This one is just a song that has been going through my head all day today...probably because I've been hearing it on my sister's MySpace page. Since it is such a simple song...it is real catchy and gets stuck in your mind easily. I remember singing it a couple of years ago (first time I heard it) when Manda, Mandi and I went to the Newsboys/Kutless/Stellar Kart concert on my Birthday...I have to say that has been one of my better birthday's in most recent years.
This song simply states....life is good...but ETERNAL life is BETTER.
"Life Is Good" - as sung by Stellar Kart
Life is good, eternal life is better
Life is good, eternal life is better
Life is good, eternal life is better
Life is good, eternal life is better
All around me smiling faces
Different people from different places
Time is short, don't wanna waste it
No ashamed so I'll just say it
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
All around me your creation
Brings me to my knees in adoration
Beauty here cannot compare to
What I see when I first see you
Life is good, eternal life is better
Life is good, eternal life is better
Life is good, eternal life is better
Life is good, eternal life is better
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
All around me your creation
Brings me to my knees in adoration
Beauty here cannot compare to
What I see when I first see you
Life is good, eternal life is better
Life is good, eternal life is better
Life is good, eternal life is better
Life is good, eternal life is better
Life is good, eternal life is better
Life is good, eternal life is better
Life is good, eternal life is better
Life is good, eternal life is better
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Little hiatus from home & then sick
It has been 2 weeks since I've posted and wow how time flies...especially when you've been gone from home and you've been sick.
I spent a few extra days in Lewiston when we went down for Peanut's birthday party over Valentine's weekend. What fun. It had been since Christmas since we saw those little ones and I was needing a desperate fix.
Saturday the 14th was her Birthday party and she chose to have a gymnastics party with a Tinkerbell theme....her Meema LOVES Tinkerbell so it makes Meema real happy that Peanut shares this love. There were so many kids and it is a good thing so many parents stayed to enjoy the fun...the gymnastics place only had one person there to man 3 different parties, one right after another. I took a TON of pictures for her mom though since she was helping with the kids, we are both camera freaks so it worked out well. We later went to dinner at El Sombrero and let our waitress know it was her birthday so they brought her a hat, some fried ice cream and sang to her...all so cute. Meema and Papa's gift to her was a mini trampoline (Aydann's term = jumpolene) because every time we stay and blow up our air mattress...she thinks she has to jump on it...also she has been caught jumping on her mom and dad's bed a lot lately. She loves it and so does little brother, he sits on his knees and bounces.
Sunday the 15th we had lunch with Witney and Nate (soon to be son-in-law) at Red Lobster, was a nice but rare occasion that they got us all to themselves. Scott went home by himself, once I had finally decided to stay and had a way home mid-week, and Aydann was so excited that Meema was staying and not going home. Had we announced I was going home too, I'm sure the much asked question of "Can I go to your house?" would have been posed. That night, Mandi had planned to go with some friends to see "Twilight" (for the 3rd time) and wanted me to tag along. It was good but I'm not a junkie...just not into those sci-fi type movies...but my favorite part was the baseball scene....so cool.
The following 3 days, I just hung around with them and the little ones. Justin apologized several times thinking I was bored...are you kidding...just hanging out and being around, I had fun. I don't need to be entertained or running around all the time to not be bored. The rare occasion of me getting to watch the grandkids for a bit when mom and dad are gone too...I miss out on that when we live a couple hours away.
Witney had me go down to the bridal store to see the dress she had picked out and she tried it on for me, very pretty. I had to send a picture to her dad so he wouldn't feel left out. I got to take Aydann to her dance class on Wednesday too. She LOVES dance and I'm looking forward to going down for her recital and another program they are to dance in.
The plan was for Mandi to bring me home on Wednesday night after Aydann's dance and she planned to stay overnight with the kids, do some shopping at these wonderful stores we have up here in CDA that they don't have in Lewiston, and head home on Thursday. It was cute, when we were leaving from dance to go back to her house, she asked, "Can I go to your house?" (if you hadn't figured it out yet, she asks this question A LOT and we are generally telling her, honey, we're coming to see you) but this time I said...Yeah, we are going to my house. When I pulled into her driveway, she started balking..."No, I want to go to your house". I told her we had to pick up mom and Jax first. Being 3, she doesn't quite realize yet that a trip to Meema and Papa's house requires being in the car for a while. All her past trips, she has either slept for most of the way or watched a movie for most of it...and then she is there.
Tuesday night I started getting a sore throat (from post-nasal drip) so I feared starting to get sick and went raiding Mandi's medicine basket to get started on med's. I can never get just a little cold, it always turns into Sinusitis or Bronchitis...needing a doctor and antibiotics by the time all is said and done.
I suggested that on Thursday she could go into town to get some shopping done and just take Jax (and Ashley who came up with her...Ash hasn't been to our house in years, so it was fun having her up here, Scott calls her our adopted-daughter) and I would bring Aydann in with me when she got to her last store; I know from past experience that Aydann gets bored with having to behave in a store and Target is her most favorite to start acting up. This way, Aydann could get up when she was ready (she's like Meema and can be grouchy in the mornings - unless she is up before you and is waking you up...telling you, come on, it's time to get up, the sun is up) have a little breakfast, watch cartoons and just chill. We both really slept in because she too was starting to not feel so well. We got together and met Mandi & Ashley in town but she wasn't too happy with the fact she was going home and not coming back to our house....we'll have to plan when she can come up for a couple of days, just her, to spend at our house. If I'm still unemployed and in the spring when it is warm and she can play outside..she'll have fun...all attention on her alone...oh yeah.
Then for the next week, I've been TRYING to just fight off this cold junk and keep it from becoming a sinus infection because, well, we don't have any health insurance and I know antibiotics are expensive to pay out-of-pocket. I've been addicted to Sudafed - Maximum Strength - Severe Cold for a week...taking Mucinex, to keep that mucus under control...drinking tea and water, 'til I feel as if I could float...breathing in steamy water, to break up all the congestion in my head...I even went so far as to try the sinus irrigation that my brother and sister do now to keep this junk away...any home remedies I found that are supposed to help...to keep from getting worse. Scott can't believe that I've been going over a week now and still haven't kicked it...I do have a poor immune system though and thus the reason I aim to stay away from any and all that have any sicknesses that I could catch. I am feeling much better though...Praise the Lord. I've even been praying for healing and I hate to admit it but I never pray when I am sick. I've never really thought much to do so and was wondering why I never pray when I get sick...I think it is because I feel my little cold or what not is so menial in comparison to those who have cancer or some other terminal disease that is so much more important than any little illness I may have. But then the Lord impressed it upon my heart that nothing is too small or unimportant for Him and He is the Healer.
While I was in Lewiston, Scott surprised me with starting a task we've been talking about doing for a while and have just been waiting until we can afford it. He told me he was just cleaning up a little "hot chocolate" and knowing he doesn't drink hot chocolate, I became suspicious so asked a few other questions leading to the fact I figured he was painting our walls. We had decided on 3 brown colors in the same hues, a dark, medium and light and he went and got a gallon of one of the colors to start. I LOVE IT!! I'm so happy with the color and so is he...thank goodness we could agree on a color. He started on a little wall on the top floor in the hall and last weekend painted the wall in the hall downstairs. He's been itching to do it and he knows me well enough that I would have kept putting it off...so he pounced while I was gone to get started on it. We are doing the whole house basically and for a couple of walls in our house it is a HUGE task because the top of our ceilings start at 9 feet and then progress to about 12-13 feet on the back part so we are doing it in parts.
This is the next wall to be done:
I spent a few extra days in Lewiston when we went down for Peanut's birthday party over Valentine's weekend. What fun. It had been since Christmas since we saw those little ones and I was needing a desperate fix.
Saturday the 14th was her Birthday party and she chose to have a gymnastics party with a Tinkerbell theme....her Meema LOVES Tinkerbell so it makes Meema real happy that Peanut shares this love. There were so many kids and it is a good thing so many parents stayed to enjoy the fun...the gymnastics place only had one person there to man 3 different parties, one right after another. I took a TON of pictures for her mom though since she was helping with the kids, we are both camera freaks so it worked out well. We later went to dinner at El Sombrero and let our waitress know it was her birthday so they brought her a hat, some fried ice cream and sang to her...all so cute. Meema and Papa's gift to her was a mini trampoline (Aydann's term = jumpolene) because every time we stay and blow up our air mattress...she thinks she has to jump on it...also she has been caught jumping on her mom and dad's bed a lot lately. She loves it and so does little brother, he sits on his knees and bounces.
Sunday the 15th we had lunch with Witney and Nate (soon to be son-in-law) at Red Lobster, was a nice but rare occasion that they got us all to themselves. Scott went home by himself, once I had finally decided to stay and had a way home mid-week, and Aydann was so excited that Meema was staying and not going home. Had we announced I was going home too, I'm sure the much asked question of "Can I go to your house?" would have been posed. That night, Mandi had planned to go with some friends to see "Twilight" (for the 3rd time) and wanted me to tag along. It was good but I'm not a junkie...just not into those sci-fi type movies...but my favorite part was the baseball scene....so cool.The following 3 days, I just hung around with them and the little ones. Justin apologized several times thinking I was bored...are you kidding...just hanging out and being around, I had fun. I don't need to be entertained or running around all the time to not be bored. The rare occasion of me getting to watch the grandkids for a bit when mom and dad are gone too...I miss out on that when we live a couple hours away.
Witney had me go down to the bridal store to see the dress she had picked out and she tried it on for me, very pretty. I had to send a picture to her dad so he wouldn't feel left out. I got to take Aydann to her dance class on Wednesday too. She LOVES dance and I'm looking forward to going down for her recital and another program they are to dance in.
The plan was for Mandi to bring me home on Wednesday night after Aydann's dance and she planned to stay overnight with the kids, do some shopping at these wonderful stores we have up here in CDA that they don't have in Lewiston, and head home on Thursday. It was cute, when we were leaving from dance to go back to her house, she asked, "Can I go to your house?" (if you hadn't figured it out yet, she asks this question A LOT and we are generally telling her, honey, we're coming to see you) but this time I said...Yeah, we are going to my house. When I pulled into her driveway, she started balking..."No, I want to go to your house". I told her we had to pick up mom and Jax first. Being 3, she doesn't quite realize yet that a trip to Meema and Papa's house requires being in the car for a while. All her past trips, she has either slept for most of the way or watched a movie for most of it...and then she is there.
Tuesday night I started getting a sore throat (from post-nasal drip) so I feared starting to get sick and went raiding Mandi's medicine basket to get started on med's. I can never get just a little cold, it always turns into Sinusitis or Bronchitis...needing a doctor and antibiotics by the time all is said and done.
I suggested that on Thursday she could go into town to get some shopping done and just take Jax (and Ashley who came up with her...Ash hasn't been to our house in years, so it was fun having her up here, Scott calls her our adopted-daughter) and I would bring Aydann in with me when she got to her last store; I know from past experience that Aydann gets bored with having to behave in a store and Target is her most favorite to start acting up. This way, Aydann could get up when she was ready (she's like Meema and can be grouchy in the mornings - unless she is up before you and is waking you up...telling you, come on, it's time to get up, the sun is up) have a little breakfast, watch cartoons and just chill. We both really slept in because she too was starting to not feel so well. We got together and met Mandi & Ashley in town but she wasn't too happy with the fact she was going home and not coming back to our house....we'll have to plan when she can come up for a couple of days, just her, to spend at our house. If I'm still unemployed and in the spring when it is warm and she can play outside..she'll have fun...all attention on her alone...oh yeah.
Then for the next week, I've been TRYING to just fight off this cold junk and keep it from becoming a sinus infection because, well, we don't have any health insurance and I know antibiotics are expensive to pay out-of-pocket. I've been addicted to Sudafed - Maximum Strength - Severe Cold for a week...taking Mucinex, to keep that mucus under control...drinking tea and water, 'til I feel as if I could float...breathing in steamy water, to break up all the congestion in my head...I even went so far as to try the sinus irrigation that my brother and sister do now to keep this junk away...any home remedies I found that are supposed to help...to keep from getting worse. Scott can't believe that I've been going over a week now and still haven't kicked it...I do have a poor immune system though and thus the reason I aim to stay away from any and all that have any sicknesses that I could catch. I am feeling much better though...Praise the Lord. I've even been praying for healing and I hate to admit it but I never pray when I am sick. I've never really thought much to do so and was wondering why I never pray when I get sick...I think it is because I feel my little cold or what not is so menial in comparison to those who have cancer or some other terminal disease that is so much more important than any little illness I may have. But then the Lord impressed it upon my heart that nothing is too small or unimportant for Him and He is the Healer.
While I was in Lewiston, Scott surprised me with starting a task we've been talking about doing for a while and have just been waiting until we can afford it. He told me he was just cleaning up a little "hot chocolate" and knowing he doesn't drink hot chocolate, I became suspicious so asked a few other questions leading to the fact I figured he was painting our walls. We had decided on 3 brown colors in the same hues, a dark, medium and light and he went and got a gallon of one of the colors to start. I LOVE IT!! I'm so happy with the color and so is he...thank goodness we could agree on a color. He started on a little wall on the top floor in the hall and last weekend painted the wall in the hall downstairs. He's been itching to do it and he knows me well enough that I would have kept putting it off...so he pounced while I was gone to get started on it. We are doing the whole house basically and for a couple of walls in our house it is a HUGE task because the top of our ceilings start at 9 feet and then progress to about 12-13 feet on the back part so we are doing it in parts.
This is the next wall to be done:
Bye-bye Ivy wallpaper...you've had your day in our house.
Scott & I have grown so sick of looking at it.
Scott & I have grown so sick of looking at it.
Sorry this post has been so long, I need to learn to post several, small posts but as I've said, not feeling well, I haven't felt like doing anything.
Friday, February 13, 2009
4th Scripture for memorizing
Here is the next verse I chose to memorize. I do have to admit, it is starting to get harder...remember I have that short term memory issue going on.
Jeremiah 29:11 (TNIV)
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
I've heard this verse a lot and see it on different plaques and when I went looking for it, my concordance wasn't very helpful. I knew it was in Jeremiah and then I had to read a couple of different translations to find just this one.
Saturday's Song - Slow Fade
I thought I would try something...maybe not every Saturday...but I've been wanting to share some songs that have been touching my heart lately. I can remember when this would happen to my dad, he would hear a song that would minister to him and if it was a southern gospel song (generally was) he would suggest I get the background tape and sing it in church....one of the times I miss.
I think the Lord speaks to me through music more than anything. I love music and would have a real hard time making it without it in my life. It relieves my stress and I just love to sing along.
This song is hitting the Christian music charts pretty heavy right now but since I have all of the Casting Crowns cd's, I heard it quite some time ago and knew it would be a hit.
This song brings tears to my eyes because I can really see that this is happening in our world today and I can see that Satan is really attacking God's people in such a sly and subtle way. It's the...I'll only do it this one time...that after each time Satan tries to tell us, now wasn't that easy...why don't you do it again.
I can remember growing up as a child, we weren't allowed to watch certain movies and the music we were allowed to listen to or the books we read were monitored. I thank my parents that they cared enough for my well being and Christian up-bringing that they filtered a lot from our little eyes and ears. I really think there aren't enough parents out there anymore who take the time to look into what their kids are really seeing or listening to and why we have kids growing up the way they are now. I heard just recently, on the radio station I listen to, of someone giving a little interview that he came across a PG movie that he wouldn't let his kids see. Not because of any violence in it or anything like that but for the simple fact he didn't like the attitude of the kids in the movie and how they treated their parents. He didn't think is was something he wanted his kids to pick up on and act the same way....I thought, WAY TO GO....If only....
Slow Fade - sung by Casting Crowns
Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands
As darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you
That are sure to follow
It's a slow fade
When you give yourself away
It's a slow fade
When black and white are turned to gray
And thoughts invade, choices are made
A price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade
It's a slow fade
Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattering leads to compromises
The end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises
Leave broken hearts astray
It's a slow fade
When you give yourself away
It's a slow fade
When black and white are turned to gray
And thoughts invade, choices are made
A price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking
It's a slow fade
When you give yourself away
It's a slow fade
When black and white are turned to gray
And thoughts invade, choices are made
A price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see
© MY REFUGE MUSIC; CLUB ZOO MUSIC; SWECS MUSIC;
I think the Lord speaks to me through music more than anything. I love music and would have a real hard time making it without it in my life. It relieves my stress and I just love to sing along.
This song is hitting the Christian music charts pretty heavy right now but since I have all of the Casting Crowns cd's, I heard it quite some time ago and knew it would be a hit.
This song brings tears to my eyes because I can really see that this is happening in our world today and I can see that Satan is really attacking God's people in such a sly and subtle way. It's the...I'll only do it this one time...that after each time Satan tries to tell us, now wasn't that easy...why don't you do it again.
I can remember growing up as a child, we weren't allowed to watch certain movies and the music we were allowed to listen to or the books we read were monitored. I thank my parents that they cared enough for my well being and Christian up-bringing that they filtered a lot from our little eyes and ears. I really think there aren't enough parents out there anymore who take the time to look into what their kids are really seeing or listening to and why we have kids growing up the way they are now. I heard just recently, on the radio station I listen to, of someone giving a little interview that he came across a PG movie that he wouldn't let his kids see. Not because of any violence in it or anything like that but for the simple fact he didn't like the attitude of the kids in the movie and how they treated their parents. He didn't think is was something he wanted his kids to pick up on and act the same way....I thought, WAY TO GO....If only....
Slow Fade - sung by Casting Crowns
Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands
As darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you
That are sure to follow
It's a slow fade
When you give yourself away
It's a slow fade
When black and white are turned to gray
And thoughts invade, choices are made
A price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade
It's a slow fade
Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattering leads to compromises
The end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises
Leave broken hearts astray
It's a slow fade
When you give yourself away
It's a slow fade
When black and white are turned to gray
And thoughts invade, choices are made
A price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking
It's a slow fade
When you give yourself away
It's a slow fade
When black and white are turned to gray
And thoughts invade, choices are made
A price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see
© MY REFUGE MUSIC; CLUB ZOO MUSIC; SWECS MUSIC;
The rest of my cards
Here are the other 2 cards that I made.
First up is Aydann's Birthday card. She was having a Tinkerbell themed birthday party and since Tinkerbell is one of my personal favorites...that is what we went with.
First up is Aydann's Birthday card. She was having a Tinkerbell themed birthday party and since Tinkerbell is one of my personal favorites...that is what we went with.
I stamped and embossed the flower background with one of my many DeNami stamps and the rest is stickers. I have a Tinkerbell cartridge that I would have used, however, someone else has been borrowing it and it is over a hundred miles away, so I went in search of some Tinkerbell stickers.
I used my Nestabilities Scalloped Rectangle die to cut out the piece Tinkerbell is posed on. She really is our little Princess.
This is the inside of the card which I used my Cricut to cut out the "Happy Birthday" with my Calligraphy Cartridge. The crown and Tinkerbell are stickers.
Here is my main Valentine card (I made 9 of these). Here again I used the Basic Grey-Bittersweet Line-Mousse paper. I cut out the hearts on my Cricut with the Calligraphy cartridge and my Design Studio. It is normally one heart facing in one direction and I welded them all together and flipped a couple of them. I learned a really cool tip and used it to cut out the different colors. The pink hearts I ran through my Cuttlebug with the Swiss Dots embossing die.
This card was too plain without the little addition in the lower left hand corner and trying to decide what to do there was the most difficult of this whole card. It was at that point I realized I needed more embellishments...so I went off to Michael's with my card to see what I could find. *Just a little side note: Our Michael's really sucks and needs to get with the times on their scrapbooking and stamping stuff. I finally decided on these little wooden hearts that I painted with the Making Memories "Chocolate" paint. I added a little dot of pink hot glue (believe it or not I found my glue sticks in a fishing shop down in Boise). I've been invading on some of Scott's materials he uses and coming up with other ideas you'll see in the future for some of the fly tying stuff that can also be used in card making. I used the Martha Stewart "Branch" punch for the twiggy stuff coming out from the back of the heart. I have to say I think they turned out super cute. I think I may submit this one to the Cricut message board. Try to win myself a new cartridge.
I used my Nestabilities Scalloped Rectangle die to cut out the piece Tinkerbell is posed on. She really is our little Princess.This is the inside of the card which I used my Cricut to cut out the "Happy Birthday" with my Calligraphy Cartridge. The crown and Tinkerbell are stickers.
Here is my main Valentine card (I made 9 of these). Here again I used the Basic Grey-Bittersweet Line-Mousse paper. I cut out the hearts on my Cricut with the Calligraphy cartridge and my Design Studio. It is normally one heart facing in one direction and I welded them all together and flipped a couple of them. I learned a really cool tip and used it to cut out the different colors. The pink hearts I ran through my Cuttlebug with the Swiss Dots embossing die.
This card was too plain without the little addition in the lower left hand corner and trying to decide what to do there was the most difficult of this whole card. It was at that point I realized I needed more embellishments...so I went off to Michael's with my card to see what I could find. *Just a little side note: Our Michael's really sucks and needs to get with the times on their scrapbooking and stamping stuff. I finally decided on these little wooden hearts that I painted with the Making Memories "Chocolate" paint. I added a little dot of pink hot glue (believe it or not I found my glue sticks in a fishing shop down in Boise). I've been invading on some of Scott's materials he uses and coming up with other ideas you'll see in the future for some of the fly tying stuff that can also be used in card making. I used the Martha Stewart "Branch" punch for the twiggy stuff coming out from the back of the heart. I have to say I think they turned out super cute. I think I may submit this one to the Cricut message board. Try to win myself a new cartridge. I've been busy crafting
I feel as if I've been living in my craft room lately and here is most of the evidence of it. I can't show all of them yet (until my Valentine's reach their recipients...I don't want to spoil it for them).
A friend that I've known for like 19 years lost her father a couple of weeks ago and since I've
been close with her and her kids and all her sisters and her parents...I made sympathy cards for them all (I made 7 total of these). This is the first sympathy card I've ever made. But I think it turned out good.
I used my Nestabilities Scallop Rectangle dies and I just LOVE them and my Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder. I stamped it with Autumn Leaves Flourishes stamps. I had to print out the sentiment on the computer since I didn't have any sympathy stamps, with the exception of "With Sympathy" which I did stamp in the inside.
Next up, I made a birthday card for a friend of mine that I
will be seeing this weekend in Lewiston (she is actually my step-daughter's mother-in-law but we hit it off real great and are friends). Her Birthday isn't until Monday the 16th.
Again...you see the Nestabilities (this time) Scallop Circle die. I used my Cricut and Design Studio to create the large black scalloped edge. I used my Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder and a Sizzix die for the cupcake.
This one was a little harder for me to do mainly because I don't have a lot in these colors so I was limited in what I did. However, the silver strip in the middle (don't gasp when you hear this) but it is from some wrapping paper that was on one of our wedding presents. I have several big chunks that were in good condition and SEE I did use it again.
Basic Grey-Bittersweet Line-Mousse paper. When I finally found it in Boise at Archiver's I bought out the 7 sheets they had. I just think it is so pretty. I also found I really like the way Basic Grey's paper distresses, it is very workable. I stamped the mice from one of my Penny Black stamps and altered it a little (it has a big flower above their heads that shields them like an umbrella). I used to make cards for Scott when we were dating that had these Penny Black mice, hedgehogs, cats on them but haven't in a long time. I stamped the "Love You" at the top.
Well that is it for this post...my next one will show 2 more cards but I will have to wait until Saturday to post that one.
I've been having a lot of fun. I spent all weekend in my craft room and Scott spent all weekend in his man cave (across the hall from my room) watching movies and doing his craft of tying flies. I asked him who he thought made a bigger mess when they were creating...he definitely thought I did but that I could control it better than what I do. (I will have to take a picture next time it is in such disarray and show you...maybe one day a short little video on my craft room). He said he will usually pick out a fly from his book and pull out those materials to make it and that is it. I told him it was impossible for me because I didn't have a book I could just duplicate a card from. I am creating...trying to find if one thing looks good to find that no not really but lets try this. I usually only have the for sure thing of my paper colors decided, the type of card and MAYBE a particular stamp. I am finding though that I need more embellishments. And I think I can honestly say that since I've moved up here, away from all my stamping buddies, that this is the first time I've spent this much time in my room doing my thing. It was a blast. I think I will try really hard to do all of my cards for the year, handmade. So next up would be my brother's birthday card. Paper already sitting on my table waiting to be used.
A friend that I've known for like 19 years lost her father a couple of weeks ago and since I've
been close with her and her kids and all her sisters and her parents...I made sympathy cards for them all (I made 7 total of these). This is the first sympathy card I've ever made. But I think it turned out good.I used my Nestabilities Scallop Rectangle dies and I just LOVE them and my Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder. I stamped it with Autumn Leaves Flourishes stamps. I had to print out the sentiment on the computer since I didn't have any sympathy stamps, with the exception of "With Sympathy" which I did stamp in the inside.
Next up, I made a birthday card for a friend of mine that I
will be seeing this weekend in Lewiston (she is actually my step-daughter's mother-in-law but we hit it off real great and are friends). Her Birthday isn't until Monday the 16th.Again...you see the Nestabilities (this time) Scallop Circle die. I used my Cricut and Design Studio to create the large black scalloped edge. I used my Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder and a Sizzix die for the cupcake.
This one was a little harder for me to do mainly because I don't have a lot in these colors so I was limited in what I did. However, the silver strip in the middle (don't gasp when you hear this) but it is from some wrapping paper that was on one of our wedding presents. I have several big chunks that were in good condition and SEE I did use it again.
And lastly, for now, is the Valentine card I made for Scott. It has literally been years since I've made my Valentine cards and I figured since I was home and had the time, I would make all my cards this year.
Well lookie here...another card with the Nestabilities Scalloped Circle die (I'm gonna get my money's worth out of these and like I said, I LOVE them). I also used the much sought out
Basic Grey-Bittersweet Line-Mousse paper. When I finally found it in Boise at Archiver's I bought out the 7 sheets they had. I just think it is so pretty. I also found I really like the way Basic Grey's paper distresses, it is very workable. I stamped the mice from one of my Penny Black stamps and altered it a little (it has a big flower above their heads that shields them like an umbrella). I used to make cards for Scott when we were dating that had these Penny Black mice, hedgehogs, cats on them but haven't in a long time. I stamped the "Love You" at the top.Well that is it for this post...my next one will show 2 more cards but I will have to wait until Saturday to post that one.
I've been having a lot of fun. I spent all weekend in my craft room and Scott spent all weekend in his man cave (across the hall from my room) watching movies and doing his craft of tying flies. I asked him who he thought made a bigger mess when they were creating...he definitely thought I did but that I could control it better than what I do. (I will have to take a picture next time it is in such disarray and show you...maybe one day a short little video on my craft room). He said he will usually pick out a fly from his book and pull out those materials to make it and that is it. I told him it was impossible for me because I didn't have a book I could just duplicate a card from. I am creating...trying to find if one thing looks good to find that no not really but lets try this. I usually only have the for sure thing of my paper colors decided, the type of card and MAYBE a particular stamp. I am finding though that I need more embellishments. And I think I can honestly say that since I've moved up here, away from all my stamping buddies, that this is the first time I've spent this much time in my room doing my thing. It was a blast. I think I will try really hard to do all of my cards for the year, handmade. So next up would be my brother's birthday card. Paper already sitting on my table waiting to be used.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Our refinance stress finally taken care of
Sorry...this is going to be a long one.
Back on September 11, 2008, we started our refinance process in hopes we would be able to close in October.
Let me back up a little bit though, two years ago we refinanced and got into a loan that had an Adjustable Rate (that would adjust after 2 years) and a pre-payment penalty (that we would have to pay if we paid it off before 2 years). At the time we were trying to get some credit issues cleaned up so we did what we had to do and it was a time when the housing market was great, sales prices great, construction going on great, etc….
In October, our loan adjusted all right, up almost 2%, so we knew we needed to get out of it. Well when the appraisal came in, low and behold in 2 years we lost $15,000 in equity in our home, we were quite disappointed and knew in order to get out of that loan we would be coming in with funds to close.
The underwriting that we went through was so grilling, we were beginning to feel violated. We had to provide copies of EVERYTHING; any deposits that were showing up in our account we had to show proof of (now mind you because we started this in September the 2 prior bank statements were from July and August – a time when Scott was unemployed here and there throughout the summer because of construction jobs). So every unemployment check stub, any personal deposits, any deposits we had from our medical savings account, we had to provide them with the EOB’s we submitted for re-imbursement…see what I mean…I was getting very frustrated with them and my stress level was going up and up. I was starting to have health issues because of all the added stress so then Scott started to deal with our lender, me being in that business alone was weird to have to pass it off onto Scott to deal with. But in the same respect, I had seen tons of loans go through that I would just shake my head and wonder, wow, how did they ever get a loan, so that was another reason I was getting so frustrated, I knew we weren’t as big of a risk as others I had seen go through.
A few other things that started to happen in September/October…We were in the process of modifying Scott’s child support, since 13 years ago it was set up for 4 children and now he only has 1 he is paying on we knew it would be lowered. We had to submit a letter to the lender as to why we were doing a modification…you mean that isn’t obvious…hello….so we had to provide them with all the documentation between us and the attorney regarding the modification. Then Scott’s employer that he had been with for 2 years is having some major health issues (terminal) and he wasn’t looking for any new work, going into the winter months, we knew if Scott didn’t find something else FAST we would be in big trouble again. He had applied for a couple of jobs and a small, family-owned construction company, in our own little small town, really wanted to hire Scott but we knew if he switched jobs in the middle of our refi, we would be facing more issues and questions, etc…so Scott kept trying to put them off another week…and another week…and another week. Finally the beginning of November he told our lender, I can’t keep putting this off, if I don’t switch jobs now, I may not have a job at all, so he went to work for Small’s Construction. WOW…what a blessing in disguise. They are BUSY…in the winter months. They are nice people. They reimburse Scott for his cell phone usage and for his gas if he has to do a bunch of running around on several jobs or picking up materials for them. He had only been there a month when we went to their Christmas party and they gave him a Christmas bonus even. *I also noticed at their Christmas party that they said a blessing over the meal before we ate and it being in their own home they had things up on the wall that made me believe they were Christians. They have let a couple of guys go in the last couple of months but they’ve told Scott they are impressed with his knowledge and his work and he is guaranteed a job and they have given him a couple of little raises (Scott had to take a pay cut to take the job but they told him if he could prove he could do the work they would make it up to him). I believe that this job came directly from the Lord.
A couple of weeks after Scott started a new job… I get laid off from my job of 7+ years. I could feel it coming, I was seeing everyone else that they were letting go and I knew they were getting down to the nitty gritty and I was one of the remaining few who hadn’t been there as long as some others. So I definitely figured our loan was dead.
In the meantime, rates are coming down and our loan officer hadn’t given up (she is a praying woman and was really trying to help us out because she also knew we needed to get out of the loan we were in). Because the rates came down and Scott had gotten his little raises, they were able to get underwriting approval off of the ratios based on Scott’s income alone. PRAISE THE LORD.
Our loan officer also gave us credit for so many of the fees that normally would have been charged to us. She had to do up to 4 lock extensions, and didn’t charge us a processing fee, took a reduced loan origination fee, etc… I had balanced the checkbook this last weekend and was calculating in what my unemployment, that I will be getting on Thursday would be, the bills I still needed to pay and I told Scott that our figure to come to closing couldn’t be over $.... It came in $200 under the figure I had told Scott…even better.
We went to sign our documents on Monday and we are praying that Friday we will record without any problems. At closing, our loan officer stated, “You know if we had closed back in October/November…the rate you were locked in at was 6 3/4 % and now we have a rate of 5%; the Lord knew what He was doing when it didn’t happen in our timing”. I have to say AMEN to that. I did have to apologize to her though because with all the frustrations I was having over this whole process I felt I was taking it out on her and she was just the messenger for their underwriting department, she had no control over what they were asking for.
I do have to say…I’m so glad that the stress of that is over with. We are doing okay too with what I get on unemployment and Scott’s income, saving on gas not running into town or going shopping all the time, not eating out so much, we haven't been stressed by the lack of money…we just don’t have any health insurance, so be praying with us that we both remain healthy.
Thank you to all of you who have been praying for us, I get teary eyed thinking about and knowing I have family and friends who have been praying extensively for us.
Back on September 11, 2008, we started our refinance process in hopes we would be able to close in October.
Let me back up a little bit though, two years ago we refinanced and got into a loan that had an Adjustable Rate (that would adjust after 2 years) and a pre-payment penalty (that we would have to pay if we paid it off before 2 years). At the time we were trying to get some credit issues cleaned up so we did what we had to do and it was a time when the housing market was great, sales prices great, construction going on great, etc….
In October, our loan adjusted all right, up almost 2%, so we knew we needed to get out of it. Well when the appraisal came in, low and behold in 2 years we lost $15,000 in equity in our home, we were quite disappointed and knew in order to get out of that loan we would be coming in with funds to close.
The underwriting that we went through was so grilling, we were beginning to feel violated. We had to provide copies of EVERYTHING; any deposits that were showing up in our account we had to show proof of (now mind you because we started this in September the 2 prior bank statements were from July and August – a time when Scott was unemployed here and there throughout the summer because of construction jobs). So every unemployment check stub, any personal deposits, any deposits we had from our medical savings account, we had to provide them with the EOB’s we submitted for re-imbursement…see what I mean…I was getting very frustrated with them and my stress level was going up and up. I was starting to have health issues because of all the added stress so then Scott started to deal with our lender, me being in that business alone was weird to have to pass it off onto Scott to deal with. But in the same respect, I had seen tons of loans go through that I would just shake my head and wonder, wow, how did they ever get a loan, so that was another reason I was getting so frustrated, I knew we weren’t as big of a risk as others I had seen go through.
A few other things that started to happen in September/October…We were in the process of modifying Scott’s child support, since 13 years ago it was set up for 4 children and now he only has 1 he is paying on we knew it would be lowered. We had to submit a letter to the lender as to why we were doing a modification…you mean that isn’t obvious…hello….so we had to provide them with all the documentation between us and the attorney regarding the modification. Then Scott’s employer that he had been with for 2 years is having some major health issues (terminal) and he wasn’t looking for any new work, going into the winter months, we knew if Scott didn’t find something else FAST we would be in big trouble again. He had applied for a couple of jobs and a small, family-owned construction company, in our own little small town, really wanted to hire Scott but we knew if he switched jobs in the middle of our refi, we would be facing more issues and questions, etc…so Scott kept trying to put them off another week…and another week…and another week. Finally the beginning of November he told our lender, I can’t keep putting this off, if I don’t switch jobs now, I may not have a job at all, so he went to work for Small’s Construction. WOW…what a blessing in disguise. They are BUSY…in the winter months. They are nice people. They reimburse Scott for his cell phone usage and for his gas if he has to do a bunch of running around on several jobs or picking up materials for them. He had only been there a month when we went to their Christmas party and they gave him a Christmas bonus even. *I also noticed at their Christmas party that they said a blessing over the meal before we ate and it being in their own home they had things up on the wall that made me believe they were Christians. They have let a couple of guys go in the last couple of months but they’ve told Scott they are impressed with his knowledge and his work and he is guaranteed a job and they have given him a couple of little raises (Scott had to take a pay cut to take the job but they told him if he could prove he could do the work they would make it up to him). I believe that this job came directly from the Lord.
A couple of weeks after Scott started a new job… I get laid off from my job of 7+ years. I could feel it coming, I was seeing everyone else that they were letting go and I knew they were getting down to the nitty gritty and I was one of the remaining few who hadn’t been there as long as some others. So I definitely figured our loan was dead.
In the meantime, rates are coming down and our loan officer hadn’t given up (she is a praying woman and was really trying to help us out because she also knew we needed to get out of the loan we were in). Because the rates came down and Scott had gotten his little raises, they were able to get underwriting approval off of the ratios based on Scott’s income alone. PRAISE THE LORD.
Our loan officer also gave us credit for so many of the fees that normally would have been charged to us. She had to do up to 4 lock extensions, and didn’t charge us a processing fee, took a reduced loan origination fee, etc… I had balanced the checkbook this last weekend and was calculating in what my unemployment, that I will be getting on Thursday would be, the bills I still needed to pay and I told Scott that our figure to come to closing couldn’t be over $.... It came in $200 under the figure I had told Scott…even better.
We went to sign our documents on Monday and we are praying that Friday we will record without any problems. At closing, our loan officer stated, “You know if we had closed back in October/November…the rate you were locked in at was 6 3/4 % and now we have a rate of 5%; the Lord knew what He was doing when it didn’t happen in our timing”. I have to say AMEN to that. I did have to apologize to her though because with all the frustrations I was having over this whole process I felt I was taking it out on her and she was just the messenger for their underwriting department, she had no control over what they were asking for.
I do have to say…I’m so glad that the stress of that is over with. We are doing okay too with what I get on unemployment and Scott’s income, saving on gas not running into town or going shopping all the time, not eating out so much, we haven't been stressed by the lack of money…we just don’t have any health insurance, so be praying with us that we both remain healthy.
Thank you to all of you who have been praying for us, I get teary eyed thinking about and knowing I have family and friends who have been praying extensively for us.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
My favorite Super Bowl commercials
I thought it would be fun to share what commercials I thought were good, or in my opinion, funny. I prefer the more comical ones over those that are good by a filming outlook.
I know that it is a time where the advertising industry really tries to do the best commercials to run during this big event.
Doritos: Lucky Day
Doritos: Crystal Ball
Bridgestone: Potato Heads
Pepsi Max: I'm Good
By looking at the website where I got these from, there are several that I missed and I was trying to make sure to catch them all. Did anyone else have a favorite?
On another note, I can't believe I've done 3 posts today. Wow!
I know that it is a time where the advertising industry really tries to do the best commercials to run during this big event.
Doritos: Lucky Day
Doritos: Crystal Ball
Bridgestone: Potato Heads
Pepsi Max: I'm Good
By looking at the website where I got these from, there are several that I missed and I was trying to make sure to catch them all. Did anyone else have a favorite?
On another note, I can't believe I've done 3 posts today. Wow!
Busy week and a cake
Last week was a busy one, unfortunately most of my time was spent going through all our files in the filing cabinet and purging anything that was no longer needed and filing away the HUGE pile of paperwork that had been accumulating since last spring. I don't understand, I've always worked with files and in an office type atmosphere, and have been extremely organized but I've always neglected it at home. It was getting out of control (and I really needed to find some receipts) so I just broke down and did it. After the first day in that room though, it really looked bad because you would have thought that the filing cabinet threw up all over the room...which doubles as my craft room. Thankfully it is done now and I have some room to get started on my Valentine's cards.
I was also able to finally get Scott's birthday cake made...a little late but I wanted to do it when he wasn't home (since his birthday fell over the weekend). He requested a Red Velvet cake so I went through some of my magazines and cookbooks and came across a Paula Deen recipe for a Red Velvet Cake Roll in her "Chocolate Celebration" magazine. With a title like that, I'm sure to find many recipes I would like to try.
It is pretty yummy and Scott (who never eats sweets) even had 2 pieces, so he must have thought so too.
We have been trying to get a refinance to go through since September now and we feel like we've been under an underwriters microscope for the last several months and we are hoping to get everything finished in the next couple of weeks. The loan we are in is an adjustable and in October adjusted up to 8...% and March is the next time it would be up for another adjustment (however, I don't feel it would go down only up again) and we just want to get out of this loan before then. So for all my praying friends and family, please keep us in your prayers that this will be finished without us breaking our bank account. I met with our loan officer on Friday to give her more paperwork that underwriting was requesting and she took me to Starbucks for a cup of coffee (we didn't talk a whole lot about our loan though, it was on a more personal note). She mentioned that she had been listening to Joyce Meyer and one of the things she has been saying had to do with negative thinking and if we dwell on negative thoughts, those thoughts could come to fruition and said she would just be praying for us as well but to keep being positive. I really needed to have a little bit of time with her to re-connect because of all the issues we've been having to go through this refinance, I'm afraid I've been blaming her and she is just doing her job and having to be the one who gets what underwriting is requesting from her.
We'll be praying for a much smoother week this week than last.
I was also able to finally get Scott's birthday cake made...a little late but I wanted to do it when he wasn't home (since his birthday fell over the weekend). He requested a Red Velvet cake so I went through some of my magazines and cookbooks and came across a Paula Deen recipe for a Red Velvet Cake Roll in her "Chocolate Celebration" magazine. With a title like that, I'm sure to find many recipes I would like to try.
It is pretty yummy and Scott (who never eats sweets) even had 2 pieces, so he must have thought so too.
We have been trying to get a refinance to go through since September now and we feel like we've been under an underwriters microscope for the last several months and we are hoping to get everything finished in the next couple of weeks. The loan we are in is an adjustable and in October adjusted up to 8...% and March is the next time it would be up for another adjustment (however, I don't feel it would go down only up again) and we just want to get out of this loan before then. So for all my praying friends and family, please keep us in your prayers that this will be finished without us breaking our bank account. I met with our loan officer on Friday to give her more paperwork that underwriting was requesting and she took me to Starbucks for a cup of coffee (we didn't talk a whole lot about our loan though, it was on a more personal note). She mentioned that she had been listening to Joyce Meyer and one of the things she has been saying had to do with negative thinking and if we dwell on negative thoughts, those thoughts could come to fruition and said she would just be praying for us as well but to keep being positive. I really needed to have a little bit of time with her to re-connect because of all the issues we've been having to go through this refinance, I'm afraid I've been blaming her and she is just doing her job and having to be the one who gets what underwriting is requesting from her.
We'll be praying for a much smoother week this week than last.
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