boy wants. He wants one who will run around and play with him. Well even though my little boy didn't get the one he wanted he loved his 'puppy' he would feed her, take her outside with him to play even if she just laid on the ground nearby while he played she was company. He would lay on the floor with her and pet her and hug her and he even kept a gingerbread cookie tin which he kept dog cookies in which he called her dinosaur bones. He would always tell her 'whose a good girl?'. Of course there was also the times he would get impatient with her for not walking quick enough when he was in a hurry to go outside or didn't hear him yell because she was having hearing problems but they got along fine.

I tried not to get to attached knowing that she wouldn't be around long and somewhere along the way she slipped into my heart. She would be under my feet, wait until I just sat down to decide she needed to go outside but she was also my shadow. Where ever I went she was sure to be close by. She would howl at me if I had gone to the doctors or some other errand when I got home. Well today that howl was silenced forever. She had a rough weekend and she walked that walk a couple of times over the weekend. She would gather up all here strength that she had left and she would walk to the far end of our backyard and lay down in the garden bed. We couldn't get her to come in for anything. Twice she was carried back into the house and laid on a bed of blankets and she would be given water if she could muster up the strength to drink. We took her to the vets where it was discovered that she was not in the fine health we were told when we adopted her. Her last panel of blood work from the previous owners had shown she had a major problem - Cushings disease. Had we known that she needed any care we would have gotten it for her but because I didn't find out until today it was too late for her. It is harder to deal with then I thought because it was an unnecessary death at this time. Had she gotten medication she would still be here. I feel so guilty as I questioned something right after we took her and I was told by the elderly owner that I could have her medical history but she asked what I had concerns with and I was told not to worry as she has had that problem since she was a puppy but she was healthy. So the files were faxed to my vet but I never thought to have them read over her notes. My biggest regret. I cannot undo my part in her death. I can only live with my actions. For that I am sorry. I'll miss you Molly.

Molly

Angel

Betsy

Christmas Express by JoJo's World Designs

Again I found this designer thru one of the freebie lists. I really wish I could remember which one or even her blog address for you but I forgot to bookmark it for myself. She had a Christmas kit freebie on her blog for 14 days. I found it on the last day and was able to get all the links. Some of the elements came from another kit by the same name. It was a joint theme. The other designer is Designs by Sarah. I used Sarah's reindeer and the snowman on the right. To get the last part I needed to make a layout and submit it to her. So lucky you, you get to see what I came up with.

Christmas Jolly by Fiona Jardine

This week I picked up a couple of freebies from designer, Fiona Jardine. I don't remember which digi freebie list I found her products on but I picked up a cute set of stickers from her blog and a paper pack from her FB page.