Would You Have Missed This?

These are pictures I took yesterday when I drove the girls and I to Estes Park to see these friends. Yes, I drove the van into the mountains. Why would I drive? Because my hubby didn't want to go.

Here's a bit of the backstory. That very nice looking lady is my friend Kelly, who lives in CA. We met when we were in KINDERGARTEN! Yep, that's right, I've known her longer than just about anyone else. We were in a few grades together, then her family moved to a city about 45 minutes away after the 5th grade. That might have been the end of our friendship, but it wasn't. We actually kept in touch! We'd write to each other, and call and plan sleep-overs. I was in her wedding when she married her hubby,Joel, and she was in my wedding. I'm that tall kid in brown's godmother and she's the girls "Auntie" Kelly. She had her oldest son 10 days after my mother passed away and flew out here to be here when I had Amy-that's actually the last time we saw each other. Seven years ago!

When she told me the family was planning a road trip, staying at their timeshare places along the way, and one was in Estes Park (about 1 1/2 hours from where we live) we made plans for us to spend the weekend together. Then I broke my ankle! Just about the only tears I shed were those that fell when I thought I might not be able to see them afterall.

The other night when she called and I asked my hubby if he wanted to spend the day in Estes Park (ie drive us up there), he actually told me, "I have to think about it." Right that second I decided. Think about it all you want (I thought), I'm not asking you again and I am going. So the girls and I went and had a fantastic time. Yes, I was a tad nervous mountain driving with the cast, but it was okay. I didn't do much moving around actually. I'd sit near where they were going to be. They'd drop me off at the door, so I wouldn't have far to hobble. If they wanted to shop, I'd people watch. Or Joel would hang out with me (her hubby) and we'd chat up a storm. The kids had a super time (as you can see) in the lodge pool.

We didn't arrive back home until 10pm and I pretty much hit the bed right after we pulled in. The girls were keyed up and watched a show with their daddy. I heard them tell him, quite innocently, we didn't miss you daddy, because we had such a fun time.

I hope he enjoyed his day alone, because I wouldn't have missed this visit for a mere broken ankle.

Get Well Cards!

I've got some really great friends, I can tell you that! Look at what's been in my mail box the past couple of days! I am so touched and grateful. Thank you so much for thinking of me! *Ü*

The first card was created by Kathi and I swooned over it when I saw it posted on her blog. In fact, I had just commented on the card the morning I received the card! Click here for details on how she created it. I can personally attest that is looks gorgeous in person. It is indeed hard to capture the pearly sheen of the watercolors. Thank you so very much, Kathi!

Today I received this beauty from Kim. I love it, love it, love it! You can kind of see the bling in the centers of the flowers. Click here to see the details on how she created it. Thank you so much, Kim!

I have to say thanks, too, for all the comments you have posted for me. I'm thankfully not in a lot of pain (surprisingly enough to me). However, I can definitely feel it if I move wrong. I can also now tell, with the cast on, how quickly my leg swells up, meaning, I need to get back to the couch.

Our house is one story and most rooms, including the kitchen, living room and bedroom, have hardwood floors. There are essentially no steps, even the porch is a ramp, because a previous owner was in a wheelchair. This has made is fairly easy for me to get around. I also have a rolling office chair that I've been using to do some household tasks-like the dishes in the morning-because I don't like flies! LOL However, I have to be careful in the chair. One time I leaned over too far and the chair moved out from under me! I am trying to stay put most of the time because I do want this to heal correctly and quickly! I'm hoping as I get further into the healing process I can be a tad more mobile, but we'll see.

My hubby moved the computer monitor for me, so I can sit here and not strain my neck. That's great! However, I am finding I must be a shifter in my seat because my tush starts to feel funny after a bit. Meaning, I'm not able to sit here for long periods of time because I'm not used to just sitting in one spot without moving around much. Oh the things you learn!

I'm working my way through reading hundreds (literally) of blog postings since I was essentially offline for a week. I'm feeling a bit less out of the loop, but some of the artwork I've seen makes me wish I had my stamping stuff in the house and not out in the garage, that is for sure. Oh well, I'll survive and print off all the projects I want to copy once I get mobile again.

Thanks again for all the well wishes! If wishes could speed the recovery, I think I'd be hopping up and down on my right ankle about now. Ü

Finally!

Bright enough for you? LOL I finally got the cast on this morning. But, it's not a walking cast. I chose pink for the girls, not realizing just how bright pink it would be. The doctor says I'm to stay off it for 4 weeks, then go back to see him. Sigh. If I had to break my ankle, why couldn't it have been the LEFT one?? Sheesh.

I'm getting a little better on the crutches, but I've almost taken a few headers. The girls have been pretty good, but the "newness" of this is wearing off and I have to watch how often I ask for their help. Starting to hear the deep sighs. LOL

Now that the cast is on, I am hoping to be on the computer a bit more. My computer is literally in the corner and there's not a good spot to park my leg. Right now I've got the keyboard in my lap with my legs propped up on another chair and my head turned so that my chin is almost touching my right shoulder to look at my monitor. I may have to ask Steve (the engineer) if he can finagle something that won't cause my neck to hurt as well. LOL

I've not read my blogs in days and feel so out of the loop!

Thanks so much for all the sweet comments and emails. It means a great deal as I adjust to life in a cast for the next several weeks. I hobbled out to my room last night to look for something for Steve and all the different surfaces made it difficult to navigate (as well as the one pretty high step that almost did me in), so I don't think I will be doing much stamping this next month. {for those new to my blog...my craft room is in our detached (sp) garage} . But who knows, maybe I'll make huge strides with digi scrapping. Ü

Til next time!

No Cast Yet...

When to the doctor's office this morning and the swelling isn't down enough for a cast. :o( He told me to try again on Tuesday. :o( But there is a possibility of getting a walking cast when I do get it. I could also drive with it if I am very careful and no stick shift (one of our cars is a stick shift). So, there's a light at the end of this first tunnel.

Thanks for all the kind words you have sent. They mean a lot to me. Ü

New Footwear...

Don'tcha just love this new look?! That's my right foot. The bulge by those clips is my ankle. My broken ankle! I have never before broken a bone in my body. How did it happen, you ask? Ummmmmm...walking on the sidewalk. Seriously. The girls and I were taking a walk this morning and for some unexplained reason, my leg gave out and I fell. As I was falling I heard/felt a pop. Which apparently is never good. The non weightbearing bone broke. Apparently it's a tough one to heal, too. Oh yea.

So, I am parked on the couch for a few days til I get the cast. Then we'll see. Man, I wish I had a laptop about now...

Talk about putting a crimp in your plans.

Thought I'd give you a heads up if I don't post new stuff for a little bit.

It's back to the couch for me.

Greetings from a Boat!

Do you have a friend in your life where, even if you don't talk or see each other in years, it doesn't matter, because the minute you get together it's like you just saw each other last week? Monica is that friend for me. We met when I was teaching in CA. She lives in Iowa now, with her husband and three gorgeous boys. The family drove to their timeshare up in Keystone and the girls and I took a day trip up there yesterday. They brought their boat and took us for a ride.
Amy took this picture of us...I won't show you the one Jessica took...let's just say "the girls"...all four of them...are featured prominently. LOL Anyway, Amy did a great job and the smile on her face being able to take this was worth a million bucks!
The girls had never been on a boat (in the water) before. They had tried out all the boats on the showroom floor at the Bass Pro Shop...but I don't think that really counts, does it? Anyway, I wasn't sure how they would react.
They took to it like...well...ducks to water! Of course, Jessica hung out by me for a few minutes to get her bearings...then she went to the front of the boat (sorry, I don't know the appropriate lingo) and had a blast with the rest of the kids. We went fast, slow, side to side, the front end up. A couple of the boys even drove the boat. The girls could have if they wanted, but they declined.
This is just one of the vistas. Gorgeous!

After the boat ride, we went back to their condo and spent a few hours swimming in the indoor pool. Fun! I'd have taken pictures, but I was in the water with them. Ü

We ended the day at a Blues Arts Festival where we had a slice of pizza and a caramel apple. Jessica suckered Mommy into buying her a (as in one) chocolate covered marshmallow with sprinkles. We discovered a jumping castle away from the loud music and let the kids jump off that sugar. Then we headed home.

It was an awesome day.

"Spring" Card-Happy Everything

I meant to add this picture to my previous post, but forgot. I took this picture using my new lightbox. I didn't like the blue or gray background, so I took it off.

In the video, I also forgot to show that I stamped on an envelope to add more interest. You can see what I did here.
Believe me, I realize how much practice I need to get video thing right. Thanks for putting up with me. Ü

"Spring" Card Video Tutorial

At long last, I've taped another tutorial video. I've been working on this for the better part of today and worked through mess-ups by me, interruptions by kids and my own ineptitude about video taping! I taped several times and decided to just use the video, flubs and all. With practice, I hope to improve.

Part of the reason it's taken so long for me to share another tutorial is mainly because the program I used to edit my first one was a trial version and it had expired (my camera movie file type is Quicktime, which apparently isn't a widely supported file type for editing purposes). I kept meaning to look for another one, but...you know how that goes. I forgot Recently, an ad showed up in my inbox and I bought the program because it supported Quicktime movies. Then my dad came for his visit just as the program arrived, so I had to wait a bit longer.

Here's the link to the tutorial and the link to the card, created by Cindy Lawrence, that inspired the one I made in the video.

I hope you enjoy it. Ü

ETA: It looked pretty grainy to me when I watched it. I don't know why. I'll work on improving that!

I Dunno If I Deserve This...

My sweet blog buddy, Barb, from The Buzz, let me know she nominated me for this award. While I don't think I'm in any way "brillante," I do appreciate that she has been inspired by the projects I post. Thank you so much, Barb!

The rules for this award are:
1. The winner can put the logo on her blog.
2. Link to the person who awarded you.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links to those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs of those you've nominated.

I wish I had more time to play, but will have to pass this time around. I honestly don't know that I could narrow my list of blogs that would qualify to just 7! SO many blogs inspire me for SO many reasons! Barb would be at the top of the list, but I don't think that would work...to nominate her again!

Thanks so much for thinking of me, Barb! Hugs to you, sweetie!

Thanks, Dad!

As cool as I think my home-made lightbox is, streamlined it definitely isn't! I would take pictures in my craft room, if I brought my camera out there, but because of it's bulkiness, most often I found myself resorting to my two sheets of cardstock phototaking in the house.

Today, after a rousing game of miniature golf, we stopped by Wolf Camera to see if they had a lanyard to attach the lens cap to my dad's camera. They were out, but I asked on a whim if they had lightboxes (d'oh-they should, it's a camera shop) and what was the cost. After explaining its purpose to my dad while the salesperson checked the price of this one, he decided to buy it for me as an early birthday present!
Now I just need to get the hang of using it correctly! LOL

My dad is the best! :o)

By the way, I found out today that at the last hole, if you hit a gutter ball, water DOES come shooting out of the tikis. I actually shot a hole in one there, but no flame came out, just smoke. Maybe I didn't hit it hard enough? I thought I heard a good thunk, but who knows. Anyway, no pictures today, but we all had fun. (and... shhhhhh....I won this time! hee, hee...)

Thanks for visiting! My dad heads out on Thursday morning, so maybe after that I'll have some time to create something.

Miniature Golfing...or I Don't Believe My Dad Can't See Well

My dad has macular degeneration. I don't know if I've mentioned that before. What it means is, he can't see very well, or so he says. If he looks at something straight on, he can't see it, but if he uses his peripheral vision he can still see. He quit driving a year ago (thank goodness) because he couldn't see well. So anyway, he talks about how poorly he sees. I'm sure it's more than frustrating. Anyway, my title is said in jest. I know he can't see very well, but he sure surprised me when, first, he suggested we go miniature golfing and second, how well he did when we went on Sunday! Several times he got the hole in two strokes!

It was the very first time we took the girls and I was also surprised and how much fun Amy had. She proclaimed she LOVED golfing and immediately wanted to play again.

Amy needed a quick lesson on what to do, then she had a blast.
Jessica got frustrated a few times. I am beginning to wonder if she's going to be the type of person who worries if they don't get it "right" the first time. I hope she'll be able to mellow out a bit. She does want to win...no matter what.
Look at that form!!
Maybe she gets it from her dad. He was playfully frustrated when my dad got a hole quicker than he did! LOL

I can't believe I got these next two shots. This is the final hole and what you see. Being that we hadn't been here before, I didn't know what to expect.

Apparently, if you hit the ball down that center track, you get a hole in one and POOF, flame shoots up and smoke comes out of his nose. I can't believe I actually got a before and after shot! We were told if you don't get the hole in one and get it in the hole on either side, water shoots out of those things he's holding. However, it didn't happen for us (Steve and Dad didn't get a hole in one) as one of the holes looked jammed with golf balls. So I don't know if that part is true.

Jessica keeps asking to see these last two pictures because I'll show her the first one and then click the next button and go "whooosh" and the second picture shows up. She thinks it's fantastic! I figure it's cheap entertainment.

We're waiting for Grandpa to finish his eye treatment and I think you might be able to guess what's on the agenda today. Yup...miniature golfing! LOL

Veddy, Veddy Interestink

Kathi recently posted a picture and commentary about checking her blog traffic. Like her, I don't think too much about any traffic to my blog. I spit out stuff and figure if someone likes yea, if not...oh well. That's about the extent of it. Well, I was quite intrigued by her map and decided it might be fun to see who comes to read my blog. So, I went to the website Kathi noted (http://www.statcounter.com/) and tried to set up an account. It said my username was already in use. Bummer! Oh wait...wonder if I set up an account at some point? Sure 'nuff, I was able to log in. (This is when my dorkiness shines in all its glory...I can't even remember that I've signed up for this!) So, I went on the hunt for the map like Kathi's. And here it is!
What's kinda cool about this, other than the fact that people from all over have at least looked at the blog is that just prior to reading Kathi's post, I was telling my dad about blogging. You know why do it and how is it different from My Space and all that. I showed him this page and he thought it was neat. So he may not quite "get" this whole blogging thing, but he thought it was cool to see all the red spots on the map at least! LOL

Thanks for sharing, Kathi! It's fun isn't it?

Some Photos From the Past Few Days...

How would you like to see THIS thing daily? They call it a cow fish and it's one of the critters on display at the Butterfly Pavilion (um...yea, they have more than butterflies there)...I even held Rosie the tarantula!
Dad was impressed with the size of the leaves on this plant.
Some of the unique flora and fauna in the butterfly part of the pavilion
Okay...so we DID see some butterflies, too! :o)
A visit with my dad would NOT be complete without at least one meal eaten at Gunther Toody's Diner.

These will be fun to scrap!

RAK from Rachel

I hope you all are doing well and are having a terrific holiday weekend. We've been busy, busy, busy since my dad arrived on Wednesday. We've been to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, The Butterfly Pavilion, El Dorado State Park, and out to dinner and lunch a few times. Whew! But it's been a lot of fun. I have been taking pictures, which will be shared soon. We may even go miniature golfing, which should be loads of fun.

When I got up this morning and checked emails, I had one from my friend, Rachel, of 1905Designs blog. She RAKed me (RAK=Random Act of Kindess) with a layout she created of Jessica from a photo she snagged off my blog. I love this layout! Rachel has a great sense of style and is spreading her digital wings by learning how to design. She shares what she's created on her blog. You should definitely check her stuff out!

Thank you so much Rachel! You sure put a smile on my face!

I "Heart" Blog Buddies!

Blogging and reading blogs has got to be one of the best past times ever! I've come across some amazing paper crafters, cardmakers, scrapbookers and saved more ideas than I can execute in my lifetime. By far though, I most enjoy the friendships I've found since beginning this blogging journey. These are people I may never meet IRL (in real life) but are as dear to me as my IRL friends. We support each other's crafting efforts and enable each other as well as provide a soft shoulder when needed.

My blog buddy, BarbW, of The Buzz emailed me a week or so ago to let me know that she had seen 6x6 pads of Basic Grey's Gypsy paper at her Big Lots (she's such a good enabler), as well as K & Co envelopes. You know I went as soon as I could to two different Big Lots and had no luck finding the paper-dragged my kiddos along for the ride (and got them some squirt guns). When I told Barb I couldn't find them here, I asked if she'd be willing to pick up a package for me and lo and behold...lookie what was came through my mailslot yesterday! Thank you SO very much, Barb!! You definitely made my day.
How I wish I had the energy to head out to my craft room last night, but alas, I was plum tuckered out from giving the girls' room a much needed overhaul.

My dad arrives tomorrow for a week long visit. I hope to pop in from time to time, but if I don't get to posting, I thought I'd give you a heads up. :o) The girls are quite excited (as am I)!