Saturday's song - Life Is Good

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

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:

Bye-bye Ivy wallpaper...you've had your day in our house.
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.

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;

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.

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.