Cute Cards

Well... I haven't done alot this week by way of crafts. My husband was on vacation and with the holiday... well time gets away from us! Anyway, here are a few cards that I made recently. Hopefully I'll have more to show next time I do Sunday Scrappin'!

Thanksgiving

I hope that all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with good friends, good family and good food! I know I will!
While its good to take time during this holiday to remind ourselves of all the things we have to be thankful for... we should really be doing that in our daily life and not just around a holiday that has become (like every other holiday) highly commercialized. We should be seeking God daily to show our appreciation for his provision and blessings in our life. Please take the time today and many days to come to show God how thankful you are for the work that He has done and is continuing to do in your life. Happy Thanksgiving and GOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU!

p.s. check out this poem! Inspirational Christian Poems - Hidden Blessings

The Latest

Friday we took Joe to see a genetic neurologist at Riley. He seemed very knowledgeable and understanding. But basically Joe doesn't match up to any syndrome or disorder just right. So he wants to run a few more blood tests to rule some things out (including Angelman's Syndrome and FragileX Syndrome), but he doesn't really think any of them will come back positive. He did suggest the possibility of Autism, but there's no test for that. So, we got a whole lot of nothin'. We keep finding out what Joe doesn't have... but we still have no idea what is actually causing him to have such severe developmental delays.
I found an online article that was helpful and encouraging to me. It included the quote:
"Acceptance is not submission; it is acknowledgment of the facts of a situation. Then deciding what you're going to do about it." Kathleen Casey Theisen
I've been struggling with that very concept. I've been wondering how long we're going to continue to do test after test that may or may not find anything... is it giving up if we just stop looking for answers? Is it really going to change anything if we find out what is the reason behind the problem? We're already taking steps to help Joe through therapy, etc. That probably wouldn't change if we had a name to put on his "condition" or whatever. I'm getting to the point where I am accepting that we're not going to find a cure for Joe. The best we can do is help him to maximize his growth and development despite his limitations.
On a more positive note: We were pretty excited this week when he sat unassisted in the bathtub for the first time. Here is a video of that!

Answers

Today's WFMW is Yahoo Answers online. I've found a few answers that are pretty interesting! Check out these ones:

What is the proper etiquette when someone asks what you want for the holidays?

Baby shower for 3rd baby?

How do you TIP at a restaurant?

Why is it so hard to make other "mom" friends?

How can I help my mom make friends?

Sunday Scrappin!

This one I think is cool because the main part of is was actually an advertisement that I got in the mail and I used it for this premade page for my MIL's scrapbook. Originally you would open the mailbox to find a coupon - I just switched it out for a pix of the grandsons.
This was fun because I hand cut out most of the stars. The paper had pink stars and I didn't want alot of pink on a boy's page... so I covered the pink ones with blue, yellow etc. Then to help them look like the sketchy stars on the paper I scribbled with my white gel pen... I love the result!
These are actually pages from last week but I made a few changes to them. Added journaling and ebellishments.
well... that is this week's fruits! Check out the fruits of other Sunday Scrappers!!

Cheap Eyewear!

I'm always looking for a good deal, and am all about sharing the wealth when it comes to saving money. Especially when it comes to essentials! Some of us require glasses, whether we have to wear them all the time or just for reading... and whether you have insurance or not it can get pretty expensive to buy new frames and lens every year or so!!
What if you get decent glasses for cheaper?

I found this website that has great deals on complete prescription glasses: Zenni Optical. They offer lots of options like: tinted sunglass lens, bifocal lens, progressive lens, and more. They have a wide selection of frame styles to choose from and their prices are really low. I browsed the selection online myself and was surprised that the cute and trendy styles available.

Apparently Zenni Optical cut out the middle man so they could keep costs down and that is how they are able to offer such low prices. An article in the Chicago Tribune encouraged readers to not be afraid to find and purchase such inexpensive eyewear. The article even quoted a doctor who said that there is no medical reason why someone could or should not wear inexpensive glasses and frames.

So… there is no reason why we can’t spend less money when buying glasses for ourselves, or our kids. We just need to take the time to shop around to places that offer more inexpensive eyewear like Zenni Optical does.

Dancing With God

Dancing With God
When I meditated on the word Guidance,
I kept seeing 'dance' at the end of the word
And I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.
The movement doesn't flow with the music,
And everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.
When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,
Both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back
Or by pressing Lightly in one direction or another.
It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.
The dance takes surrender, willingness,
And attentiveness from one person
And gentle guidance and skill from the other.
My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.
When I saw 'G': I thought of God, followed by 'u' and 'i'.
'God, 'u' and 'i' dance.' God, you, and I dance.
As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust
that I would get guidance about my life and once
again, I became willing to let God lead.
My prayer for you today is that God's blessings
And mercies are upon you on this day and everyday.
May you abide in God, as God abides in you.
Dance together with God,
Trusting God to lead and to guide you through each
season of your life.
This prayer is powerful and there is nothing attached.
If God has done anything for you in your life,
Please share this message with someone else.
There is no cost but a lot of rewards; so let's continue
to pray for one another.

And I Hope You Dance !

Custom Photo Cards with Style!

This is the time of year folks... family pictures and sending out Christmas cards and letters to stay in touch with friends and family. One thing that has gotten popular of late (which I love) is custom photo Christmas cards! Lots of places are beginning to offer them for all occasions and one such place that I have found is StudioStyle.com.
I've browsed their website and found some really awesome layouts and designs. I was unexpectedly pleased with the creative style that I saw in alot of the designs, and the many different options they offer: trifold, flat, fold-over and calendar cards.
So, if you are looking for something a little more personal than a boxed card you should look into getting some custom photo cards!

My Boys

Well... I thought I should do a little update on both the boys since its been awhile. Nate is growing up so fast! He is like a sponge. He's learning so much. He's known his numbers and alphabet for awhile now but he's starting to put things together. When we're driving sometimes he'll just pick out letters and numbers off of signs and read them to me. He sometimes will even sound out words on his own (though more often than not he still needs some help). He has started playing educational games on the computer. He's gotten good with the mouse! While we're not making much progress in the potty training area its reassuring that he is excelling in other areas.
Joe has started cutting some molars which increased his desire to put everything and anything into his mouth!! He has gotten more "talkative" and is even doing some mimicking. He has been getting better and better at sitting on his own. Friday night he sat unassisted and played with toys for over an hour!! Its very good for my soul to see improvements like this. He is enjoying interacting with people and toys more and more. He has adjusted pretty well to his orthotics. While he hasn't quite got the hang of crawling (he still lacks the upper body strength and coordination) he does have the desire and is trying to get around a bit, which is good. His therapists (which we are sooo thankful for) are pleased that he is moving forward.
Both of our sons are a blessing and a challenge. We are so thankful for them. Its hard to imagine what our life would be like without them. God is good.

Pages Galore!

Ok folks... here is another slideshow of my craftiness for the week. THe challenge this week was to use a sketch to make a card. I do use them alot, but usually for scrapbook pages. I do think I used some sketches on a few of these but didn't include them in the pix this time. Let me know what you think! And don't forget to check out the other Sunday Scrappers!!

WFMW - shameless plug

I've got another gift idea for you... but this time its for a little older of a crowd. Tweens are a hard age group to buy for. They're tastes are more expensive than younger kids and its more and more difficult to find them gifts that are not too mature for them. Journey To The Homeland is a book that was written by a teen (my sister!) just for tweens and published via Tweener Time Ministries - a non-profit organization incorporated in the State of Indiana, exists for the purpose of promoting literacy among tweeners.

Journey to the Homeland is the story of Keegan, a young orphan who lives in a medieval land. He is just like any other 11-year old boy-- except for his unique way with animals. For as long as he can remember, Keegan has been able to talk to them. His worst fear is that this gift will be discovered. He keeps his best friend, a jaguar named Adrian , hidden so no one will know about his gift.

When two mysterious strangers appear in his village looking for a child who can communicate with animals, there is a grave misunderstanding. Nora, the most quarrelsome girl in town, is mistakenly named the gifted child. She is kidnapped from her home due to a confusion Keegan could have prevented. Keegan is faced with an important decision: should he risk everything and try to save the girl, or quietly slip away?

With the help of his jaguar friend, he grudgingly sets out to save Nora despite their differences. His efforts to rescue her are complicated by a very late start, a couple of dangerous kidnappers, and a river or two. He finds himself caught between the politics of two countries in an adventure that will change his and Nora's lives forever.

Click here to check out my sister's website: www.keegansjourney.com. And that Works For Me!

pages and cards

Here is another Sunday Scrappin' post. My computer has been out of ink so I haven't been able to do journaling (don't like my handwriting - so I usually print mine out) - thats why there is a big green blank spot on the Flock of Seagulls Hair page. Most of the cards I did at the craft night last week. I actually did do the challenge this week was to use ribbon. Its on one or two of the cards. Next week's challenge is: use a sketch found online to complete a layout. No prob! I do that alot lately!