Bad Blogging!

Well boys and girls I have been a pretty bad blogger this year so far with all that has been going on around here. But her goes a long one! first of all last month I designed my first cards for "The Cards For the Troops" at Scrappers boutique! I had a phobia for card making till now....Made and prepped 66 cards for last month! And I am working on that and some more for this coming Sunday! two will be Father's Day again and two common like Thinking of you and maybe another Birthday! Still working on those tonight!

My first Father's day card!

Happy Birthday!

Second Father's Day card!

We have had a crazy spring thus far with invasions of nature itself in the form of Bees, Squirrels, Rats and others.......Needless to say I have not been a happy camper in my house!....MONEY MONEY MONEY! MMOOONNNEY!

Bee's were coming into our bedroom wall outside through the mortar next to the window and along the brick , these are pics after he dosed them with something to make them go away for a bit to be able to get them out of the wall.

To be kinder to my house they came into the house to get them , which means they tore at part of the sheet rock to get them, I thought that they would have to take more but wound up to be less! Whew!

The squirrels no more than an hour after cable guy came and fixed this they had it chewed again! even after metal applied over their holes that they were getting in the attic from! UGH!

Below is the wall before bees removed! All nice and intact! Also with sheet rock and paint!

Casey and I had to cover everything we thought might get sticky or that the bees might fall into!

Casey was wonderful in helping shorty me out!

This is my wonderful wall after they removed honeycomb and bees and my poor wall!

Oh by the way forgot to say Jeff my DH is deathly allergic to bee stings, The grand kids came to watch all the activity although they were closed out of the room during the capture in the BIG vacuum they had!

After most bees gone they let the boys help with some clean up and finishing of all of it! They thought that was cool , but their mom is the one that wants to get into the suit and do this! Crazy daughter of mine!

The guys telling the boys what they had been doing in the closed room!

One of the bags of honeycomb that came out of the wall.....It went from floor to ceiling but only top half was juicy with honey thank goodness!

Showing and retrieving some of the honeycomb for show and tell!

The wildlife truck portion of Orkin! and Toby and TJ!

Viewing my room from outside! The safe view! Tee Hee!

Toby showing me that they were missing the ones behind the blinds! And scaring me with his pose on top of the fence!

Honey comb in jar with some bees that were still in the honeycomb! one lived without any air in there for four days protecting the stuff!

To another topic when we got the channels and cable back Jeff was very intense with his sports and Gee decided she needed attention, getting into his lap wasn't working so......

She climbed on his shoulder and verbally started letting him know....LOL!

And decided she liked the view out the window from there much to my husbands dismay!
Well I finally had another pic taken and I am now 60 lbs lighter but still have so much more to loose! Was hoping to make one of my goals by summer but.......

Not sure the 37lbs is realistic at this point, but we will See gotta get to working out again at fitness center more regularly like I was doing in past! Just have not been as motivated before allergies started driving me crazy in our wonderful Texas spring wind and pollen season amongst other things....Well time to get into the studio and finish prepping some cards, Hope you get time to create something wonderful too!

Denise

PS...... down 5 pants sizes since starting! 30 to 20!

Weight Loss and Life!

Okay this is not the most flattering picture but I have a T-shirt that has been in a plastic bag in my studio that I was unable to get into for almost a year since orderin it! And I finally got into it a couple of weeks ago and I had the Leader of Create Joy ...Tracy Pounds snap the pic of the first time I am wearing it...Just one of my short goals in a long journey to weight loss. Last nights weight loss with last weeks adds up to -3.8 more pounds off for total thus far of -55.5 lbs lost! I will get a new pic soon of progress!

These are pics from the scrapbook in a day class I took, they are of my album I finished!

then this months Scrapstashers class ..Tracy asked for used dryer sheets, a cereal box and

T-Shirt's with words. Huh I said! but cool 2 page layout with my stuff I took to class!

The T shirts were for the words we all cut each others up. The dryers sheet made ruffles and roses and the cereal box was for the banner to use as chipboard, I will be doing this again , the flowers were so cool in whatever colors the classmates chose , we really had a variety!

Amazing what a dryer sheet some paint and glue and then stickles can make!

HaPpY BiRtHdAy to My Youngest son Casey today!

he will shoot me for posting this but he is my baby and he shouldn't wake up with bed head when he knows I do things like this!

Kinda glad he is living with us right now to celebrate his 25th BiRtHdAy today! Love you Sweet BoY!

and Happy birthday to all my sweet friends who have March birthdays......Cindy , Donna , Jacque, Hannah, and Debbie! Hope you have wonderful things in this new year!

Well till next time and me trying to be a better blogger

...Create something!

Denise

Long time and no posts!

Well it has been a long time since I have posted and not sure what has been up with me except just coping with everyday life. Lots has been going on .....The boys moved back in to tidy up some business and are rooming together in one of their old bedrooms for awhile.

Just took some great classes from Create Joy team at Anthologies, and the one I chose to share today is the Scrapbook in a day class. took it with some old friends and some new! And I am way bad on names, so very sorry if I don't post a name by classmates!

Each team at the table had a layout to work on at a time and I buddied up with my pal Linda.

We all completed our books before the day was over and it had allot of steps and techniques to accomplish as we worked on each page!

My pal Joni below was at my table also and she buddied with herself ...Just love her!

We got to play with the sewing machine again on this years class which I love doing in the books, and such fun fabrics!

Linda Meaux on the left sat across from Linda Hahn and I!

And on the table with us was Linda H's daughter old coach which so sorry cant remember her name but she really did a gorgeous job on the butterflies on her pages! Which were painted , stickled and outlined!

below is a cover in progress!!

And here is our paint station across from the sewing machine station! We even Masked and misted on pages this year!

Well the next pictures I chose to share are from the crazy Texas weather this year!

We have had more snow than I can even remember seeing around here this year. It snowed Christmas and then the record snowfall came just before Valentines Day in February which is what these were taken from.

A tree in my front yard over my car!

The grandsons snowman!

The bush by front porch!

Tyler the oldest grandsons Igloo he built!

And I have stayed faithfully on my diet although I am craving fruit and veggies bad!

these were taken at a friends birthday crop Feb 3rd, was so happy because was first time to fit into the jeans I have on....from a 30 to a 22 and I am now 51.7 less lbs as of last weeks weigh in and tomorrow am hoping for another good loss.

We all wore Lynn's favorite color pink at the crop but sadly she was sick this night and did not get to stay. She just now came back to work after having Bronchitis that went into pneumonia then pleurisy. We are all so glad to see her doing better!

Slowly the side view is getting to where it doesn't offend me as much now that it is somewhat shrinking.....LOL!

We also had pictures taken for the church directory and they arrived just a couple of days ago and here are a few of them!

this one they doctored my scar on neck out !
My dear hubby Jeff really hates getting his picture took!

But the guy was doing a good job getting him to grin! And how I love how my sweetheart looks in this one! Well I promise to really try and to get my act together and post more , and will get some picks of the projects been doing on here soon. and have some picks to post yet that need to download from the ole camera!

Till next time which should be shortly Have a good time and create something!

PS.

Lost and old friend Husky Forbes today. sadly he will be so missed but he is free of sickness pain and old age aches, because I know he is with Our Wonderful Lord and Savior at this time and loving it! He was a wonderful Christian Man who lived a good and long life and wonderful Steward of the Church! I have many wonderful memories from all the mission trips and Wednesday night suppers that I got to serve to he and Catherine!

A busy End of the Year 09 into the New 2010!

I have not posted since Toshe's death on the diet cuz I have been frustrated with ups and downs of about -.2 tenths lost ....to this last wiegh in which was +.6 tenths lbs gained. Jeff thinks it is the new exercising at 24 hour fitness that we are doing, since he let me join. Jami and I try to go 5 to 6 days out of the week. Winds up being about 5 x a week though. Trying not to get discouraged but I am off blood pressure pills now which is a $42 dollar savings a month............. ha ha ha ...which now pays for the gym!

Been freezing my tail off so these pics are with my double clothing which Jeff laughs his head off about ... dbl socks, dbl shirts, and most of the time a hoody too! and have not figured out how to double the pants or I would. When home I am under two blankets with all of that also! I know I am goofy, Jeff tells me often especially when I wear similar things to bed when I am freezing; till I can get warm; then sometimes I shed a few things....I need the old fashioned footy pajamas that were out of blanket type material.....LOL!

I am noticing inches coming off though, even if it is messing with my head to not see lbs coming off..I Start a new class on Thursdays this week and get my original educator from Harrisfast from 4 yrs ago; and I just Love Stacy and her humor! Looking forward to hearing her laugh again this coming week ..but will miss Melanie also.... she is a sweetheart!

As I promised here is some pick of our new kitty Gee. this one is with Tyler and her hanging out in my chair! Gee likes hanging out anywhere when she isn't playing!

Here she is in front of me on the coffee table chilling and watching my toes under the blanket, which she is trying to swat me with her paw!

Hanging out under the tree on my table in front of the window!

Gee has been a welcome new member to the house hold and the G kids love to play with her as well as Jeff and I!

Here are some Christmas pics from the party at my brother-in-laws house Christmas Eve!

TJ my youngest grandson My Dear sweet Husband Jeff and my youngest boy Casey!

Three Generations Matt my oldest son, Mwah, and oldest Grandson Tyler!

Cassie my Step Niece, Jami my oldest child and Jason my son-in-law!

Matt and me!

Christmas was small this year in a way but I believe we are just thankful for the family and our health more than anything and looking forward to what this new Year 2010 is going to lay in front of our paths, hopefully the Lord is gonna let it be a less bumpy ride for a month or so if we are lucky!

Have a great and fun weekend and don't forget to create something beautiful whether crafty or just a small moment in time!

Denise

Matt , Casey and I! Casey thought he would look shorter if he was on his knees.....He is 6'3" and I am 5'3" a big difference.....Matt is about 6'.....LOL My boys are wonderful as well as my whole family and I Love them greatly!

Long time!

Toby

Well I made it thru the holidays thus far staying in the box with my diet but with these pics from thanksgiving food it was not easy to do! Jami and Toby

I am not losing as fast as when I was on the program before and have kinda gotten at a standstill in the 12th week and it is irritating me because I wanted to stay on the Dr supervised part. But I have made some gains in health!
Blake and Lori
I have lost 29.8 lbs thus far and am now off my blood pressure pills. I am working out at 24 hour fitness with my daughter and getting stronger in my exercising. Jami and I laugh a lot at the gym. We also push each other which is good.

I will take another pic this week going into the 13th week and decision time for me and my educator whether I have to go ahead into phase two to protect what I have already done which is no where near a goal!

Gonna set up time with a trainer to see what he suggests at the gym because that is probably what is getting me at the standstill as hard as I have been going at it! We will see!

Have really been down for a while and had not posted when I lost Toshe...Bless her heart all her vital organs started shutting down at the same time. She is so missed but I have added a kitten after several hard weeks of missing her...Not a replacement just a new friend....More of kitty next post!
Toshe in the sunshine freezing she had lost so much weight!

More baby girl was 13 years old at the time of her death and she is left a hole in our hearts that is hard to not feel every day when I expect to see her at my side. Toshe you are so missed by the whole cook and Markle families, you were a good loyal companion , my mother in law did a wonderful job in picking you...To be a part of our lives....

I will be posting soon ...

Denise