Today my MIL is 69 so I have picked some pictures of her with my kids and with my FIL from the reunion in June. She and I were very close when the kids were growing up, she kept Jeremy and was always closer to him than Gina, I really feel for her having to take care of my FIL and she basically has to take care of Les's sister who is going through a divorce and very needy. She is really aging fast, lost a lot of weight and you can tell in her face she is a smoker.

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I was supposed to do my mission project but the gentleman was out of town so I called my Mom and we were going out to eat at the Huddle House when Gina called me and needed to go to Urgi-care because her face was worse and my sister told her it might be Mercer so Charli ate with us (she let my Mom hold her so I am Happy!) and then I took her home until Gina got done. I am glad she went because it is Mercer so she is on a stronger antibiotic and he drained it and told her to use hot compresses. Les and I are about to go pick Charli up for awhile. He can see her before he goes to work at 10:00.
While I was keeping her she poured her juice on the floor so I 'spanked' her and told her to sit and that she was in Time Out and explained we Do Not pour juice on the floor, she didn't really cry but kept saying "Meme!" over and over again. I cleaned it up and took her to get her diaper changed and ready for bed and I asked "Did Meme spank you?" she patted her bottom and said "Spank, spank" and I repeated her and she said "Juice" I think she got the message, LOL!

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Kar, thanks for your concern about my cough! It is a chronic thing I have to deal with, I take Prednisone, acid reflux meds, allergy meds, Flax seed oil and my cough stuff. The air here is so hot and humid I struggle breathing and when I get hot I cough. Actually I got sick in June 1989 and in August went to work at the Pharmacy at Wal-Mart, My friends are all getting their 20 year pins now. I was there 12 years. When I went for my interview I fell out of the chair and someone had to help me up, LOL! I was hired for the pet dept. manager but was so weak I couldn't lift and I was put at the Pharmacy as OTC manager and actually got 50 cent more an hour! The disease I have is called Polymyositis and Interstitial Lung Disease After 20 years it is a part of me, just aggravating when I want to do something, Gina teases saying she could always find me in a crowd by listening for my cough, LOL! It really helped me in my job because I often talked to people about the medicines, I took some strong medicines over the years and was able to share and have more compassion than I would have if I was not sick. I honestly believe everything can have a blessing if you look for it.

Well off to get my baby to play with!

Today I am sharing a random picture I took a couple of years ago. I went to bed at 7:00 last night because the hot humid weather and make class at work is draining me. My computer was acting up so I just decided to try to sleep. I am counting the days until I get my new kids! I had an intern yesterday and she said she was worn out, LOL! It's not that I am complaining but with 8 2 year olds and I really believe one is showing signs of Autism and one bites (although now he has switched to pulling hair and pinching) and a new girl who pinches I am constantly watching them to make sure no one gets hurt. I tried an art project but the child I worry about wanted to eat the glue and paper instead of putting it together. Of course I always have him by my side!
At 5:00 my Mission Group is going to a shut in's house to do some needed things, I am going to bring my camera. My cough is bad right now and that takes a lot out of me, too. I need to get my sister to check Sam's and see if I can get Musinex DM and Cough syrup cheaper by bulk!
I pray for a blessed day!

I have this sweet picture of Charli eating a Little Debbie Jelly Creme Pie and think back to Gina growing up and eating them. They were called Choc-O-Jels then and instead of the strawberry center they had raspberry. Gina was addicted and would eat as many as we would let her!
I eat one some mornings as I take my pills and check my e-mails. I always think of my sweet little Gina eating them when I do. She is still so sweet, she will kiss me a couple of times before leaving for work and in church she hugs me during prayer time. I do hope Charli picks up this from her Mom, right now she is very selective on who she wants to be loved by. She is not comfortable with her great-grandmothers and will not let them hold her long If she lets them at all and that makes them sad. She does better if she doesn't see me because I have spoiled her pretty badly.... what is a Meme supposed to do, LOL!
I 'talked' to my DIL in Facebook chat, will share the pictures later.
Zaroga, glad you felt like stopping by! I am still praying for you!

The Word Art on these top 2 pages is by my friend Linda, stop by and see her wonderful Blog!
This kit is brand new by Miss Erin Scraps at Ginger Scraps, Such pretty soft papers and fun garden elements! How can I resist scrapping Charli with these?

I am sorry the link for the challenge is not working well Here is my page and links
I am one of Connie's Digidivas
http://www.digiscra paddicts. com/battle/ designer. html
and here is gallery
Thanks so much for your votes! I have one more to go.


The picture was from the beach last fall.

I am so hoping to get some votes this week at DST! Here is the link to vote, I am one of Connie's Digidivas
http://www.digiscra paddicts. com/battle/ designer. html
and here is gallery
my LO is the one I posted on July 30 and I posted it Saturday at DST

Good afternoon! It's after 3 and I am just getting home. I talked to Gina and she needed me to meet her at the Dermatologist because a rash she had really was getting worse. She has an infection so needed a couple of antibiotics, her system has been a little wacky since she lost the baby. I also got to pick up my new glasses which made me happy!
This is one of my squirrels eating fruit loops from the feeder Les and Jeff made me, they keep knocking the top off and Les hasn't attached it right. The feeder beside it was meant for birds, it's Les' design using PVC, twigs and coke caps, he covered it with fiberglass and it looks like a branch, the caps look like knots and he put peanut butter in them. No birds but the squirrels had a ball!
I got an 8th child at work today and wouldn't you know, she's aggressive! She kept walking up and pinching kids and even had one boy on floor hitting him in face! I hope she will put me back down to 7 in the next 2 weeks when school starts back! (I can have 8 but my room is crowded) I tripped over a cot and hurt my right arm while I was trying to throw the leftovers to the birds and get the girls to stop standing on the cots. A few extra bruises, there, LOL!
Well, I need to get the dessert for my WOM group made, hope you are having a nice day!

Groundbreaking!

This morning we broke ground at church! So everyone there could have a part we had the building committee behind the plow and all the members there pulling the ropes, great idea I think! I was sorry that many of our regular members were not there because of sickness or vacations but I will share these pictures with everyone. We celebrated 25 years in February, what a great way to start our next quarter century!

Charli spend the afternoon with Les and I and so we visited Les's parents, My FIL slept most of the time and Charli is not comfortable around them and will not let my MIL hold her, that makes her feel bad.
My great nephew Charlie who is 2 was playing with his daddy who was flipping him and fell on the pavement and had to have 4 stitches in his head this morning.

When I got the change to scrap with Cathy K's new kit SPLASH and the Add On she created I went through Gina's vacation pictures and found the one of her running on the beach and it came together so easily! The top page I wanted to use a long skinny photo so I used this one I took of Charli playing in the rain waiting for her Daddy, the lyrics from the song Laughter in the Rain bring back wonderful memories from my teen years.
In case you are too young to remember this sweet song here it is...




I have a list of things to get done today, I have already started laundry and am ready to go out to the garage and find some tea sat pieces to put in Charli's toys then I am ready to catch up on things I need to. Les it going to work tonight so I do not have to leave the house and even have my sweats on. Gina is off today and going to Anderson. It is wet and will probably drizzle off and on, I am glad I didn't plan to yard sale!

I am just settling down to post! We had the kids over for a supper of fried pork chops, mashed potatoes and gravy, black-eyed peas and stewed tomatoes. Trey really loved my pork chocks and Charli said the potatoes and gravy were Yummy. I am thinking about going to bed, I am very tired!
We share more with you later.

I am very late posting today. I have been working on my challenge page for week 3 and it was tough! Too much on it that I had to save in parts on my program! I am posting it here so I can go back and cut and paste to post in. It is a 1 - 10 challenge and here is what I used

1 alpha (Home Made Memories)
2 fonts ( Snappy script light and Serrific Grunge)
3 flourishes
4 strings
5 glitters
6 animals
7 photos
8 buttons
9 papers
10 flowers

kits are all by Connie Prince Pocketful of Sunshine, Perfectly Natural, Bright Blooms, and Home Made Memories.


I do not like to spend hours on a page, but that is what I did with this one! Glad it's done!

Had a pretty good day at work, the little boy I am concerned about is behind in speech and developmentally and they are checking into a program to evaluate and help him. I was proud of him today, he rode one of the cars today, I had noticed he never would ride any of the ride toys, I started putting him on and he would get off, Today I put him on and he rode it a couple of feet. He also climbed on himself. He will be 2 Sunday, please pray for the little fellow that he can catch up! He doesn't talk, either, (he grunts from his throat and hearing is fine) that is why I asked his Mom about getting him looked at. He had never been in daycare so she had not seen him beside kids his age. Also pray for the family, they are working hard to get him help.

Charli loves to go outside so when she grabbed my finger and went to the door I grabbed my camera to see what she would do. She wanted to play with her gardening tools.

I think of all the things in my Nanny's yard that held flowers, pots were everywhere and then there were tires... huge tractor tires that were white washed and cut and folded down. Now here I am trying to find unusual garden art to fill my yard! Les has made me a bird I will post when he gets it set up, it is made from plastic reels. We plan on doing recycled garden art and have the garage almost ready to start. It has been a fun idea and something we can share. I will post things as we make them. Our challenge is to pay as little as possible so we are watching the sides of the road and he made the floor for free, shipping crates and boards from a display at work.

Wish us luck!

Through the years of Les and Tammy

Les and I have a very few pictures of our wedding, it was very informal, I wore a blue sweater dress and Les had blue cords and a white sweater. Why am I posting this? Chris sent me the link to a FUNNY video, PLEASE watch this! Can you believe how skinny I was and Jeremy was 3 months old, too!
Les never really asked me to marry him, we just decided we should and it has been 28 years. I can't imagine not being married, I was 20 at the time, just weeks away from my 21st birthday.


Here we are on our first date, I was 16 at the time 2/14/76
Here we are in the 90's when I had the heavy Prednisone weight gain, I was in my 30's.

This is 2/14/2000 at church 26 years after our first date. I was 40.

And this is now near my 49th birthday. Well that takes you through the decades with Les and I, I really hope you enjoyed seeing these!

OK, my Blogger friends I got to thinking that I would like to know and share some of the 'funny habits' we have! Before I share mine this is a picture I have hanging on the wall of my office that Jeremy drew in HS. It is an art piece to say things about him. I might have to do a digital version...Here you can see we share a Pepsi thing and the '57' was our scout troop and you can see the symbol he created to sign his work with. He told me long ago I needed to sign mine so the one you see on my pages and pictures is a small 't' in an Arabic font I found. I love this work and have much of his art stored for him.

Now for my 'reveal'

I actually Blog the night before and set it to post the next morning so I don't feel as rushed most of the time. Sometimes I do put it up on the right day but most times I just read it and edit if I need to.

I love the lay my clothes out several days at a time and have a place I put them in in my bathroom so I can get ready quicker.

I have to know where my keys, shoes and glasses are and can't stand anyone to move them. Les has a bad habit of losing his keys, his house keys are missing now, and so I do not often let him use mine AND I have a spare set in my pocketbook 'just in case'

I am MEAN if someone drinks my last Pepsi and I do not have one for the morning to take my pills with!

I have memory tricks that really help me w/o writing things down.. I put my watch on right arm, put a piece of paper on the dash in front of my gauges in the car or put something out of place. These help me remember to tell someone something or to do something if I might get distracted.
When I see the thing in the wrong place it triggers why. When I first got sick in 1989 I had to take huge doses of Prednisone so I had to teach myself new ways to stay straight.

Well I think those are my worst ones, if you put yours on your Blog add a comment so I can go see yours.

To remember scripture I like to see it so I created this for each of my friends in the Women's On Mission group I belong to using a kit Rina is about to retire called Carpetbag. I love the colors and old fashioned feel to it and the ladies loved their cards! If you would like a copy please let my know and I will send it to you via email. If anyone that does not scrap would like to have me do a scripture card please ask, I do so many pages with the kits from my designers and would not mind at all!

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A quick rundown on yesterday before I go the a cakewalk at church (I made gooey Death by Chocolate cookies and put in a basket)
Lynn went to yard sales with me and we found some wonderful Premie boy clothes for her babies and after Gina cut my hair off so I can be cooler she and David, Les and ate grilled chicken, had fresh creamed corn, beans and slaw. Les put a tomato from his garden in the slaw and it was good! I really enjoy Lynn's company and hope we can do this more often!
Poor Lynn ended up giving many of the clotes and socks to her great-nephew who was born July 1, Payton who happens to be a distant cousin of mine. I hope she will get then back soon, LOL!

The Scripture Challenge for SBE is at post below.

Scripture Challenge at SBE

Just a reminder: for the months of July and August each challenge will last for TWO WEEKS instead of weekly, in order to give everyone a little more time to participate!

Our current theme is “FAITHFULNESS”, and with that in mind, our scripture verse for Week 22 comes from Psalm 115:1 which says:
“Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.”

** Be sure to read the General Guidelines to the challenge HERE, where you can find out what will happen each week. It will tell you how you can take part, what you will be receiving, where to post your submissions to, etc.

Here is a preview of your FREE Word Art for this week (the link to download the Word Art to use as part of your submission appears at the BOTTOM of this message):



* The deadline for submitting your creation for THIS challenge is midnight EST on Saturday August 8th 2009.*

My Mom, Twila and Cody came over last night and we cooked a real southern meal, LOL. Fatback, gravy, biscuits cantaloupe, and I fixed some fordhook Lima beans. Growing up we had this often but would most likely have pork'n beans. Mama worked 9 to 6 and so meals needed to be quick. I was so tickled when Jeremy called from Washington State and said, "Mama, they don't have Fatback in these grocery stores!" I don't remember what he said they called it, side meat or something. It is funny to me to remember that as a kid we would not eat the rind so my Daddy ate ours, now that's my favorite part. Also, he liked the crust on cornbread and would eat ours.
The picture is just like I scanned it of my Nanny and me in 1964. She made the BEST cornbread! She used yellow corn meal, flour, buttermilk, eggs and a big spoon of mayonnaise and had a special square tin pan with a few dents to bake it in. Using that pan it was as pretty as a cake with no crust and was so light. I can't find the meal she used and mine never turned out like hers so I rarely make cornbread. I can't bake biscuits either. She had a bowl of flour like many southern women and would put the shortening and buttermilk in the bowl. I wonder what today's health officials would say about reusing the flour? Didn't hurt us!
I guess I will have to come up with something that Charli remembers me cooking. We have a cake walk at church tomorrow helping the Acteens raise money to send a missionary for school supplies in a part of the country they are really hurting. The Children's Church does do a local thing, too, but the Acteen's are doing a Rock a Thon and getting sponcers and then we have the cake walk. I am baking cookies called "Death by Chocolate" and will try to find a cute way to package them. I have some tins and baskets so I will do something cute.
Well that's another memory shared, Les is getting ready for work and I am going to check out a yard sale or two and go see Charli and get Gina to do my hair. I want layers because I sweat so badly in this humid heat my hair stays soaked. Gina says it is hormones and most older women complain of this. It makes me feel like my poor Nanny, she would have a rag to keep her face wiped. She had very thick hair and long and would wind it up on top of her head. She was a true Southern Woman (worked in the cotton mill, too.) The irony is her parents, the Maynards, came over from England in 1904 and since she was born January 4, 1917 she was first generation American!

This is one of those mornings I did not want to get up! I was at church until almost 9:30 helping clean out the flower room and shed and I was so tired and went to bed soon after getting home. Today is my DGM's 91st birthday so I will go visit her awhile and I have to go to Wal-mart and get groceries. YUCK!

Today's page is done for the DSA CT contest and is made from Connie Prince's Good Night Moon kit and add on and a few pieces of her perfectly natural Kit and her date tags. The competition is rough and when the voting opens on Monday many people have all there friends and family voting for them but it is fun anyway. I think this is one of my best pages. The lyrics are a song by Third Day, "Wnen the Rain Comes" and is one of my favorite songs.

Well off to get ready for work, TGIF!

Sitting like this runs in my family, I still sit this way everyday while I sit on the floor with the kids. The top picture is Gina making clothes for her cat. The silly cat would just sit there and let her, too. The picture of Charli was taken Tuesday while we were playing, that's the lamb I take her picture with every month.
Now the last picture is an angel my Grandmother got for me many years ago. She said she thought of me when she saw it. It was one of the first angels people gave me. The blue angel to the right back was given to my Mom when I was born and says Wednesday's Child is full of woe, the wings are broken on it. I still can't part with that one or the October one that belonged to my great-grandmother, Hassie, which is broke, too. The two in back on the bench are from Jeremy and the pretty pink one is from My Mom.
I have many Willowtrees that Gina has gotten me, I love those! My collection is in my bedroom on the mantle so I see them everyday, I do not buy them myself so each one was given by someone who I love, most Gina and my Mom. I never want these to get 'out of hand' like my VW's (I have over 300), I have just enough for my space now, but I love my Angels!

I am in a contest at Digital Scrap Addicts and needed a picture for this week. You know who I picked as my model, LOL! She is so easy to work with, I changed her clothes and brought the umbrella as a prop and just let her play! Maybe she and I should get into fashion photography, ROFL!
The page I posted last week got the page of the day at Gotta Pixel for 7/21, I thought that was cool!
I found out a couple of new words Charli says... MINE! and Chocolate. I brought a 3 Musketeers bar last week to share with her and she loved it so I picked up some mini ones and she went to my pocketbook and wanted to see what I had. After nap she grabbed my finger and told me "'mon" so I got her another she told me "chocolate" and says Yum. The hours I spend with her are the highlight of my week! I am teaching her the Barney Song so she will say I Love You and when I do Itsy Bitsy Spider she tries to do her fingers.

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I don't remember my grandmother's singing to me but my Granddaddy did! He sang silly songs he made up. My favorite is Cat beans and bananna soup, he was never afraid to be silly when he and I were together, I will always remember him being disappointed when I wasn't ticklish anymore! I loved my Granddaddy so much and am so sorry he died when Gina was almost 3 so she barely knew him!

Les has an awful breaking out now! He finished his antibiotics, he has an appointment tomorrow to see what is going on. My FIL finally came home from the hospital.