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

 

Birthdays and cleaning?

My baby girl Jami always shares a birthday with the first day of Summer and was also born on the same day as my my baby sisters , Terri and Sherri!

Jami is my first born and the mother to my three great! Grandsons! Which with school out are driving her bonkers, Imagine that! they are so sweet not them!

 Here is hoping my Lil sisters are having a great birthday even though Sherri is working in Iowa right now doing claims with her hubby and Terri is home at the Ranch! saw them both not long ago but am missing them again!

 Tyler my oldest G-son came over Monday to help me clean cuz grand-Mama has a bad knee and need to get things under control before I go to the specialist next Monday to see if I can be repaired or need to retire this model! Or send me out to pasture! But back to Tyler cleaning up......

 He found this bubble wrap and had to ....of course....pop them all before he went on cleaning! LOL

                     Here is taking a deep breath so he can do the second half of the strip!

 He is finally at the end now maybe we can get the room done today???? or this week?

Gee was not happy with all the commotion and was so happy when the popping stopped..She came and got into my lap after he stopped!
Well that's all I got today my knee is hurting so gonna go get some ice to put on it although it really doesn't do much but get me to freezing....
Keep making something beautiful,
Till we meet again and Happy Birthday to Jami, Terri, and Sherri I Love y'all lots!
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.

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!

The Saga of the Rain continues!

Correction from yesterday Wes will be 17 on the 25th of June!

Tuesday......11AM...Jeff cough of 5months gets him to cough up blood today. Calls Doc and tells him to get his-self over to the ER. So we sat ( the boys were with me for awhile till their Dad made them leave) while they ran 2 tests xray of chest, which we know has not shown anything in past, and more promising a Cat Scan, one test have not had yet. Then waiting game to find out they don't know anything so sending us home with antibiotic and calling it Bronchitis. and then he will still see the Lung specialist on July 8th. we are all praying we do not cough up anymore blood and that he just busted a vessel in his throat this morning. Got home around 5pm and fed him and off to bed he went. All the coughing gives him a terrible headache.

okay I am praying that God decides to let up on the rain for awhile and we can have some normal activity here at the Cook household for a couple of days. This is wearing me out....

Toshe and I are fixing to water Jami and my plants then hopefully crawling into bed with Jeff and crashing for the night. I miss the kids being gone to Destin Florida but glad they are having fun. Toby is calling me every day to tell me what they have done, and really enjoying his calls.
They are supposed to go see Dolphins tomorrow. They kayaked today and para sailed yesterday.
well gonna go and get the watering done so her plants don't die under my care.......
Have a great day tomorrow till next time....
Denise

What a week! Whew glad it is over....

I feel like we have been under a bad storm cloud following us that is just now lifting and I am tired! here is what has sorta been going on in our lives this week. Moma always said when it rains it pours and that it comes in threes think it feels like mor than three this time!
Thursday.....AM
First part of week Jeff goes majorly high in his blood sugar and can't get it down....Call Doctor on call and with all the insulin already taken he has us do a separate shot other than what we are doing through pump........I am thinking not good at time he takes it......It stars coming down but not fast so he goes on to bed cuz he feels really sickly because of ketosis from sugars above 500.
Around 2:30 AM notice him sitting up several times and ask if he is okay and no response, touch him and he is sweaty and cold and clammy , so jump up turn lights on and see he is going under from sugar dropping too low, run to get peanut butter and crackers and he is too gone to eat them so head back to get juice, get back to bedroom and somehow he has managed to get into our very very small bathroom and just as I ask him how he is doing he crashes into the floor in convulsions, did I say how small our bathroom is, not big enough for him to lay in the floor without his head being against the door jamb...By the way if you have never seen someone in convulsions or seizure than you probably don't know how horrifically they jerk around. Jeff's head was against the door and wood floor pounding his head and not able to get him up as he was slicker than snot from the sweats. 911 time and thank goodness they are only around the corner.
Holding his head to try and keep him from getting concussion too in comes 5 t0 6 EMT's and firemen into our bedroom. they get him on the bed and he is talking to him now that I remembered to suspend the pump and he hates me to call for help in past. His blood sugar is 25.
After an IV, peanut butter sandwich, crackers he now knows who he is and what vital statistics they ask him, and then refuses to go to hospital....needless to say not much sleep for me from 4:30 am till time to go to a class on Thursday morning at TSS for Hot Metal MOMMAS! He still wanted me to go! PRAISE GOD for waking me and for me being there to keep him from leaving me!

Thursday afternoon.......10am to noon class longest class I ever felt like I had been in but glad had friends around me! but when I finish my birdhouse it will be cute! Jeff gets call from his DR. seeing if he is okay and says Doc on call told him tooo big of shot....DUH think we figured that out!

Friday.......Get a call from Terri late they are headed to Cooks Children's with Wesley headaches, pressure and lethargic actions getting worse, Dr. Honeycutt not there till Monday, but they admit him for the week-end. he is sickly and gets sick at stomach .

Saturday ......have class with Tracy and Create Joy team scrapbook in a day! All going good and getting to last part of the day, and get phone call from daughter that it is 89 degrees at the house and they can't get the air to work at my house. Get friend to come see if it is something little or if need to call repair guys. It is bad and Brown's who our warranty is with is gone for the day. GREAT and it is 94 when I get to the house. Toshe does not do good with heat at 16 and heart problems. Jami and Jason and kids are off to go to Florida and don't want Toshe in their house cuz Scrappy their male dog will mark everything when they get back where she has been, So although it cost us when go to a Holiday Inn express that takes small pets. Boys could not take us in either because of their lease agreement. Oh and by the way it is gonna be Fathers Day and Jeff is not happy. Stay-Cation it is not when there is a dog with you in a hotel. house is 99 degrees when we go back to get some things.

Sunday...... By the way Jeff sees his Mom every week-end 1:30 to 3 and she was not responding to anyone this week-end another bummer for Jeff as well as problems at work so phone calls Saturday evening through all day Sunday, less sleep again but we are all cool at hotel!

Monday...Air guy calls me at 9am and says he is headed to my house so grab stuff and head home after checking out. It is still 99 degrees inside....Air is fixed by 11:30 and warranty was still in effect PRAISE GOD! otherwise it would have been 14oo.00 smacker roos...Get a call from Terri they have released Wesley Dr. says not bad enough yet to do anything so they head back to Comanche to wait it out again....poor guy! by the way Terri spent her birthday and Fathers Day away from her family, the 21st is Terri ,Sherri and Jami's birthdays and every couple of years also Father's day! We are all waiting for the fun to stop....LOL....NOT! Last night at 9:30 PM we finally got to 78 degrees after it running constantly to get there and it is great to have slept in my own bed last night. Kids are having great time in Florida and hopefully no more surprises!

Tuesday .......So glad to be home cool and rested again !

I am counting the days till my class with Tim Holtz and Cheryl Darrow this coming Sunday afternoon! the 28th is coming Yipee! WooooHooo! Metal meets grunge or so I hope although anything from these two has gotta be cool.
As I finish some projects will try to post pics especially from my SBIAD and Hot Metal MOMMAS birdhouse!
Keep crafting and take care till next time!
Denise
PS ....Please pray for Wesley to not get the pain he has had before and for this to be healed or for God to show us what he wants us to do for this wonderful young guy. On the 25th Wes will be 16.

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

Fun and Learning about the Cricut Exspression!

Had a great night with three friends that are scrappers that I have meet in the last year or so! I have really been blessed with the friendship that has evolved being around each other. All are talented and fun to be around. Whitney hosted tonight at her house which is gorgeous, and fed us wonderful snacks and food, but the most wonderful part of the night would be Whitney sharing her buttons....( I am a button a holic!...) and learning to cut on the Cricut, if I had the money I would be getting one tomorrow, SO SO COOL!

Vicki and Linda got me to get a Maya Road calendar book at GASC that we are all doing together for next year and we divide the months tonight and exchanged the pages for that. I am really looking forward to the finished project this winter.

Jeff got a Good report this week at the Endocrinologist on his sugar levels after getting the new insulin pump. The old one had definitely broken with his blood sugar counts being so much better and we are having more lows than highs these days.

Well it is after 1AM so gonna get off of here and go to bed just wanted to write about my great night with friends.

Thanks Whitney for being the hostes with the mostest!....LOL by the way gonna have to go get that dressing!

Keep creating whether it be special moments or something crafty or scrappy! Till next time...

Denise

Life's moments and patience!

Well today was my last day with my Nero surgeon , Dr. Dianna Wilson....After the longest wait in the Radiology dept. for a CT Scan, got there at 12:00 For pre registered procedure and did not get into the CT room till 1:25.

Then I am told by the tech that Dr. Wilson's office has moved to the Klabzuba tower and no longer in the same building as them. Which is fine until I realize it is on the whole other side of the Harris campus maybe four blocks. By the time I get into her office it is 2:00 and time to wait again. saw her at 3:45. And to be told I am healing great and I can slowly start incorporate other exercise into daily things with slowly adding weight to what i pick up.

Got home around 4:30 and got a call from the Colonoscopy center about my biopsy and it was normal no signs of anything so still don't know what is giving me the IBS, although this is the second day of showing improvement after a couple of months.

So things are going pretty good test wise other than the patience thingy!
Hope our Lab seems to be doing a wee bit better she isn't limping right now but is hard not taking her for walks or letting her run and she is wanting to badly.

My Dh has not heard from insurance yet on his insulin pump but we are waiting and hoping for the pump guy to give us a call, that he is ready to come teach us to use it.

We also got several calls in last couple of days with hospice that looks on my DH's Mom. they are wanting to make sure we are sure about the DNR orders on her as she forgets how to eat and swallow. Mom had this in order before she got bad and for some reason the house hold that she is at never can find their copy and we have to take another one. She is still with us but she keeps going farther to the part where she can't eat. This is so hard for the last 3 years as this disease Alzheimer's takes her so far from us, with her being here still in body.

My oldest grandson is something else, literally. He ha been trying out for a solo in choir for the last couple of weeks for the last concert of the year and got the part! Yes We were so proud until at 8:30 tonight he runs into the room screaming that he forgot the concert was tonight! Yeppers he forgot , no we are trying to figure out someone who was so excited about a solo can forget in 5 hours that he had a big concert tonight! needless to say he missed this one big time!
Maybe there is something in the air today!....LOL or cry don't know which one to do about that boy. Man got kinda windy .......
keep creating and enjoy the life we are handed.
Denise

after the Colonoscopy, my lab , and DH!

Well I got thru that test and they did not find the cause of my problem. Slept alot Yesterday and felt draggy all day . and of course my problem is back full blown after each meal...But the best news is that they did not find anything like polyps or bad stuff , Now just gotta wait and see if the biopsy they took has anything come back. Otherwise will be taking some imodium which makes me sick the other way and don't want to do that .

Got pre registered for a cat scan Tuesday for the Nero surgeon to check how I'm healing. Hopefully all is well there. Neck is feeling better all the time. Turning pretty good these days all directions.

My dog Hope has a knee problem that we rushed her to the vet with the other night. Vet said it is not uncommon for dogs of large breeds such as labs. gave her meds and she is taking tramodol for pain like I did before surgery , I think that is funny. But she is feeling better now that she is on that. My poor baby girl might have to have surgery though and that is not good. She is only five and she has a bum knee.

My Dh is gonna get an Omni Pod as soon as the insurance part goes thru...I am so excited for him cuz he won't have the tubing anymore but means both of us learning to load a new machine and connecting it will be another learning curve. The technology is one of the newer right now in the Diabetes world. His endo also told him to cut back to 45 carbs a meal from 70 t0 75 and that is really throwing him the last two days, plus he is going low with the change, Hopefully the changes will get better in next couple of days for him.

well gonna go to bed so maybe I can get up and play a little in craft room tomorrow!

Hope you have a great Saturday!

Denise

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

Long time and no blog! But I WON my 1st Challenge!

Front view!

before view!

Yea ! I won my first challenge ever the other day with TenSeconds Studio's Shoe Challenge!

My third shoe my pain shoe won!

Been going to Doctor visits and trying to get some problems taken care of so it has been a while since I have blogged. gonna have a colonoscopy the 14th of this coming month and a Cat Scan from the Nero surgeon and followup on the 19th. Had my physical last week and still gotta go for mammogram.......Am I having fun yet?...LOL

DH's Insulin Pump company quite business and left a bunch of customers needing something that works! they are all quiting and having problems. And they can't get supplies anymore.

Has taken forever to get in with his endocrinologist but the 12th of next month we will see what our options are gonna be! Praying something good is out there, maybe even an Omni Pod the D- Life shows on their weekly show. something before this one says bye bye....

I know God will see us thru this but sometimes the world sneaks in and takes over with my worry wort mindset.

Looking forward to National Scrapbook day this May 2nd, gonna spend it at Create Joys crop 10 a til 10p and it is gonna be held at my church BBC....That makes me feel good that maybe some of our women will take part with Tracy's bunch of gals cuz I always have a blast at NRHBC at her crops although some signed with one in Denton and I will miss them on Saturday. but I will get to see and old friend Kristy while I am there and possibly catch up with her some.

Well will try to add some things as I get to a photo shot of things!

Until then have a Blessed Day in the Sonshine!

and keep creating!

Denise

The Doctor was in!

Today is a Praise my Father in Heaven and the guidance of surgeons hands!
I am starting today, able to take my brace off for short intervals ,and I'm gonna have to go to Physical therapy to learn to use and strengthen the muscles in the use of my new titanium plate that holds the three together but all is fusing and filling in where it was supposed, faster than Dr. Wilson thought! OH and no more ticking bone stimulator for four hours a day it gets to go BYE BYE! I have walked the length of the house without it this evening and sat in the chair with it off. Amazing how your head can feel way heavier than it is. After the Xray today Doc let me keep pics and the gkids think they look cool where you can see the plate and the screws into my bones!

Second praise Wesley is doing better day by day after last surgery it is just slow. Terri is still teaching him at home but hoping he is strong enough to go back with his peers soon~

Third praise and prayers are for my nephew Cash who was thrown from a horse and crushed his hip bone Saturday, and after about 6 hours in surgery at JPS and three plates and lots of screws and pins he is back together into one piece . And the company he was working for is gonna hold his job for the 6-12 month recovery rehab time. Cash is 20 and has no insurance so he still needs prayers and so do my brother in law and sister in law as this blended family takes him back into their house to care for him.
In His Loving caring Hands I am held!
Denise

New neck ornamentation jewelry

Today Dr office called to tell me a man named Jimmy Rodgers ( In my mind I was visualising the musician my mother used to listen to) LOL would be by to show and teach me something new for the surgery stuff.

Did not know what to expect but matches the brace and that is good since must wear it 4 hrs a day for about 3 months at this point. yippee i yi kiya don't know how to spell my enthusiasm.

Special time effects come along with it if I have phone near I tick or am on the phone can hear it. Also comes with back light for those dark days and resets itself at midnight each day during recharge. assesories included , so special!!!

better news steri strips came off and incision doesn't look bad, I really impressed with the stitches better way better than my knee surgeon..... but if weak don't look at new pic coming up!

Just thought would throw update in for you all out their in blog land, and I can not take credit for this art and jewelry unless I trick it out and have had suggestions to not, Just throw as far as can when thru with all..

Have a blessed day and keep creating!

Denise

Forgotten pics of things I finished before surgery!

This is some things I found at Michael's in their kid decor and thought they looked like paint brush and paint bottle holders to me.....Whatcha think?

covered in Ten Seconds Studio's old Red metal before I bought the new red .

Painted all with a sea foam type green then used some distress ink over some of that that wasn't papered or metaled..You can see some of the papers I used in next pic below.

The next pic is back of big bird holder....Left back of bird plain, Just did the outer box part.

Boys had been after me to finish some of the bigger items for their apartment so did it before goin under the knife.....Papers used in their cross collage...largest canvas I that was square maybe 30x30 and don't remember the dimensions of second canvas but do know wooden cross was like 4 1/2 x 6, really not sure but took rosette off of it , thought this metal cross that was white and I distressed with black to go with the rock star black metal looked more like my guys.Papers were a line from Bo-bunny I believe, but don't quote me on that.

Got to use some of http://tensecondsstudios.com new Kabuka molds on this with some cuttlebug folders added in they were really happy with it the day I had them pick up their things.

Really do like the way the cast iron cross that had been painted white looked on the wooden one once I distressed it back to some black in it.

The next item is the first class I took from Tensesconds studios and had never finished and surprised the boys with pis of their grandparents on them.

And when Cheryl was cleaning out the studio over flow and bought this old plastic sign from a store front that had silver plastic in center so pieced some molds and rock star metal for the guys to figure out where they would put it since Casey and Matt are both Cooks but then Casey's name starts with C also. Hope to go see where they have hung all their things when get to go out more.

got some other pics but they did not get the finished items to go with them so will wait. Can't wait to get back into craft room, Casey brought me Three somerset Mags to get me thinking 90 t0 nothing , and already have several things wanna try. But energy level isn't up with the speed of my mind yet.

Have a creative Day tomorrow!

and thanks for the prayers me....

PS ....Wesley is having surgery again tomorrow at Cooks Children's at 1PM We just found out tonight ..think that is why I am not sleeping yet, Not as bad as last surgery but still in brain area ....

In God's Hands

Denise

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