Thankful Thursday

Remember last week how I showed you a few thank-you cards on my Thankful Thursday post?  How about if I do it again?  Only these cards were made by my sister, Robin.  Last Friday I went to her house and toted along some supplies so she could make some cards.  So many people have been coming along side their family and doing so many wonderful things to help.  And this is just surgery recovery stage…chemo yet to come!  I have no doubt though that Robin and Terry will continue to be surrounded with love and care.  It is how God’s family cares for one another.  How very thankful I am for that too.

When I arrived last Friday, I almost had to take a number.  Robin’s living room was full of friends and I think someone else had been there earlier.  One couple departed.  This is Mary Byers with Robin.  She had brought lunch over…and enough fixings to make several more lunches!   Then she joined us in a little card making.  Before I left, a co-worker arrived with dinner. 

This card we CASED from Pinterest here.

And this card cam from Dawn’s Stamping Studio.  “Oh so cute!” as Dawn would say!

While I was there Robin’s wound nurse, Vicky, stopped by.  She comes every other day to clean the wound and empty the wound vac.  Robin has an open wound in her belly…healing from the inside out.  I wasn’t too sure if that looked like a good thing.  Mary is also a nurse and she was really enjoying everything Vicky was doing.  When the vac was unhooked and the wound exposed, both Mary and Vicky were “oohing” and “aahing” over how beautiful it looked!  I just wasn’t seeing it.  It was kind of cool though that when a new sponge was inserted into the opening and the vac hooked back up, it kind of went “slerp” and closed over the hole.  I guess you had to be there! 

I don’t know if you can see the white box on Robin’s wrist or not…but it is taking Robin’s blood pressure.  I thought that was pretty interesting. 

Here’s Robin and Vicky, all  upright!  So thankful for you Vicky…and your  care and expertise!

And so thankful for you Robin, my sister and my friend!  I love you!

Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love,
in honor giving preference to one another;
Romans 12:10

Spring Showcase

  These are my favorite kind of spring showcase…all the flowers in bloom.  These tulips are outside my door and kind of different…they open wide like stars and close up tight at night.  That’s the only time I think they look like real tulips.  I thought I planted some red and yellow bulbs, but this is what came up!  I took a picture just a few days ago and today the daffodils and pansies seemed to have sprung and opened and the pansies are up…a real spring showcase!

Last Thursday Wally and I attended a spring showcase of another kind…for property management.  We even earned continuing education credits…if only we were still in school!  So we just took the nice certificate!

The day consisted of classes that cover all kinds of issues…from the marijuana issues, (now that it is legal in Colorado) to insurance  and technology helps.  Wally took in the technology class and I sat in on one called “What not to Wear.”  Then there was a hall where vendor and contractors were displaying their businesses.  We spent a lot of time there gathering contacts and info.  We also gathered a lot of paraphernalia!!  When you sign into the conference they hand you a pretty nice bag and we pretty much filled both of ours.  I kind of chuckled as I looked at one booth which was a law firm.  While most booths had snack size candy out, they had full size bags of skittles and M&M’s. 

Tablets, sticky note pads, pens, pencils, calculators, tons of chap sticks, those squishy stress reliever balls, mints in cute little boxes, high lighters, flashlights, hand sanitizers, magnetic clips, and candy!!  Even some trash cans on wheels and a couple of lounge chairs.  Just perfect for some little doll or stuffed animal.  So we took two of most things…and they are in a box to send to the grands!  (Sorry Andrea, but the kids will love it and you won’t feel bad when you toss it!)

At lunch we met up with Diane and Rebecca.  Rebecca is our boss and Diane is her assistant.

Also at lunch there was a motivational speaker.  I was kind of looking forward to hearing him speak except that the sound was so poor in the room, and there was a lot of lunch time conversation still going on…I could not understand one word.  And do you know who the speaker was?  Haven Moses, of the Denver Broncos…back in the day of  the Orange Crush!  (I can’t believe I even know that!)

And here’s a fine looking couple…Wally and me!

On the way out of the convention center, I snapped a picture of the Big Blue Bear, looking in.  (Rebecca’s idea)

And when we got outside we saw he was getting a scrub.  The Big Bear had recently been vandalized with green paint.  It’s been in the news… a.whole.lot!  We heard one reporter on the radio lamenting why it could not have happened to the ugly horse that greets everyone coming to the airport.  Talk about ugly and expensive!  If you live here, you know what I mean.

We stepped outside into a beautiful afternoon in downtown…wish we could have stayed and walked the mall! 

Thankful Thursday

What can be nicer on a Thankful Thursday, than to be sending out a thank- you note---or two---or three even--- because someone did something nice for you?  And I can also thank Pinterest and Stampin Up for the ideas to make my cards.

This card is for my sweet Mrs. Binkley who turned 93 in February.  She loves tulips and I remember at Stamp Camp a couple years ago we made this tulip card using the owl punch. 

  Two of our residents gave us a flower arrangement over Easter;  a beautiful Lily arrangement and just a small pot of spring flowers.  These cards are going to them.  This idea was a take on a card from Pinterest.

I am so thankful for the people God has put in our lives!  Not just because you sometimes “get” something from them.  But just because of their presence.  Sometimes its all good and other times it is rather stressful.  But always there is an influence in your life that teaches you something.  People are rather interesting…what would our lives be like with only those we want to be with or those we “get” something from?    People definitely keep life interesting!  I am learning to be thankful even for the difficult people in my life…they probably just won’t be getting a thank you card from me! 

Happy Resurrection Day

Yesterday we had a wonderful day from beginning to end.  Wally has a few chores he has to do every day here at the Polo Club, even on our days off.  He came back in exclaiming what a gorgeous day it was…like the grass and trees had just popped overnight and the birds were chirping everywhere.  I replied, “just like a resurrection morning, huh?”  We hope you had a wonderful celebration yesterday. 

Our church presented a musical drama entitled You Are The Christ…as seen through the eyes of Peter. It was “Peter’s” thoughts back through the years from when Jesus first called to him, ‘follow me”  through his denial of Jesus and the resurrection.  The young man who portrayed Peter was just excellent!  The choir accompanied his monologue and they too were excellent!  The hand bells also played…”Up From the Grave He Arose.”  I do not know how they make the music they do with just bells. 

We came home to a wonderful dinner.   We were totally experimenting, but it turned out great.  Recently Wally bought a smoker and we smoked an entire pot roast meal and two apple pies for dessert.  It was delicious.  We need to fine tune it a bit, but nobody complained!

Hmmm, are you hungry yet? 

For our Colorado family we had my Mom and Dad and Scott over, and Wesley.  Robin and her family had out of town friends in who took care of them.  It was a pleasant day from beginning to end.

Family pictures on Easter are just a tradition.  For a long time I took them at church.  As the family has now spread out here and there it is a bit of a challenge. Last year I was able to get all the kids to take their family picture and send me a copy to keep up the tradition. This year I sent out the email reminding them, but alas, one of them forgot.  I hate to shame one of my own kids so I won’t mention names.  But you should be able to figure it out who is missing. 

It was nice to squeeze one more Easter photo out with Wesley.

Elaine, Nolan, Ben and Andrea…very large with those twins!

I received this picture in a text Sunday morning…I love starting the day this way!

I made each of the kids a bunny bucket years ago.  When they all went off to college, I sent it to them full of candy and then they returned it to me in the summer.  When Andrea and Kenny got married, the bunny went with them.  But Wesley keeps returning his.  So when I gave Wes his bunny yesterday I had to tell him, “no refills!”  

Thankful Thursday-Good Friday

This week I have been reading over the words to a song that has been running through my mind…and playing on my iPod.  Good music is a great way to focus on God’s truths.  It helps to fill my mind with right thinking about God.  This song, So High the Price,  has helped me focus on the deep love that caused Jesus to extend His mercy and His grace to provide salvation.  One of the lessons I have learned in studying Genesis this year is that when God created the world for mankind, His most precious creation, He did so knowing that man would choose their own way over a relationship with Him.  Knowing this, He planned salvation first, so that a relationship with God can still take place.  The price would be His Son’s sacrificial death in my place.  The cost was high.  His love overwhelms me and His grace and mercy are lavishly given! 

Lord of glory, reigning in His majesty
Ruling long before the worlds were formed
Yet when darkness claimed His own
He stepped from heaven’s throne
To bear a cross and wear a crown of thorns

So high the price He paid, the nails, the cross , the grave
Such pardon He bestowed, such grace he showed
No greater sacrifice, He gave His very life
So deep the love, so high the price

Son of God so willingly He took our place
Clothed in robes of frail humanity
Fragile flesh and blood, priceless crimson flood
Offered up for sin at Calvary

So high the price He paid, the nails, the cross , the grave
Such pardon He bestowed, such grace he showed
No greater sacrifice, He gave His very life
So deep the love, so high the price

Buried like a beggar in a borrowed tomb
Everything for nothing so it seemed
But death could never stand
Against the nail-scarred hands
And power of heaven’s resurrected king

So high the price He paid, the nails, the cross , the grave
Such pardon He bestowed, such grace he showed
No greater sacrifice, He gave His very life
So deep the love, so high the price

Easter Cards

I could have included this on my last post but I thought it might be a little long.  Here are my Easter cards I made for my kids and family.  They might just see it here before they actually hold it.  Like I mentioned in my last post, I tend to be running late!

This is the card I pinned from Pinterest.

It is from a blog I like to visit, Dawn’s Stamping Thoughts.  I just changed the sentiment.  I really liked the purple and yellow together, even though my paper was different. 

Then I decided I wanted to change the sentiment to a Bible verse.  So I printed it out from my computer onto different colored paper.

Today in my mailbox I got two cards from Elaine and Nolan. 

This scribble is from Nolan

And this if from Elaine.  Do you see the capital letter E ?

You know I’m going to enjoy this book mark!

Cards and letters are just hard to replace with email and texts!  Hope you enjoy something that comes in the mail this week!

Easter Fun

This post is just some fun stuff I have made for Easter this year.  One good thing (and the list is not long) about always running behind is that this banner I started last year was easy to complete this year!  Here is the idea I saw and followed. Their banner was designed to hang down on a wide ribbon.  I think that is where I went astray last year…I never bought the ribbon.  This year I didn’t take time to run to Joann’s either so I went with punching holes in the corners and hanging it over our fireplace.  I think I am a little disappointed that the letters do no stand out more…especially in a photo.  But I did like using the floral paper and  I love the spring colors.  I was thinking I might do a “He Is Risen” banner also.  Maybe I could start it this year and finish it next!

I tried to scrunch the squares up to get it in a photo.  It just was hard to capture the entire thing and to have no shadow. 

Here’s a close up of just one letter…the banner spells “easter.”

I am filling in for one of the Sunday School teachers at our church for a couple of months.  It has been fun teaching older kids.  I have the 4-6th grade girls.  I made these little treat boxes for them last week.  We won’t be having class this Sunday because of the Easter drama the church is presenting.  You can find the video tutorial for these at my chic’n scratch.  She’s one of my favorite blogs on cards and paper crafts.

I picked up a couple cute stamps at Hobby Lobby recently…thinking of my grandkids.  I love this little girl, she has a Bible in her basket.  All I did was stamp them on paper ( you know I ‘m a big stamper, right?) and punched them into tags.  I tied them to a  for a milk carton full of jelly beans for Elaine and Nolan.

I didn’t make these plants but they have been fun for me to watch this Easter season…Christmas cactus in bloom!  Last year I watered the plants for one of our residents when he leaves for the winter.  This year he is not returning.  He decided to sell and stay in Arizona.  His kids have been clearing out the house and they gave me the Christmas cactus plants…and a pretty nice wrought iron stand they set on.  I had wanted to repot them every time I went to his house and watered, they were in such small pots.  So, now I did.  I don’t know if that motivated them to bloom or just why, but bloom they have.  I find it interesting that my Christmas cactus and his are both blooming now for Easter.  Also interesting is that my cactus used to be a pink flower but it is more red now.  They are really pretty. 

I hope you do some fun things this spring and Easter!