Been a bad blogger for quite awhile due to being busy with family and life and I am so sorry! I am starting it off again with sad news from today about a very be- loved christian woman in my life!

Evelyn Stephens born 10/20/1921 and went to be with our Lord on 12/6/2011. She had moved into Memory care center 6 days ago and after Grace and Kara visited with her and prayed with her and sang with her, an hour later she passed peacefully to join her Lord and savior.

                        This is a picture of Steve Grace Evelyn and LaDonna in the early days.

 Graces sister made this and posted it in her room at memory care! Grace and Evelyn at the homestead!

 Here she is with her beautiful granddaughters and grace at the eldest gdaughters shower!

 Here she and Steve are at their house of so many years with Joel and Grace and their girls

 Here Evelyn is with  Grace, Pam, and LaDonna her beautiful Daughters at the table in the kitchen!

I have known Evelyn my whole life and she has been a mentor a step mom and friend for all those years and I will really have a hole in my heart with her gone. But I know she will be waiting at the door with open arms whenever we get to those pearly gates to meet us with my Lord and Father in heaven.

Her battle although shorter than my Mother in Laws with Alzheimer's. It truly is a blessing to us all,  that he decided she was needed in Heaven with Him rather than see her totally gone here on earth!

Grace is the closest thing to a sis without being one by blood I have had in my life!

 This last couple of days have been the hardest they have dealt with having to put her in a memory care facility and seperate their mother and father after all these years. I will be praying for Steve as this has got to be so hard on him after making the decision of placing her in this facility and only moments away from moving into assisted care himself.

Getting old has so many pitfalls and these are not good ones in so many ways!

I miss my mom and Dad so much through this time of the year and Jeff's Dad is SO missed also.

 My heart goes out to the family effected at this time of year from the loss of Evelyn, she is SO Loved by so many and touched so many lives over the many years,

 she has truly blessed our lives fully.

I will miss you till I see you again!

I love this family so dearly!

Father please wrap your loving arms of comfort around her family as they prepare to say their goodbyes and keep them safe in this season of Love celebrating our Lords Birth! Amen

Evelyn say Happy Birthday to Christ for me Please!

Love You

Neisey

Summer Heat

Man this Texas heat is awful 106 predicted for today....We so need rain!

Been taking care of my youngest son, Casey since This past Wednesday with an eye problems and now waiting to take him back to Doc for third time cuz hes running fever and sore throat. He needs to get well and go back to work! At least his eye is less swollen and a light pink ,,compared to swollen shut and blood red! Here is some layouts have done lately at Scrappers Boutique

This layout is with BoBunny Timepiece papers with my nephew Wes' prom king pictures

                                   Echo parks summertime line

                       BoBunny's Zoo-ology line

                       I did two double layouts with these!

San Antonio Zoo animals!

These are from a summer vacation with family to San Antonio Zoo years ago!
And showplaces the elephant show and Elephant rides!

As well as taking care of Casey I have been having therapy On my left Knee which has some problems . Haven't been working and having therapy two times a week! They also gave me steroid shot for the pain and swelling going on! Things getting better and wanting to get back to normal! What ever that is these days for me! Not sure I've ever been normal...Ha Ha
Well gottaa go to Doc office and sit again...Hoping to post more but not promising this time cuz " life happens"
Until next time CREATE something beautiful!
Hugs Neisey

 

Hoping for a newer better me to emerge in the coming months!?

Not ever wanting to get my pics taken this one is a grandchild's idea of new hairstyle for me with my extra chin, wide middle and flabby arms!

this one is a little less weight but still big and hippo hips cant get into that shirt right now either!

Family reunion pic after the kids took me on a torture walk in the woods, sweat and all!
HENCE THE REASON BEHIND THIS AWFUL PICS IS THIS:

I am venturing back to a doctor supervised diet I had been on once before and lost 110 lbs on.

HarrisFast is a program that many don't know about because it is by word of mouth and two time kick off at the hospital a year drive for members. It is very regimented and precise, If you do not follow all given to you to do then you can be kicked out of it.blood TESTS ARE RUN REGULARLY AND BLOOD PRESSURE AND OF COURSE WEIGHT! UGH HATE THOSE BIG SCALES!

Last time I did so good because most of my eating time was at work and I was in a small room to drown out the outside world! This time I will be amongst scrappy friends who will be eating many other things outside of my box which will give me a challenge. but I know I can do it over bariatric surgery! That is just not in the cards for me!

I will also know I want to feel like I did skinnier now that I am back to where I started several years ago. I cant even walk right now with out pain and to those of you who know I fell the other day , not those pains they are on top of the pains of exercise..."NO PAIN NO GAIN" is what keeps going thru my head. But I do know it can get better than this and I hit it awhile back on Harris Fast, but then Life hit hard with mom and all the things that happen with Alzheimer's and I let lose of the better me and fell back into my avalanche world comforted by food.

NO MORE as This Monday will start me on my road of recovery and HOPE! I pray for God to talk to me and help me each step of the way so that I may live long enough to have other grand kids and hopefully some Daughter in laws along the way! God willing since He is the only one to know my path and where I am headed at this point, Just don't think it is the road I have been taking as of late!

enough Rambling on....

Have Great Day and Week !

Denise

I know I have only a few that watch my blog and I am gonna probably chase some of those away as I use this as one of my confidential parts of the things I have to write down daily...God is gonna be beside me and my husband is the sweet person to help me back into this money , heart and mind.

Tomorrow at 4:30 is my orientation to get into the restart program! Classes probably starting the 6Th of October! Please pray for him HUBBY as for I will try and cook under supervision some batch food for him as I take this year or more journey. Last time that is what it took to get just 110 lb off this large body off mass...We will see this time ..Jami hopefully will keep on me to walk with her more.

On this WEEK and DAY 20 yrs Ago!

It took my Aunt Doris my mom's twin to get me to look at this date as to why I am so down this week.

20 years ago today was my mother's death!

Dorcas Annette Cole passed away after a bout with cancer she had been in remission 3 years when it came back with a vengeance and she let us know the day before she left to be with our Heavenly Father that she could not fight it anymore that it was time to go home.

20 years ago this week

~a week prior to mom we buried my Dad...Stacy Lewis Haws after going in to the hospital with a heart attack and not making after surgery. Although they had been divorced 15 yrs they followed each other into Gods hands.

This is one of the hardest weeks in my life that I often subconsciously block this time of year but I always heck to be around. Had a good cry last night and felt somewhat better today but surrounded my day with family .

My Day!

Jami my daughter and I went for Sushi at lunch and the bike shop to get DH's bicycle fixed.

then went to try and get my hair cut but will try to get in early in the morning . cuz Tory the one I like is always booked for the day if you are not on her door step at 9am.

Then had supper with two of my favorite men Casey and Jeff at El Chico's.

This is more eating out than we have done in 2 weeks, I so love payday! Then home for Jeff to see the Cowboys so I am on the computer playing and pouring out my guts to the world!

Aunt Doris I Love you and know this is very hard on you with your twin gone, just know we know how hard it is and you are loved by your nieces!

Enough said and hope you have bright days on your horizons I know I am looking for them!

Till next time in Blog land....

Denise

PS....Please continue to pray for my nephew Wesley and family as he will have surgery at Cook's Children's Hospital Set. 21st unless it gets to bad to tolerate before then.

Thanks for the prayers said thus far we have felt them!

Man Want the headache to go Away ...FAR FAR AWAY!

old well and Windmill!

2 of the 3 dogs....these two are for wrangling the cattle!

Terri's miniature donkey note to self get a better pic!

one of the twin cats!

Past two day have had a bad BAD sinus headache and now it is messing with my thinking mode and gotta get stuff thought out to take to Lil Sisters house to house sit!

Wesley is still doing bad and she is trying to get their end worked out with appointments Air fare and lodgings so please continue to pray that it is God's will and all will fall into place like it did last time they went to Baltimore to John Hopkins Hospital with him!

T!m signing backs of our projects!

Never did get pics from T!mster and Cheryl class posted so here are some of the pics!

before we really got started on the curio!

before one of the classes with our goody bags on table!

In Cheryl's half of class showing how to emboss the metal for the frame that is me in the green shirt!

Fun stuff and more stuff hitting fan so to speak!

Well went to monthly Scrapstashers class today and did part of a project. but it was fun and will put pics when I actually finish it. Had a problem with my glue discoloring on front and trying to figure out a remedy without having to tear it apart.
Tracy always does a great job and she did it again and it is always fun to be around everyone!

Took Matt to lunch this afternoon and while he was away from his apartment their main bathroom decided to bust and flooded the whole apartment. Needless to say Matt and Casey are surrounded by dry out fans tonight and carpet without padding that is a bit soggy. Hopefully they can get all back to running and dry in next two days.

then this afternoon.......got a call from baby sis and an adjuster came to see them today and all their roofs are in shambles and not just screens and one broken window it also tore up some of the wood exterior. They should know in two days how much money they will have to repair.
My other sis still is waiting for house and trailer adjusters to come there.
My baby sis Terri also told me my nephew Wesley is also getting worse again, he is lethargic again and getting headaches again, she will wait to come into town to Children's until he can't hold his own. I would rather things to get better though so I am praying hard for this to pass and for Gods healing grace to come upon Wesley.......He has so been through tooo much in his life already.

If you would please pray for this young man! And for God s will , which hopefully will be some answers to our prayers....
thanks
Denise

A Ruff Week! Good news and bad news....

This is an eerie pic of my late adopted cat Samantha who passed on to kitty heaven on Thursday morning at 4:30 AM.

My niece Lisa couldn't keep her when they moved about two years ago and so I took her in. I was her third family. she was a good cat, verbal when she wanted something but quiet and reserved all other times, didn't really know how to play but she fit into the family pretty quickly.

You never seeked her out or she ran and hid but if she wanted your attention she found you . she jumped into Casey's lap a while back when he came over for the day. she liked grown ups but hid from the grand kids at all costs. I will miss her and her Diva attitude.

Went to GASC with some friends in Arlington last Thursday the 4th and had a blast till started hurting from purchases, and that was even after I paid 5 bucks for check ins of my bag. I am better and enjoying my T!mster and Ranger pics from one both , lots of bling and technique Tuesday stuff and other misc. along with mini books from Maya Road.

Well hope to start posting again more regular but lots of classes coming up in next couple of weeks and must get some things done for our Family reunion.

Last night my little sisters got hit pretty hard out in Comanche, Terri and John's Ranch got hit with straight line winds and hail, and said they have major cleanup to get done . also Johns new mail truck for his routes was messed up.

Sherri and Alvin have been moving into their new home and the 3 month old roof got egg sized hail and also their 5th wheel trailer had the skylights and dinged up everything.

Just thankful no one was hurt since it was really a bad storm that went through their area yesterday.

Till next time

Denise

Body Aches!

Man my yard had really gone to the trees and junk since feeling so poorly and having so much pain, then surgery so feeling better which means I want to do more and clean it all up. Well the kids helped cut things down and then today we bundled it all, I started and then Jami and GKids came after three to help, got it all tied and bundled ...but know they won't pick it all up tomorrow but hoping lots of it will be gone.

My body is not used to working out like that anymore... though right now I feel like a truck ran over me and to top it off , I tried to fall at supper in a parking lot after sitting to eat , I got up to leave and it was like my body had other ideas. Luckily there was a van on one side and concrete on the other, missed the step down and just did catch my self enough to plow into the van. Now we are not gonna say exactly where I am hurting from catching it in mid fall, but I am hurting when I walk.....OUCH! ... thank goodness my neck seems okay after all that though just sorta sore there. The rest of my body is not fairing to well..

I am feeling like such a clutz and I scared Jeff my DH to death cuz I made funny noises evidently as I was trying not to fall. Oh well and no pics for funniest home videos either, bummer!....NOT!
Hate to see what I feel like when I lay down for the night and have to get up in the morning....at least I will be here by myself to scream or cry by myself>>>LOL

Keep creating whether it is indoors or outdoors.....but be careful!....LOL
Denise
PS...I got a new chainsaw in the process today though...so watch out for more trees in the fence line to go when we get rid of the mess from this time!

Feelings of a Complicated Life!

Well after Jeff's Insulin Pump Company went under 2 months ago we have wondered what we were gonna do if his stopped working before we got into the Endocrinologist. Today was my DH's appointment to see what our options are and out of about 4 options looks like we are gonna see if insurance will help on an Omni Pod. Which is so cool because he only has to wear the portion that is white, the other portion works like a PDA unconnected to the insulin part. He fills it like we did with his old Pump every 3 days ,but it is wireless no hanging strings to get caught on anything. and it is waterproof also. I have been praying for something good and last time we had a pump quit pumping it was nearly a disaster. Now for the paper work and Insurance stuff, so still gotta wait on time....So hopefully God is still listening to my pleas for the old pump since it is having issues lately.

Next is my procedure for tomorrow....COLONOSCOPY!.....fun fun fun.....NOT!
At 5 pm I get to start my cleansing with the first bottle , then at 7 pm the second bottle, Yummy!
After 7 I am unable to drink anything that is not clear, could have coffee or tea before then but also not supposed to drink caffeine after 12 per sleep study. I am so not looking forward to 5pm.
At least I am asleep tomorrow during the procedure at 6:15 am, Jeff has got his work cutout getting me awake that early in the morning without caffeine and hopefully home before 9am according to the nurse.....Hoping the find something treatable and not the nasty things. Having this due to my age.....You know the magical one that comes after 40 and because having problems in that area that have been worse since surgery.......So Dr. Sajid needs prayers to be guided and knowledge to get me on the right track, Hopefully and for me to have calmness in 30 minutes as I start my cleansing YUK YUK YUK!
Creativeness to follow this week as I finish up some items from classes I have taken...Yippee for Movie prep solution !.....NOT!
Denise

5th and Final Altered Shoe!

This is the shoe used in the last of the five Shoes that I entered in my first challenge at the TenSeconds Studio Blog .

This shoe represents My dreams and creativity coming back. My Tinkerbell shoe is because in my childhood Disney was always a big thing with me and Tink was really a favorite character with her pixi dust . You just had to Believe!

I guess you can tell in my shoes and in life I am a fan of green. This was one of the shoes I actually had in my closet, what we give up in art....LOL

I used the pink and plum colored metal in this shoe, one of the elements from the new Kabuka molds,Lots of stickers and bling and trim that had bling, some sheer flowers and Prima velvet leaves. of Course some Tink stickers.

some sheer ribbon with a patterned ribbon attached to it. Then some stickles for more bling or "Pixi Dust"

Changed the profile of the shoe totally to use all the elements I wanted to use on this one.

Used the Kabuka collage mold on bottom of the shoe.....

Used stickles all over areas of the edges and any where else looked like some "Pixi Dust"
was needed.

With the piece on the back added it would be an ankle wrap shoe now.

used more elements from new Kabuka mold.

Tink hanging out in the shoe!

well here ya go my Tinkerbell shoe!

Hope you enjoyed seeing my shoes , I sure liked this as a form of therapy as I was recovering from surgery and learning to use my hands without the pain I had before.

Maybe Tink was helping with a bit of her "Pixi Dust"!!!!

Hope you have a wonderful and full week , go out and enjoy the weather or make something or just be with family and friends, but enjoy the time here that we are given.

Lost a good friend this weekend named Marji and hoping she is enjoying a wonderful Homecoming with a full choir singing for her. I will will miss her! I know they have an special Alto part for her in that choir!

Enough said ! Till next time!

Denise