My Favorite Cowboy

So here's the next Sketchy Thursday Sketch! I'm posting late...trying to catch up. You have till next 10/7 11:59 pm EST to link up!

I chose to scrap more photos from Gabe's 1st Birthday. We had a cowboy-themed birthday party and his birthday fell on Thanksgiving in 2007. F-U-N!

Oh! And the sponsor is SCRAP FREAK! So, get FREAKY, and check out the forum and store! The DT is AMAZING! Prices are great and the price of shipping is excellent! Love that place!

I used one of the canvas tags made by Jessi! Want one? Let her know and she'll probably be able to custom make more! Contact her on her website or Etsy: Krafty Kates.

This one's a quickie! I'm working on one of those layouts I can't wait to share! It's for Scrap That Poetry! Yup! The FIRST CHALLENGE IS UP! So.....CHECK IT OUT!

Thanks for swinging by! By the way, what's the weather like where you live? Here in Bothell, Washington, it's been drizzly on and off. It's not too cold outside and I love it! Overcast skies....loving it today! Call me crazy!

Hugs,

Mo

Ummmmmm....I'll take TREAT!

If you haven't heard already, Sketchy Thursdays is having a Second Chance Challenge!!! This is the first....so that means there will be MORE! Woooohooo! The sponsor is The Scrapbook Kit Club! And they're giving away a Halloween Kit for this challenge! Can you say....BO BUNNY AND PINK PAISLEE??? Wowza! And they will be sponsoring more of these Second Chance Challenges! You got till 10/4 to link up at Sketchy Thursdays.

I mixed some old and new supplies for this page! I LOVE those glittered letters! They come in different sizes....I don't know why, but I have a hard time making my letters straight. I guess it's the little kid in me that's gotta do things a little wonky!

I used a Signo Gel Pen to write the "trick or treat, smell my feet" song around the borders.

I love so many candies, but I was able to get photos of candy corn and fruity tootsie rolls! Each year I raid the kids' stash of candies and pull out some of these suckers for myself! THAT'S RIGHT! They know they gotta give up some of the goods to Mommy cuz all that candy can be damaging to the teeth...so I gotta help em out, right?

I popped up most of the die cuts to add some fun to the layout.

And I love that cool rub on! So....how many of you Mommies are dressing up for Halloween? I am! I usually do! The kids love it! But so do I! I honestly can't remember a year I DIDN'T dress up...I think it was the years I was pregnant with the babes cuz by October I was big as a whale (my babies were November and December babies). But I'm pretty sure all the other years I was all decked out!

My sisters dress up every year too....they're 21 and 30...he he! Emmy, the older one says she's gonna dress up with her girlfriends and they're gonna be....get this.....THE GOLDEN GIRLS! That girl is crazy, I swear!

Wanna see some Halloween photos last year? CLICK HERE! Some of them are real cute!

Well, I'll try to post again before the weekends over! I just got some beads from the store and I'm gonna be beading up a storm tonight! I got TONS of bracelets to make for Christmas! As always, thanks for stopping by and visiting!

Hugs,

Mo

Giving you the BIRDIE!

OKAY, I'M A GEEK! But you all should know that by now! Here's the BIRDIE! Ain't she cute?

Hey all! It's been a few days! Last Friday I was kinda feeling something coming on. And I was sick as can be by Saturday night and slept in bed all day Sunday after staying home from work. Then had to manage a 13 hour day Monday followed by another 6 hour shift today. My body has HAD IT and is kinda fighting off the sickness again. Ugh.

But it's been too long, and I have to share this card I did for Sketchy Thursdays! I was absolutely honored with a Guest Design Spot for the month of October with my FAVE challenge site! SKETCHY THURSDAYS!! How cool is that? So I've got some nummy sketches to play with!!! Too fun!

The newest sketch is MY MOST FAVORITEST EVER! I love it so! This card was too fun to make! Of course, I had to throw in my favorite color...turquoise! It seemed to bring the whole thing together after staring at the beautiful patterned papers I wanted to work with. I loved these papers from Basic Grey Porcelain line! Gorgeous! Especially if you're fond of birdcages! I got to use my current favorite stamp set called Chic Boutique! The set comes with the greeting I also used and a few other totally cute images! LOVE IT!

So play along with us and take advantage of this awesome sketch! Post your creation by Wednesday night! CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS. Also, check out the sponsor of this sketch, A Scrappy Design Etsy Shop.....sooooo coool!

Before I jump into other fun stuff, here's a supply list:

supplies: pp Porcelain - Villeroy, Silver Birch and Rosenthal by Basic Grey, Opaline half pearls by Basic Grey, rhinestone brad by Stampin' Up!, turquoise lace by May Arts, rub-ons - Olio by Basic Grey, cream and pink card stock (unknown manufacturer), turquoise DSP (retired design) by Stampin' Up!, Tempting Turquoise Classic Stampin' Pad by Stampin' Up!, Tarragon Classic Crest Cover Paper by Neenah Paper, Fabric Fancies floral embellishement in Coppermine by Prima, turquoise flower from Calypso Tin floral embellishments in Mento Pastel by Prima, Chic Boutique Stamp Set by Stampin' Up!


Look at these cute cutie patooties! The one closest to the camera is my nephew Samual and my little Gabe is next to him. We were in the car on the way to ride the choo choo train over at this antique shopping mall near my house called Country Village.

This was Samual's first train ride. Gabe's been there a few times already and always begs to go. So, my brother-in-law and I headed over with our two rascals to have some fun.

Here's Samual saying "Ahhhhh youuuuuuu!" Look at those cute lips!

I had to take another photo of it.....I love pinching those cheeks!

Here's my Gabe saying "Chugga chugga choo choo!"

Samual and my B.I.L. Cham. (The one who takes most of the cool photos you see on my layouts.)

Here I am! Yes, I'm actually in a photo!

And here's my beautiful Isabel on her first day of school.

Another shot of her cute smile!

She just had to have this "I Carly" t-shirt (her fave show). It's actually pretty funny and I watched one of the newest episodes Saturday and was laughing my pants off! The show is awesome! The cast is ADORABLE! I'm a new fan!

Well, I'll hopefully be back tomorrow to share again! Hope you all had a great weekend! I've got 5 DAYS OFF! Yay me!

Hugs,

Mo

Sassy Jewelry!

I've been creating for my MoMoStamper Etsy Store! I'm making lots of these sassy suckers to give away as gifts to my friends and nieces! This one's called Audrey.....that's my middle name.

Every time I make one....I wanna keep it!!!! LOL! This one's my fave! It's called Emmy (after my sis). I love the charms on this one!

Isabel like this one the best...so I named it after her. I'm going to make a smaller version for her and will also be adding more smaller sizes ideal for the little girls!

This one is the Krystal Wrap Bracelet....love those stones! It's named after my youngest sister.

I'm trying to get a feel for what styles people like (so i can make more of them), so if there's one you like the most...let me know! I would really be greatful for your insight!! Thanks everyone for your love and support!

Ooooooohhhhhh.....and check out the announcement today on Sketchy Thursdays!!!!! Giggle giggle. The next sketch should be up! This one's one of my faves!!!! Well done, Diana! Mosey on over and say hello to the lovely Diana and Heidi as well as the amazing ST DT!!! You guys soooo rock!

I'm also trying to create the listings for a buncha cardboard embellies I made.....funners!!!! So, stay tuned!

Likey?

Hugs,

Mo

Remembering the Butterflies.....sigh

He he...I get the giggles remembering how goofy my Hubby and I were in the beginning. I remember the butterflies in my stomach. That's what inspired this layout, along with the September layout to-be-jacked (by Vanessa) at Scrapjacked. Finally, I got to play along with these awesome gals!!!

There I am...goofy in love. Luke and I actually met a year prior to dating...both in different relationships. Then one day, everything was in line...and things happened..and they happened quickly. I remember the very first time I laid eyes on him. There wasn't anything super special like an instant attraction. I just remember that day for some reason and I remember looking at him. I was working as a bank teller and he was new. A week or 2 later, we met and worked together. Still no instant attraction...just a mutual like and respect for each other. I thought he was a nice guy. At the time, I had an affinity for jerks...so, of course, I wasn't instantly attracted to this nice guy...he he!

Anyway, about a year later the stars aligned and it was our time. I little over a year after that...we were married. And I'm gonna be geeky and say, one day I looked at him...and I just knew.

Well, here we are over 8 years later with 2 kids. Things are great...challenging at times...but I've accepted the fact that marriage is a challenge and definitely not as easy as I thought. You know how you can just unleash your worst at the ones you love the most???? Sometimes I'm such an ogre to this guy! Don't let the sweet smile fool you, I'm sure I can be a real you-know-what!

Bless this man for putting up with me! I was struck by a part of a poem I read and I used it for my journaling. It reminded me of that time in my life when I was drunk with love! It's so nice to remember and a good reminder of how lucky I am.

I used my August Kit from Simply Obsessed. Love that kit! Love em all! The kits are so in-sync with my tastes....girly, modern and vintagey...everything I love! My wallet has been resisting a new subscription...but I give in...because the October kit is awesome!!!!!

I was so relieved that this vinyl rub on worked out in the end. I was holding my breath the whole time!!!! First, it seemed to get lost in all the pattern because of the color...but then I added the Distressed Stickles and then the....BAM!...happened...you know what I mean? The feeling you have when you know it worked out.

I added more of it to the chip board letters. Me LOVE it!!!!

Well, there's my love story! Today is my Saturday, so I hope to blog visit and forum chat as well as scrap and read a little from book 4 of The Black Dagger Brotherhood books!

Tomorrow I go to the dentist.....GRIMACE!!!! Wish me luck! Lets just say....I love candy and all that is sugary and bad for my teeth!!! Have a good week lovely ladies!

Hugs,

Mo

textured card stock Bazzil, pp by Lily Bee - French Couture (Tailored, Handmade and Paris), chip borad alphabet - worn grid by Scenic Route, die-cut journaling tag - collage cuts - knave of hearst by Collage Press, butterfly stickers - by Brenda Walton - Dollhouse Florals by K & Company, twill teal ribbon by May Arts, chip board butterflies - Madeline Butterfly by Brenda Walton for K & Company, leaf pin by Maya Road, 1 cream vinyl damask - Crystal Brown Crafts, buttons by Foof Ala, yellow ink by Clearsnap, Distress Stickles in Antique Linen by Ranger, white sequins

Sketchy Thursdays in my Subconscious!

Did I say that right??? Sketchy Thursdays in my subconscious...or is it subconsciousness....oh well, I'm not known for great grammar....part of growing up in Hawaii speaking Pidgin, I guess. I cannot break myself from the habit of saying things like "Did you want me to take the patient to X-ray now?" (I work at a Urgent Care Clinic...caught myself saying this the other day.) I should be using the word "do" instead right? There's more, I'm sure...but I probably don't even realize it. Did you wanna see the layout? He he!

But let me get to the point....I created this layout a couple of days ago. Then yesterday, I thought...I should get to the ST sketch and work on it....and as I looked at the sketch closely...I realized...oh! Okay, well I used the sketch and didn't realize it! You have till Wednesday to link up...they've got a Flickr Group as well!!! Yay! CLICK HERE to get the details.

Ha ha! Can you believe it? Wowza! I was done with the ST challenge and didn't even know it!

But I originally created this layout for the prompt over at Point Blank Period. Their first challenge is up...Challenge #1 is called "Let It Go" I FINALLY broke into the kit I won from Maryangella's blog a few months ago!!!! CLICK HERE to see the kit I won from Paper Niche.

Here's the JOURNAL PROMPT: Let go of your comfort zones what do you think holds you back from being a better person ... or are you already exploding to the new and better you?

Here's the link to the challenge: http://pointblankperiod.org/2009/08/pb-1-let-it-go.html

Confession, I don't like looking at myself under a microscope....I don't like looking at my own flaws...but I very much appreciate all the idiosyncrasies in other people! It's what makes them different and I tend to get along with a variety of personalities. Anyway, my point is...I know I need to better myself as a person, but I'm not sure why I avoid dwelling on what I need to improve. So, I jumped into this project and am pleasantly surprised. I'm hoping to keep a journal focusing on what I'd like to improve on and scrapping about it and hopefully looking back in a year to see what I've changed! Again, I'm amazed at what scrapping can do in someones life...truly amazed.

I'M AN INSPIRED MESS....INDEED!

I ended up journaling on some library cards (theschoollocker.com) and tucked them into a pocket I created behind the photo. I think I wanted to "hide" it there...not comfortable writing it in the open. But I know I would share the journaling with you all anyway....I can't figure my thinking...can you?

The journaling reads:

Hmmm. What holds me back from being a better person? Definitely my MESSINESS! Don't get me wrong...I LOVE things neat. But getting them neat and keeping them that way is sooo hard! Hand in hand with my messiness is my other weakness....PROCRASTINATING! I wait & wait & stall & try to escape in daydreams or other more entertaining things...until next thing I know, that deadline passes by...or I miss that appointment...or the original purpose for my focus...just kind of gets forgotten! An then I think..."What ever happened to that cool project I had?" Instead of writing it down I told myself to remember....things get forgotten because my MANY great ideas go unacknowledged because I was too lazy to find a pen to write them down...or I tell myself "If it's important enough, I'll remember it"...um...and I KNOW FULL WELL how AWFUL my memory is! Ugh! I frustrate myself! GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER MO!

I wrote in some qualities I'd like to improve on: disorganized, messy, unfocused, daydreamer, escape....

This layout got me thinking....

So, I think this will be an early start on some New Years resolutions for me!

Off the top of my head, other resolutions:

1) Review my Nursing Book....I'm VERY RUSTY! When a patient has to explain the physiology of his irregular heart rate (Atrial Flutter) to you....it's TIME TO REVIEW! He was such a nice man to refresh my memory.

2) Clean out my closet (there's bunch of junk in boxes....do I really need 2 boxes of yarn????)...I don't even knit anymore!

3) Learn how to cook more dishes (FYI....I don't cook a lot.) It's such a blow to my ego, I think that's why I avoid it if I can....Hubby cooks. Boy do I love man who can cook! And I fell in love with him BEFORE I knew this! (He was Mr. Mom when I was in nursing school and Bel was just a wee lil baby. I couldn't have done it without him!) Anyway, my mom keeps of buying me recipe books for Christmas (which is sweet, but kind of hurts...she's a phenomenal cook).

4) Go through my old stuff in storage at Mom and Dad's house. (Yikes! I'm scared of spiders!)

I'm still thinking of what else to add to this list.

And because I've always got to put a positive "stamp" on things, I HAD to make myself feel better with this corner stamp (Heidi Swapp) of positive qualities about myself that make me feel real good! And to comfort myself, I've also thought of what I HAVE accomplished this year!

Here are some resolutions I've fulfilled

1) Read more books. So far this year, I've read 14....giggle giggle...all Vampire Novels! LOL! Yes, it includes the Twilight series which started it all!

2) Donated 7 large garbage bags of clothes (cleaned out the garage).

3) Saw the dentist....YIKES...I'll leave it at that. Let me quote him "Two years is too long." Hmmmmm.....not sure I like him (He's new, I picked a new Dentist)......I hate being reminded about things I know....gets under my skin. Maybe it took 2 years because I DIDN'T LIKE MY LAST ONE!!!! One dentist (years ago) actually RESTED HIS ELBOW ON MY FOREHEAD while checking my teeth....all the while talking to the dental hygienist/tech....NEVER to me. Yah, one visit was enough...I shoulda cut that visit short by leaving!

4) Spent more time outdoors with the kids. Now that Gabe's older, I'm not so panicky when he's climbing up the slide/jungle gym. (I have anxiety attacks watching OTHER people who are high in the air...even on tv).

5) Scrapbooked TONS more this year thanks to meeting new blog buddies and finding all kinds of challenge websites!

I've been busy! I feel better! Wow! Lots of Mo thoughts in this post! Sorry! Remember, it's like my diary!

Hope you guys can play along with these prompts! There's still time! I hope to do some scrapping later! I've been up since 4 am....couldn't sleep...nothing bad keeping me up...just lots of activity in my brain....lotsa buzzing! Lots of plans!

Enjoy your weekend friends! Thanks for visiting and commenting and supporting! Love you all!

Hugs,
Mo

CS Bazzil, ribbon May Arts, buttons Blumenthal Lansing Co., Shimmerz Spritz (4 Leaf Clover), adhesive chipboard - Early Bird - Cosmo Cricket, pp Cosmo Cricket - Early Bird - Sunrise, library card by theschoollocker.com, thickers - jewelry box - American Crafts, jet black Staz On ink, white eyelet brad by Making Memories, red rhinestones Mark Richards, red rhinestone button Jenni Bowlin, corner stamps - emotion - Heidi Swapp, pretty poppies eboxy clips by American Leaves, Pigma Micron 03 black pen by Sakura

inspired mess

Here's my Sketchy Thursday entry for the week! I've been busy creating stuff!....you'll see! I've been a busy bee! And let's just say my scraproom is an "inspired mess"!!!!! That was one of the phrases I used to describe my Gabe....who is a lot like his Mommy! Poor guy!

What's Mommy like? Well, she's messy, easily distracted, emotional, passionate, loud, weird, creative, loves to sing, though messy we have weird things we are particular about (clean nice clothes, special collections no one can touch always kept nice and neat, no sticky fingers yuck!), and we like to be fed...but don't really like to cook! Okay those are the weird things about us!!! But we're both charming, loveable, sympathetic, and caring. Even though Gabe has inherited some of my not so great traits...he's also inherited some good ones too.

The phrases used on the layout:
"big hug giver"
"a kindred spirit"
"inspired mess"
"figuring it out as we go"

The giveaway today at Sketchy Thursdays are goodies from Precocious Paper!!!! This is one of my new discoveries...courtesy of Diana over at ST!!!! Check out Tessa's Etsy store, it's sooooo coooooool!

Um....those black and white chipboard fabric frames ARE MINE!!!! MINE MINE MINE!

Okay! Hope you all have a wonderful week! Thanks again for visiting me!!!!

Hugs!!!!!

Mo

Stampin' Up!(ribbon, kraft card stock, stamp), American Crafts, Foof ala (buttons), Basic Grey, Chatter Box, Prima (flower), Tsukineko (watermark pad), Ranger (liquid pearls)

Stamp set: Wanted (Stampin' Up!)circular stamp was stamped in VersaMark (watermark ink)

Magnifique! The Real Deal! One-Of-A-Kind You!

You know how you have your favorite layouts? Well, I must say, right now this is mine. It's very girly...but so is my Isabel...so it works!

Here's the journaling. I wanted a journaling box, so I painted on some white (Spotlight) scrapbook paint by Making Memories.

I had lots of fun with rub-ons. Placed one on the ribbon border and in the journaling box. I also hand cut the word "magnifique" from some K & Co. printed paper (Madeline - Sheer Bliss).

K & Co. also made some coordinating chipboard (the butterfly) which I embellished with some beautiful pearls!

I created a felt flower with my Sizzix die cutting machine and added 2 gorgeous flowers (Prima) to make my pretty flower cluster.

Here's a close-up of that adorable butterfly.

I love this layout because the print on the butterfly reminded me of my Grandmother who past away long ago. The print is not one I would normally choose, but I gravitated towards it at my LSS and this layout brings together two people who are so very precious to me (Isabel and Grandma Idad).

My heart aches every time I think about how I wish they could have met. And I am hit with the realization right now that it's because Isabel reminds me of her! Wow! Wow! I can't believe I just realized this! Freaky! Okay....crying now!

Okay! Now for some super cool news! You know how I'm a Sketchy Thursday lunatic? Well...you're in for a treat! I guess Diana became a little overwhelmed by ST's popularity...so NOW IT HAS IT'S OWN SITE on SketchyThursdays.Blogspot.com! That's not all! If you don't already know, it's kinda a launch week, so there's lots of happenings in the next couple of weeks....like....PRIZES! Lots and lots of prizes (click on this link for more info)! So, mosey on over there, become a follower and enter starting Monday! Enter this weeks contest while you're at it!

Every week's ST sketch is like my homework and is actually on my "to do" list!!! It's 6:30 am right now on Sunday and I'm ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT waiting for the DT reveal! How exciting!!!! Congrats to whoever won....I suppose, you know who you are! And I'm sure it is well-deserved because the ST talent is AH----MAZING! I can't wait can't wait! Hurry Diana! Post it already!

It's funny when people ask me at work "What are you doing over the weekend?" This weekend, for example, I REALLY SAID in my head "Waiting for the Sketchy Thursday Design Team to be revealed." But I know they won't get it, so I just answer with the generic "Oh. Same old stuff."

Well, thanks for visiting today! Sorry my post have been few...but wouldn't you know it, I finished the True Blood series and I got sucked into yet another Vampire Novel!!!! I finally made my way to The Black Dagger Brotherhood!!! Yowza! Let's just say, it was in the Romance section (eyebrow eyebrow)! I finished the first book, Dark Lover (author is J.R. Ward). Loved it! So, if you are in Twilight withdrawal, I highly suggest one or both series.....but remember...it's more ADULT than Twilight was! You get me?

As always, thanks for your sweet comments! I'll be making my blog visiting rounds this morning!!! Hopefully things start to calm down for me after the whole first day of school excitement and I can get some more blogging time in!

Ciao!

Mo

Summertime Girl - Sandy Shores Collection by My Mind's Eye, Madeline - Sheer Bliss by Brenda Walton for K & Co., Dainty Doilies by Artifacts Inc. (Michael's), Sundress Heirloom Trim (pink ribbon) - Laundry Line Collection by My Mind's Eye, rub-ons by Kelly Panacci Inc., Addie (green ribbon) - Noteworthy Collection by Making Memories, Floral Embellishments by Prima, Madeline Butterfly Chipbox - Brenda Walton for K & Co., Clusters Crystal's (pearls) by Mark Richards, Recollections Rhinestone Stickers by Michael's, Clear Cuts Frames & Titles - Sharon Ann Baby Safari Collection - Girl by Little Yellow Bicycle, Scrapbook Colors - Spotlight by Making Memories, Colorbox Fluid Chalk Inkpad - Dark Brown by Clearsnap

Geeky High School Photo of Mo!

Here's another layout from ME...your Sketchy Thursday Addict!!!! You have till midnight tonight to send your entry...if you miss it, don't worry, cuz there will be a new one tomorrow! I used my August Kit (Lillybee Designs) from Simply Obsessed. I'm loving their kits! I have yet to break into my September kit! It's got TURQUOISE in it!!!!

I actually finished this layout last Friday but have been sooooo busy getting ready for Isabel's first day of school! Yep, can you believe how late she started?

Ugh! I was soooooo frustrated trying to figure out the bus route she was supposed to take! In the end, I drove around this morning asking all the parents at several bus stops around my house what schools the kids were going to. Can you believe that there were 4 bus stops about a block away from our house in all directions...and not one of them were for her school? And I could see more bus stops even further down the street!

I have NO IDEA how she ended up at the school she's at when all the other kids in the neighborhood are divided between 2 different schools! Oh well, we like the school a lot....except for the fact that we never know what class she's assigned to until a few days prior to school starting. It seems other schools seem to be more informed. Ugh! I hate not knowing things...then scrambling last minute to figure it out! And I hate it more when it's not due to my own procrastinating!

Okay done ranting!

I've been doing a lot of rub-ons lately! I think because I want to break out my liquid pearls!!! It's soooo gratifying when the last thing I do is add the liquid pearls...it's soooo final...so complete! The whole "bloop....bloop...bloop" (yes, I make sound effects) and then the tapping so that the thick liquid flattens out. LOVE IT!

I have concerts too. Yes, I sing while I scrap....and loud too...not so much in the shower....singing while scrapping is my thing!

In the layout, I used one the photos I took Senior Year. And I took a picture with one of my best friends, Allen.

Okay, ready for the close up of the geeky outfit? Aaaaaaah! Look at all those flowers! Ugh...flower print over load!! I don't know what the heck got into me, but I picked this outfit and was sooo excited to wear it! Why couldn't I have picked something cute like my friend Al? She's so purdy in her pretty dress and her curls! I also chose to have bangs....ugh...looks like I've got helmet head! Hey, I was trying something different.....nope, didn't work out too great. Oh well, now I can look back and laugh.

Well, hope you enjoyed the photo! This one had been hidden...for a long.....LONG time. I found it and HAD to scrap it!

Allen, if you're reading this, BOY I MISS THE FUN! I'm so bad at keeping in touch....forgive me!!!! Allen and I were also partners in tennis.....sooooo fun! I will have to scrap some photos of me on the tennis team!!!! Aaaaah! Nostalgia!

Well, I hope to be able to blog once more before the week is done!

Hugs,
Mo

My Sweet Girl

Happy Saturday everyone!!! I forgot to share this one...I've realized that there are more layouts out there I have yet to photograph!!!

This was one of my last layouts for my Guest DT term at Scrap Freak. This layout was part of

a challenge inspired by an ad. If you want to check it out, CLICK HERE and maybe you'll be inspired!

The ad is from "girleffect.org" and there is a quote that says "change starts with a girl". This creation is an interpretation of that ad...and boy did my girl change my life in many ways.


Journaling reads:

My life would have been different if you left me that day. I may live each day with guilt and fear...but at least I never take for granted every single day I have with you.

Love, Mommy

So, I've been trying to scrap not only the happy things...but the not so happy. This is a reminder of a life lesson which has impacted my life in many ways....a little negatively...but definitely mostly positively...I'll explain.

For those of you that may not yet know...the story is, my daughter had an accident at the age of 2. She survived a 15 foot fall from our second story window and landed on the concrete driveway. It was something I never thought could happen. The doctors said it happens more often than people think.

We have low windows, and the bottom of the window came up to about Isabel's neck at the time. This I explained to the doctors who said that she must have peered over the window and toppled right over or somehow climbed up onto the window sill.

Isabel was out of my sight for only a few minutes. We have a loft upstairs and that's where her toys are. When I walked upstairs to check on her, I was hit with an awful feeling. You know, that horrible feeling that something is VERY WRONG. It was quiet...much too quiet when you have a chatty two-year-old. I reached the top of the stairs and saw the door to my brother-in-law's bedroom was open. (The previous day was extremely hot.) Then, I remembered the window was open when I came home from work earlier. I drew closer to the bedroom and to my horror, the screen was gone. I realized that one of my biggest nightmares had come true. I started screaming uncontrollably and didn't stop until I had Isabel in my arms.
I screamed so loud that the construction workers 2 blocks away heard me and called 911. The ambulance took her there (they thought it wasn't a good idea for me to be in the ambulance, so hmmmm....it was a good idea for me to DRIVE THERE...oh well, they meant well). My neighbor was so kind to drive my husband and I to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. My daughter's care was exceptional and the man running the CT scanner saw my grief and looked into my eyes and told me not to beat myself up too much over what happened....I really needed to hear that.
Many doctors saw her to make sure all areas were "all clear"...a pediatrician, and ear nose and throat specialist, an opthalmologist...maybe some others. But there were at least two of those doctors who took the time to remind me that it was an accident...they meant well, but that wouldn't stop the guilt.
Miraculously, other than a badly bruised right eye, a couple scars, and an orbital fracture which healed on its own...there was nothing else wrong.

Isabel is nearly 7 now, and the vivid flashbacks which used to make me cry and cringe are much less frequent. I still feel panicky when my children stand or sit next to a window...either closed or open. I developed a fear of flying and my fear of heights got more pronounced to the point that I can't even watch someone on tv who is in a building looking down without feeling sick to my stomach and on the verge of a pannick attack.

Isabel doesn't remember what happened, thankfully. I feel guilty every day...and comments from certain unnamed family members (let's just say, not any of my blood relatives) have cemented that guilt. Hmmmm....I suppose feeling guilty every day for the rest of my life was not punishment enough...I needed a shaking head and look that said "bad Mo" to remember as well. Thanks for the visual...yes...THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.

So the point of this awful story? Sooo sorry to tell it, but you had to understand what happened to make sense of the journaling. And also I wanted to say, that I have been guilty of the head shaking (prior to Isabel's accident) when I heard on the news that a kid fell out of a window. I wondered why that child's parent's didn't prevent it....now I know...and now I understand that I shouldn't judge because I don't know what really happened. And I try not to judge when I hear an awful story on the news and remember that accident's happen to children of the most watchful parents. Leave the judgement to God, right? I'm sure the parent will punish themeselves enough.

But I've got some uplifting news to share!!!! Diego (my doggy nephew) pulled through!!! He's still weak (it's been a week since he was discharged from the hospital) but he's better. He's on some medication for his stomach and some antibiotics. It seems that he might have gotten into something that did not agree at all with his stomach (to put it mildly). He's a little bitty Chihuaua, so it didn't take much for him to become dehydrated to the point of near death when my father found him. He's a picky eater too...so that didn't help him at all...he just got more and more dehydrated. My poor poor baby Diego!!! Boy, if I thought that little guy was spoiled before....wow, he's really spoiled now! He get's shuttled to his "great-grandparent's" house and picked up after his grandma or mommy get's home from work. I offered to babysit, but he REALLY doesn't like hanging out with Gabe, my toddler!!!! Yay! Yay! I'm so relieved he's home!

Thank you for all the prayers and blessings and support! You guys are awesome and I so love reading your comments. Thank you for taking the time to visit and comment...and making my day!

Okay, another more peaceful share.....I came across a cool song on YouTube with a nice message. It's called "My Constant" and its written and sung by a great artist, Bridget Hermano (from Seattle). Go Seattle! Go Philippines!! He he!!!

What's the song about? Bridget leaves this quote:

Hebrews 13:8

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

If you'd like the lyrics, CLICK HERE. It's in the video description.

Have a wonderful weekend my friends!!!!

Hugs,
Mo