Fast paced life

  It seems that I have been crazy too busy lately. I am truly working on several different things that will ultimately simplify life. The problem is that in the implementing them it seems to get worse before it gets better. Hoping that I am starting on the downhill slide  now.
  I did another project life page for the Week-2-Week challenge. This time the challenge was to use this sketch. I really like this one! I am also submitting to Stuck on Sketches date tag challenge.

Here is my take. Sorry for the lousy pictures my camera has decided not to communicate with my computer so these are with my non iphone camera. sooooo

 We put a tire swing up in our backyard for the grandkids to enjoy. these are pictures from the first day. The boys really do enjoy it..... and so do the adults!
Hope you have a blessed day.
Brenda

Still Christmas in July

  I continue to work through two  30 day Christmas in July card challenges.  I have completed 38 of the 60 cards.... trudging right along.
  This is this weeks Mojo Monday sketch

Here is my take....what an odd camera angle LOL

Thank you for stopping by,
Have a blessed day.
Brenda

Christmas in July

  I am in 2 separate Christmas in July challenges. so hopefully at the end of the month I will have 60 unique cards. This is another awesome sketch at Mojo Monday.

Thank you for stopping by.
Brenda

Week-2-week

  Back again with another project life page actually a 2 pager.... are you kidding me. The challenge at Week-2week was to add a pocket. This started out truly as a challenge for me, but I am so glad that I added it. First I was able to hide some journaling and then I have stuffed a few momentos from the week in there too. I also am going to add at  Stuck on Sketches ,the challenge there was to have 2 journaling cards.... alas I had 3!! Yep lots to say about VBS this year. It truly was an awesome week and worthy of two pages!

  I am really enjoying Project Life because you need so few "supplies" it is so easy to create embellishments and journaling cards. Makes it super simple!
Thanks for stopping by!
 Brenda

Finding Your Voice Week 2

 Who Am I?

 This week Kristin has given me amazing questions and guidance to begin to really look at who I am.
I had a bit of a struggle actually working through this lesson. I had to spend some time not only working through a few of the questions but also trying to reconcile why it was so hard for me. A friend recently sent  me a daily devotional ; this mornings entry was on judging others and ourselves. Romans 8:1 "There is no condemnation for those who belong to me. " I am good at telling you about the person that I desire to be even better at exposing the person I am not. But it is time that I own the person that I am including the good parts of this person . It is time to accept the forgiveness I have been freely given and build on these strengths and gifts.
   My worst day ever was November 18, 2006. My life was in a great place; new house, great job and hubby was on vacation. It was our tradition for him to take the week of Thanksgiving off to help me get the house ready and to decorate for Christmas. We were very excited because Christmas was to be the first time that all my family would be under our new roof. The list was ready and we were humming along. Jeff was working on his truck and I was grabbing a bite to eat before I left to go shopping.......Bam!  My world went spinning off it's axis. Jeff comes in and tells me his chest hurts call 911........ I will spare you the many details. The original problem an aortic dissection became  MANY additional complications....Yes all my children were "home" for Christmas, eating at the snack bar in the hospital, not my plan. Fast forward to one  week after my 50th birthday, 62 days later, I am joyfully bringing my husband home in a wheelchair. For months the high point of my week was leaving Jeff at dialysis so that I could get things done and have a moment alone to think. I dance and  sing  praises that 6 months after the "event" he returned to work, no more dialysis and sans the wheelchair. For six months my life had been 100% about caring for him and keeping our household going. I lost my job and any semblance of a life that I had begun in our new hometown. Time for a TOTAL life reset. This is not how I had envisioned our lives as fledgling empty nesters!
  The last few years have been full of many ups and downs, sorrows and blessings.This roller coaster ride called life has definitely shaped the woman I am. I  struggle some days saying good bye to the lifestyle I knew and loved. I feel that I am finally ready to truly leave my past and race toward the incredible future that I know awaits me.

 This is the first page this week in my book.

Thank you so much for taking time to journey with me.
Many blessings to you.
Brenda

Mojo Monday

 I am in a Christmas in July challenge in a yahoo group. So since it is the first of the month here goes. Love this sketch and what an amazing giveaway at Mojo Monday to celebrate 300 sketches! I am also going to enter this at Always Play with Paper. This is the first time I have ever been to this blog and they are having an anything goes Christmas card challenge for the entire month.... I just have to love a challenge blog that has Merry Monday all year round!

So here is my first Christmas card!

Thanks for taking the time to visit.
Have a wonderful day!
Brenda

Findng Your voice

  I tried starting another blog for things not crafty and having 2 was overwhelming for me so going to combine the two and see if that works better???
Wednesday I saw a status on facebook about Rukristins blog doing a "Finding your voice" free workshop. The status referenced better journaling on scrapbooking post. And of course I am excellent at clicking links. When I began to read about the course I realized that it is so much more. I am really struggling with becoming authentic and not allowing others to define me. I think that this is a course that if I follow through will help me with this process. 
  I have tossed around and started (just barely) a "me" type journal....... how many times now.....countless. Yep, I am the ultimate author of unfinished projects. I am really hoping that this will be different. I saw at Michaels the other day Simple Stories SNAP line and thought it would be perfect for this type project and the next day clicking a link find the project. So I am off to the store and when this is posted there WILL be a page to show you.

  The thing that became glaring apparent to me as I have worked through this assignment is that I want to find my voice because I believe that is the road back to my confidence. At 56 years of age I still suffer like a young school girl with a total lack of confidence. I know that I am a child of the one true king and that I have value but I do not live it. I know that my life is over half over and I am so tired of this battle. I want to find my voice and my confidence so that possibly one person may be spared this long and lonely journey.
 When I did my pages for my new Snap book I discovered that when I am doing a "me" project I do not want to "waste" product. That spoke volumes to me. Made me sad but also made me feel growth when I put things on MY book. 
  And here is a collage of pictures that I took this week.I truly hope to grow in my photography skills. Taking 5 pictures a day is easy taking 5 worth sharing is a challenge.

 Again as I worked through this part of the challenge and have read post by others I am ready to focus my photographs more. I intend to try and capture images of 5 things that make me proud that day. I think this will be a visual reminder of my worth.



Thanks you so much for your amazing attention span if you made it this far.
Now off to enjoy the blessings in your day!
Brenda