This is me...................

I discovered a new challenge blog today called: This is me. They are challenging us to do a journal about us - a creative outlet, a place for our thoughts - nothing too deep they say - just things in our life. So I decided to jump in!! I made my journal. These girls were suggesting a spiral notebook, but I didn't have a blank one to use and wanted to get started right away. I had a full size binder with a wonderful craft cover so I decided to use that. Here's a picture of my book:

Below is my first layout from the challenge. It's about 'IMHO' or 'in my honest opinion'! So it's just a few silly thoughts - things I honestly believe!!

Thanks for looking!!

And on a different note - I have a few prayer requests for those of you who pray. First, my second cousin's daughter has been diagnosed with retinoblastoma. This is cancer of the eyes. She has lost sight in her right eye completely, and has three tumors behind that eye. Her left eye has one much smaller tumor behind it. None of the tumors have penetrated her brain, thank God for that, and the left eye has no sight loss. So with every bit of bad news, there is always something to be greatful for. After having been in their shoes - we really know what it's like to have to go into 'caregiver mode' where you have to forget about all those questions (why us, what's going to happen) and just be strong and brave for your child. So I just ask that you pray for God to give them the strength they need to be strong for Allison, who is only two, and their older daughter Jenna. Also for Allison, that she will be strong through this - physically and mentally - and she'll react the right way to treatment and hopefully will have no problems during treatment. And for big sister Jenna - who I've been told is such a little worrier - that she'll have an understanding about what is happening and know that things will be alright - her baby sister will be a survivor!!!

And - just a selfish prayer request for me and Cole. We leave tomorrow for Memphis. This is our last three month check up - we go to six months after this. Jason isn't able to go with us this time. He just started a new job and starts grad school wednesday night. So, I'm on my own for all the yucky stuff. My cousin is going with me - so at least we'll have some company - that's a HUGE help. But I'm stick with the IV stick and the MRI. If the IV stick goes well (which it never does) then the MRI will be fine. If the IV stick doesn't go well (which is what will probably happen) then the MRI will be bad because they'll have to do the gas mask (which Cole's calls the potty mask - it looks like a potty seat) and Cole hates it hates it hates it. So either way - there's a yucky thing that's going to happen. I haven't been back with Cole for an MRI since Cole's first one at St. Jude. So, I would love some prayers for my patiences and for the nurse that has to do the IV. Also, prayers for clear scans and some growth!!! Growth is expected - but I'm hoping for a good amount! I'll update whenever I know something!

And thanks for the prayers!

lisa

Another Challenge!!!

I love a challenge - I love being given an idea of something to scrap about or a sketch to actually scrap! Fun stuff! So over at Scrap Etc. Mary issued a challenge to scrap a body part - like your hands and the jobs they do, or how they are important to you, your child's hands, etc. Well first I thought about my hair - because lets face is it's curly and wild and crazy and probably worth a scrapbook page - BUT I saw another challenge issued about scrapping your ink - your tattoos! So since I have one - I thought I would scrap it! Combine the two challenges!!

So here it is - the first one is a little blurry though!

Thanks for looking - just wanted to share today!!

lisa

Another fun little goodie!

I couldn't think of anything to make my mom for her birthday!! So I was searching the gallery at Scrap Etc. for altered items. I was hoping for make some coasters, but what I tried didn't really work - so those are still a work in progress!! But I saw this and thought it as doable. I hope my mom likes it! Here's a few pictures - oh and she doesn't do the internet, so I'm safe posting it a day before she gets it! :)

Thanks for looking! Going to find something to do - - - -

lisa

Another class, Another mini album......

This class was so fun! I went to Scrap Etc. Saturday and took a class called Get Creative with Music. It was based on the Brad Paisley song "She's Everything". Very cool class, wonderful song, and I have a great mini album to show for it! The materials for the album were so great - things I had never thought of - things that sparked new ideas in my mind! That's always a good thing. This class wasn't as big as the first Get Creative class I took and I got there early and had the chance to sit and chat with girls I just know online and am slowly getting to know in real life. So it's was great all the way around!! Want to see my album? It's really really cute! And not because I made it - but because Shelley is wonderful and her class was great. Plus I had a really cute subject to scrap about. Here's the pics!! Oh - the album is clear - so there are glares on a few pictures! And there are lots of pictures!!

Well, that's all - took forever huh? I haven't done anything else scrapish lately. But I have some things in mind that I want to do and a few things I need to finish!

Thanks for looking! Gotta run!

lisa

My SOY adventure!

I was working like crazy in May on this SOY contest (Scrapbooker of the Year). I knew I wasn't as good as previous winners - but thought the contest would challenge me. So I decided to do it. I did 12 brand new layouts and included 8 layouts I had already completed and sent them in. I also had to write an essay describing my perfect day! So here's my layouts and my essay is at the bottom! Just wanted to show off a bit I guess - even though I didn't get the call - I still feel like I did good work! For me, it's more about the store I want to tell, than whether others like my work, but it's nice to be liked too!! :)

My Ideal Day

It seems a little silly for me to describe my ideal day when I’ve enjoyed so many already in my life: the day I was married, the day my son was born, or the day I graduated from college (which was just this year). Then there was August 21st, 2004, the day before my son started showing strange symptoms that would eventually lead to the diagnosis I feared the most – a cancerous brain tumor. Or it could be the day he became cancer free. An ideal day? Well, now that I think about it, this really may be easy.

An ideal day in my world three years ago would probably have included a shopping spree for my son, husband and me. That spree would have included fancy cars, toys, a new home filled with the best of everything and scrapbook supplies I’ve only dreamed of. Just a winning lottery ticket and I would be there. But now, an ideal day for me seems like something that sadly, I may never see in my lifetime. Something I pray to see. Something I pray for the whole world to see.

My ideal day would be a day where no child has cancer, a day where the halls of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital are empty. There are no wheelchairs, wagons, or strollers being pushed around with sweet little bald headed passengers. No beeping IV pumps or toxic chemotherapy drugs flowing into someone’s veins. No children or families questioning God as to why this has happened to them. No one hanging on to all they have with HOPE. As much as I love and respect the very foundation that is this hospital, I wish the nurses, doctors, administrators and child life specialists were jobless. As clean of a place the hospital is, on my ideal day, there would be cobwebs and dust a mile high.

I know that this day is far, far away and I may never see it. I know that many parents have hoped and prayed for the same thing. I know that each day of my life I will be thankful that my child survived and heartbroken for the children that haven’t or won’t. I know that I’ll do whatever I can in the future to raise money and awareness. I know that with my help, and the help of people I reach out to, my ideal day has a better chance of coming true. I know that because of the research my son was a part of that some other little boy may not have to go through quite as much. I know that there was another little boy before mine that helped to make his life better.

So maybe instead of holding out for this ideal day, I’ll keep remembering how lucky I am to have each and every day here with my son. I’ll be thankful for the part he has played in cancer research. I will be grateful to the parts other children played before him. I will do as much as I can to work toward this ideal day. I will live life to the fullest and enjoy each moment as it comes. And if I ever win the lottery by chance, I won’t go shopping, at least not until after I give a huge chunk of it to pediatric cancer research. I would love to see my ideal day come true. Even if it doesn’t benefit my own child, think of all the sweet babies that would be running around with a head full of hair who would not even know what the word cancer meant. That is my ideal day – a world with no cancer.

So, I didn't win, but I did do so great pages and wrote about something important! And now I have 12 new layouts to show off! Actually - 13 - here's one I just did this morning for ScrapJacked - check it out!

Cole thinks it's funny to chase the flash when I take pictures. The bad thing is the flash happens right before the picture takes - so I get a lot of pictures with arms in the air - hands flailing about! But he's so cute - once he finishes that, I end up with a really great smile and the perfect picture!! I'm so lucky he's mine!

lisa