Nice Vacation!

I took a week and went to Georgia to spend Easter with Penny, Weymond and the kids and grand kids. I left my fur babies in the care of my neighbor Derryk and Jannette and her Mike. They were lovingly looked after, but I sure did miss them and they let me know I was missed when I returned too....LOL! The seven days sure did take a toll on me as we stayed up late (way, way past my normal bedtime) every night and it has taken me almost a week to just half way catch up....LOL (Isn't that what vacation is supposed to be?)

We surely had an enjoyable time even if one whole day was spent inside listening too and watching the 3 1/2 inches of rain fall.  Weymond grows white Amaryllis' and his were in full bloom all around the house and yard looking so gorgeous.  The blooms were humungous too. But the most fun was when the "babies" were all there. Annabeth is trying to learn to crawl and boy does she ever love Calvin....he is the happiest baby around, always smiling and "jabbering". He is 5 months old and in size 18 month clothes. He also is trying to crawl. They both love Hayden and she adores playing with them and vying for attention as well. There were times I missed the quietness of my home....ROFL!

I got to see one of Penny's cousins that I have not seen in 50 years, we had an enjoyable time catching up. Penny and I went by some of the family places and cemeteries to allow me to take some photos for Ancestry pages, I got to see my ex BIL I had not seen in many years, also chatted with my best high school friend Libby on the phone a while (she wasn't feeling too good so did not go by) and on the way to Tallahassee to return home, stopped and had a very enjoyable visit with another high school chum, Glenda who is helping with the 50 year class reunion scheduled for next April...(can't believe this milestone!!), so all in all it was a very tiring, but so very enjoyable vacation. Glad to be home with my fur babies and able to slow down a bit!

I found a place close to Penny that I really do like that is for sale...came home and saw my first realtor yesterday....if I can sell my duplex for what I need and in a timely manner, I think I will move back to Georgia so I can be around some family. I have no family here (just some totally awesome friends I hate to leave but....) and I think I am not getting any younger and should be able to enjoy the remainder of my years where I want to be. Guess retirement and being alone for the last 4 years will do that to ya, huh?  Guess I will see if it is meant to be.

I haven't been on the computer much since we had threats of nasty weather (that totally scooted over us) and like I said, still trying to catch up on my sleep deprivation, but I did manage to make a few Easter pages to share. I hope all of you had as great a time as we did for Easter.

Here's 2 special bunnies....Annabeth and Calvin in pages by Laurrie at CheyOkota (Annabeth's) and Calvin's I did using some of her clusters and the suit. The wordart stamps are by Donna....aren't these just the cutest bunnies?

These are all frames from Neli....Hayden, Calvin with his grandmother Denise and Annabeth in her Easter dress getting ready for Church. Don't you just want to reach out and pet those bunnies?

Ruby, Jayson and Jade and the Easter Bunny are in a free QP by Fecnikek

The frames for Amy and Maggie are bothy by Neli and I created the backgrounds.

This is Penny with her lap full and Hayden slid in for the photo op...LOL, I just dressed the photo with a border I created that you can find at Miriam's Scraps

Enough rambling for today, chat more later I have a lot of photos to go through for pages to make. Y'all have a lot of fun making great memories to share! Luv ya! Mat

Happy Easter to All Y'all!

Things have been a little hectic around here, not been able to settle down and blog all week last week and again this week it is rather fast paced around here already.  For a couple of days of stormy weather, I stayed off the home computer because of lightning strikes...etc. but we haven't had a lot of rain, just a lot of wind and the lightning, but all around us have gotten some rain.....maybe we didn't pay the right people????? ROFL here! Just thankful for what we have gotten. Everything is pretty in bloom and oh so green.... :)
We had the potential for some severe weather most of the day yesterday and was under a tornado watch until midnight, but nothing but a little rain and lots, lots, lots of wind that is still blowing out of the north and causing our temperatures to plummet....from near 90 degrees on Saturday to 34 tonight....big difference right?
I did a couple of memory books for Amy, all have been printed and delivered and her mother and mother-in-law are ecstatic about them.  I want to try doing one for Amy and one for Maggie depicting the first year of their baby's lives....just like I did for Jade, Hayden, Ruby and Jayson.  Can't believe Annabeth is already 7 months old and Calvin is 5 months....time really does fly by anymore. LOL!
My friend Jan finally got well enough to have the CT scan on her throat to see if the cancer is gone, she will see the doctor tomorrow for the results.  Also my sister-in-law Myrl had a lumpectomy of her right breast and a tumor removed from her neck the latter part of last week and we are awaiting test results on those too! My "sista" Nina had a bad case of a "roto virus" that put her down for a week...sure did miss getting to visit with her, but she would not allow anyone near her until she got rid of it...you know how nurses are right Carol and Scarlett? My friend Jannette is on the last week of her medicine regimen to be rid of cirrhosis trying to salvage her liver from Hepatitis. It seems to be working as they can no longer find a trace of it in the blood work. She has been a hermit since she started it, but now is looking forward to doing something normal again. My sisters all are okay at the moment...crossing my fingers AND knocking on wood too! Kathy has things that will never get better, but for the time being she is not in the hospital and is able to do some things for herself again. Me, I am doing great...just been doing some spring cleaning in between all this aiding the ailing and making memory books...LOL! Plus I have been hooked watching The Voice, American Idol and Dancing With The Stars too....so lots of TV watching in the evenings....LOL!
I took some photos of my girls and added them to this page I created for Easter....hope you like it. I created the background and used a frame and Easter wordart by Fecnick for this one. The photo of me is a selfie I took about 1-1/2 years ago...still look the same, maybe a few more wrinkles...LMBO.

Remember the real reason for Easter and be thankful for all that we have because of Him!   I hope you get to enjoy family and friends after services on Sunday and get to eat a fantastic meal and lots of jelly beans and chocolate bunnies and lots and lots of eggs....LOL! Y'all have a great one, make lots and lots of memories to share and to be able to take them out a little later and enjoy them all over again. Chat more with you later! Luv, Mat

April Storms...not showers!

We have had some rather windy, hot, humid days....4 days at 80F or above....just begging for a storm right? Well a dry line came through yesterday and a cold front from the northwest with all that southerly wind bringing in moisture....you got it.....storms and hail and high straight line winds, rotating clouds and sheets and sheets of rain with hail from penny, nickel, quarter, ping pong ball, golf ball, tennis ball, and even baseball sized hail stones hitting.  Lots and lots and lots of rain with flash flooding (we really need this to fill our lakes again) and eventually tornados just northeast of us....no fatalities, but 4 injuries and lots of damage. Lots without power too.  I received 3 different "Red Alert" messages from 5:45 p.m. to 8:24 p.m. that a severe thunderstorm had be forecast for my area....only the last one proved to hit my area....with only wind and lots of rain, maybe 1/2 to 3/4 inch in about 20 minutes.  But just north of us and then to the northeast, they really got the "train" effect of rain when all the pop up storms finally became a long line of storms just after dark.  They even had to close a Wal Mart in Denton as the hail stones broke their skylights and they were without electricity...still without and closed today too! The winds at times were clocked at 150 knots....that is amazing that there is not more damage than we got.  The insurance companies will be flooded for a couple of weeks! Now we have a nice cool down, only to be in the upper 60's today (that is more like spring now)!

We also had another tragic mass shooting at the Fort Hood Army Base southwest of us. This is the same place where 13 died just 5 years ago. This time 4 deaths (including the suicide of the shooter) and 16 injuries. Just keep praying for all the families and soldiers affected by this senseless act. Our nation and the world needs lots of prayer for things to calm down and for all of us to be able to LIVE in peace.

I finally got my yards mowed and cleaned up yesterday just before all the ugly weather began to hit. It looks great, but when it warms up again in the next few days, I need to spray for weeds.  Since so many around me are renting, they don't care about their yards and with the winds we have had this year....all their weeds are trying to take root in my St. Augustine grass.  At least everything looks manicured and so neat for a little while.  The winds caused the oak trees to shed a few of their "blooms" and land on all my drive way, my car and the sidewalk....LOL! had to do a little sweeping this morning....ROFL!

We have lots and lots of visitors in our area of the state this weekend. The Final Four of the March Madness tournaments is in Arlington at the Cowboys Stadium....the arts festival is in downtown Fort Worth, the Texas Motor Speedway (with Big Hoss the largest TV Screen ever) is hosting 3 Races this weekend, the truck races, Nationwide and Nascar's Sprint Cup races. Needless to say, this chick is staying home out of all the traffic.  We are supposed to have rain most of the day on Sunday (hope Nascar gets to race).  Lots of free things to do is offered for all out of towners visiting. There are no Hotel/Motel rooms and no camping sites available for the weekend. Coupled with all the road construction and visitors, it will be a nightmare for traffic.  LMBO!!!!

I lost a dear friend, Vicki R. Boyd Truman, on the 21st of March. She was just 64. Cancer is still such a devastating disease and takes way too many before their time. I have been doing a lot of reminiscing of the FUN we used to have. Those memories are really precious. If I haven't said it lately, I love you to all my friends and family! Tomorrow is never promised us so live each and every day FULLY!!!! Make lots and lots of memories to share and to be able to remember later!

I have a dental appointment for cleaning that I must get dressed for....yes, I am still in my jammies! LOL! Off to shower and put on my face, then after the appointment I need to do a little grocery shopping and check my mailbox.....house is clean and last load of laundry is in the dryer. Gonna take another breather this weekend, chat more with all of you later! Hugs, Mat

Here's a couple of pages I did this past week or two.

My "sister" Nina's hubby wanted a photo page for his "man cave" wall of him at 17 in his 1955 Chevy and one that was taken of him 50 years later in a 1955 Chevy....He lucked out that I had this from Booland called My Old Jalopy....he loved it and has it hanging just where he wanted....LOL!

Here's Kathy's grandchildren in spring looking page...I even place their cat Sarah in her box on here too. I think this is by CheyOkota....not sure about the wordart.

Cute little Annabeth and hunky little Calvin in their Bouncing toys....just love their facial expressions. Both are in frames by Neli at Lugar Encantado Da Neli. frames.

And not to be left out....here's Miss Hayden with her Papa being a real monkey making faces. I will have to search for the designer here...get back with you later today....hugs, Mat