Wow, Wow, Wow!

Christmas day was warm and sunny, a little breezy, but all in all a lovely day spent with great friends eating way too much fabulous food and yes, taking home bags full for later. Then my renter brought over food too! I'm still thawing and eating it (I put dinners in the freezer when I got home)! Saturday was more like Memorial Day as it hit 80F and the humidity was so thick you could cut it with a knife....you knew the weather was about to change....BUT....not with EF3(winds of 160+) & EF4 (winds of 200+ mph) tornadoes!!! So much damage and carnage with 11 deaths and still 18 unaccounted for! So many homes and apartment complexes totally destroyed, so many homeless with only the clothes on their back in shelters, the temps dropped by 30 degrees in less than 30 minutes and rain, rain, rain so hard you could not see (3.5 inches). Flash flooding (with people having to be rescued) in the low areas because of all the saturation of the soil already. Sunday was really cold and wet (poor responders and people checking for loved ones or pets or to see what could be salvaged) the rain just kept coming in wave after wave and then the hail starts...what? in December? Yes, several different storms had the hail stones and so heavy it covered the ground very quickly and took a while to melt, then overnight into Monday morning....SNOW! Yep, we only got the edge of it (dusting or flurries) but others only 2 miles away got 2 inches of the white coverage! The wind was atrocious all day yesterday and it never got to 40F, but felt like the mid 20's all day! Winter finally found us...so many changes in such a short time...awful 4 days from super happiness to total life changes in just hours!  8 of the deaths were caused by the tornado picking up cars off Interstate 30 and tossing them like toys onto the expressway beneath them...crushing them! They never had a chance. Now it is all headed east and north....praying for those in it's path!
This morning thankfully, it is dry...cold (upper 20's-32F) and the wind has decided to give us a break. Some good news, yesterday a couple that had been dug out of the wreckage of their home on Sunday returned after being checked at the hospital to dig out both their dogs (FAMILY) trapped in the wreckage (2 days)...vet says they have no broken bones, just a little traumatized and cold, wet and very hungry....but will be fine!
Before all this happened, I was busy scrapping, scrapping, scrapping and reorganizing all my files on my computer, backing it up and even doing some paper scrapping.  I took lots of photos of my fur babies happily opening all their presents on CHRISTmas morning and coloring in my adult coloring book (boy some of those are very intricate designs) and enjoying all the holiday music! I am having my blog put into book format at the end of this year...(only 2 more days)....so I am still going to post the pages I did so they will make the book.

This was the card made for Penny (at her request) to put on FB to wish all a Merry CHRISTmas from her family to all her friends...Weymond has all 5 grand babies on his lap and then the 5 are around the tree at Amy's house...the quick page is by Fecnikek! 

This one I created for her too using a QP by Miriam's Scraps, but she chose the first one to publish and then printed this one! LOL!

This is Margaret and Lance's card they posted...sweet babies! I created this page using Raspberry Road Designs Season of Joy kit and free clusters!

This was Amy's but she kept having problems with getting it to post...This postcard was a freebie from Fecnikek too!

This was for TBT the day before CHRISTmas of CHRISTmas day 2012 in Grapevine, TX with my friends Jannette and Mike and his mother Anne and his sister Julia...we had a wonderful day together...the card is also by Fecnikek and wordart is by Miss Boots (Random Thoughts at Linda's Place)
Well, back to the real world now...today is trash day and I need to get mine out for collection and now that daylight is finally here, I have a few wet boxes to gather for them too! My fur babies stayed nice and dry and warm (their electric blankets were plugged in) but some of the boxes they use in warm weather are soaked...no worries I have a stock of new dry ones to put out today...LOL!
Chat in a couple of days to start the new year off right! Y'all have a good week! Make lots and lots of memories to share! Love, Mat

Happy CHRISTmas Eve!

I hope all of you are blessed with a wonderful day today and tomorrow! Enjoy your family and the fantastic food and fellowship with each other.  I am invited to 4 different places tomorrow, sure hope I will be able to enjoy the food at all 4 of them...means I will not eat much today so I can have room or bring some home for later or BOTH!!!!  ROFL!!
I did a bit of scrapping for family for the holidays and a big birthday this month....still not finished, but thought I would post them for the printing of my book at years end.  Can you believe how pretty the full moon is??? Hope to see it tomorrow, but with the 3-5 inches of rain coming in for the weekend, it may be too cloudy. It was gorgeous and bright last night. I think I heard this is first full moon on CHRISTmas since 1977 and won't happen again until 2034!! Enjoy it, those that can see it. Here's my pages for this week....!

First is Miss Jade who celebrated her 9th birthday on the 15th in a pretty pink QP by Miss Edna...she loved it!  Pink is one of her favorite colors.  She is growing too fast.

This is Lance and Margaret and their 3 children, Hayden with Wayne and Calvin in a page I created using some frames and clusters from Miriam's Scraps....I just loaded these cluster frames on Miriam's site as freebies if anyone wants them, this is Cluster frame # 3.

Here's Amy & Michael (no current photos of them together) with their 2 girls, Eliza and Annabeth.  This is Cluster Frame #4.

This is most recent photo of the 3 kiddos together (Ruby, Jayson, Jade) with mom and dad, Christina & Jason! This is Cluster Frame #5.

And the final one for the 2 double pages is Jeff & Tiff.  This is Cluster Frame #6.

And here is Sebrina with her sweetie Jeff and his son Thomas visiting Santa.  This is all from Miriam's Scraps except the Wordart it is a freebie from Ferrari at My Memories.

When I was growing up my parents taught me to say Thank You when someone gave me something (lost art nowadays)....so I wish to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart to all the lovely designers that have such big generous hearts that share their work with me.  I appreciate each and every one of you so much! My cup definitely runneth over with abundance of affection for all and I am very grateful for your friendships! Merry CHRISTmas to all! Love, Mat

From Us to all of You

Just adored this page from Miriam's Scraps, so added a few touches and the fur babies to use this as our CHRISTmas card this year....so, From all of us to all of you....may you have a blessed and wonderful CHRISTmas and a safe, joyous, healthy and happy New Year! Love all of you! Hugs, Mat

December is half over!

I can't believe how fast this month has gone, probably because I've been so busy (like everyone else) with cards and presents and all the normal day to day stuff!  Seems like I just posted about the 26 days left and now only 10 days and it's Christmas eve!
I've made each of my great nieces/nephews a Christmas page and put them on Facebook today.  Their parents and grandparents are so happy with them.  I will share here for my book this year.  All are in free frames by Neli at Lugar Encantado Da Neli

Jade

Ruby

 

Jayson

Hayden

Calvin

Wayne

Eliza & Annabeth

Daddy Mike and his girls

Amy's friend Mistie and her daughter Audrey Grace was a RAK cause I love the photo.

These two pages I created using the Christmas Mega kit from Miriam's Scraps.  I offer the QP and Cluster frame as freebies on her site if you would like them.

This is Annabeth decorating her first Christmas tree, she was concentrating very hard on doing it right and not toppling the tree on her....LOL (This is the free QP & free Cluster)

My friend Jan who is in a rehab facility after a serious illness, now she will be home for Christmas. I created this QP using the Cluster Frames I created...! She loved it! (This is the free Cluster Frame)
We've had such yo-yo weather that a lot of sickness is running rampant around here....therefore, I'm staying inside and not exposing myself to too much of it....(at least that is the excuse I am using to stay in jammies all day)! Got some high winds and hard rain on Saturday night/Sunday morning! The ground is still saturated from the last rains so I have a river out back...but with the middle to upper 60's today and tomorrow, it should recede soon.  Then Wednesday we are to have a real cold front come in dropping us back to the 30's & 40's but with no precipitation.  We may just get a few days of winter yet! This year we have gone from AC to heat back to AC so often, my poor unit is confused! (As are all my fur babies....the ones outside have added that winter fur coat and now it is too warm).  Got some of my plants in storage unit out back, but the Hibiscus is still blooming like crazy...will probably have to put it away by the end of the week.  It has 4 blooms open today!
Well, since I have been at this computer for awhile today, I think I best get up and get some other things accomplished and allow my joints to move a bit, besides it is cat feeding time...ROFLMBO!  They are gently reminding me.  Until next time, y'all make lots and lots and lots of memories to share with us! Hugs, Mat

26 days left of 2015

Can you believe how fast this year has come and gone? Only 20 days until the Jolly Ol' Santa comes and 26 until we will ring in 2016!! I went with my friend Jan shopping last Wednesday....just not in the mood (and no extra money either)...I haven't even thought about decorating with all the outside kitties running around, definitely no tree inside, nor have I attempted to address Christmas cards.  I did not shop on Black Friday, Small shop Saturday, nor Cyber Monday....I think maybe I need a adjustment to my attitude! ROFLMAO!
I just finished with putting my home in order, I even dusted the furniture and mopped all the floors...now, I can sit and play or watch TV or color or sleep all weekend if I want to! I even cooked a pork roast yesterday and made some potato salad so I don't have to fix anything else.
I did finish the wedding album I was asked to create for Jan's great niece.  I also got a few more pages created for Annabeth's and Calvin's ABC books! I got all my files backed up on all my devices and downloaded from a couple of Christmas blog trains so I can be ready for those photos too! Here's a few I did this past week.

This is Papa with 2 of his grandchildren, Annabeth and Calvin at the pond where they fish a lot.  It is behind their house.  Lance was there with them too.  Amy took the photos and sent to me so I created the page using freebies from Booland Designs and the stamp is by Marisa Lerin at Pixel Scrappers.

Maggie sent this photo of big sis Hayden with Wayne...isn't it sweet? Hayden is a little sweetheart and loves both of her brothers. I used freebies from Kimeric Kreations.

I couldn't quit smiling when I got these photos of Calvin and Wayne from Maggie...they are so adorable, I just had to make a page of them using papers from Miriam's Scraps Vintage Baby Kit.  The same with Miss Annabeth trying to feed Eliza...they were so darned cute I decided to make a double page...boys in blue and girls in purple!

Christina posted these photos of Jade, Ruby and Jayson ready for Jingle for Jammies Day at school, but Bud did not want his photo taken with the girls in their PJs...this page created using CheyOkota freebies. The schools will try anything to keep the kids interested I suppose...never heard of so many different dress up days for school! (But then I finished school 50 years ago...LOL!)
Not much news around here that is worth boring you with, just some dramas in the neighborhood, but I try to steer clear of all that.  I like nice and quiet and peace! Yep, I lead a boring life with just my fur babies to keep me company, but I LOVE IT!  I could almost become a hermit....LMAO! Just wish the arthritis would allow me to sit here in front of this computer and create more than I get to!  I created another free QP over at Miriam's Scraps if you want it. She has an awesome Mega kit she is giving away using the original Christmas colors!

Ok, I have to get up from here, fur babies are bugging me, I can't type with them clamoring to be in my lap or tapping me on the arm for attention....I think they want some treats....LOL! So I will hush for now and wish all of you a fantastic weekend making lots and lots of memories to share! Hugs! Mat