Need help!

Ok, this is my first attempt at scanning and stitching. I used Adobe Photoshop 7. How do I get rid of the gray line where the photos merged???? Any and all advice will be appreciated!

I am so proud of my baby girl for facilitating See You At The Pole this year! It had not been done in her middle school in recent years and she happily volunteered to lead the prayer.

Her friends Matthew and Dasnee helped out and we carpooled together this morning.

Even Gram and PaPa got up at the crack of dawn to be there for her.


I don't know who these girls were but they really touched my heart.

Marissa began by prying for our President and Vice President, and then moved on to the school board and teachers and staff, then closed by praying for her friends and all the students at her school. She had a strong unwavering voice and did a great job! We are so proud of her!
If you are not familiar with See You At The Pole, you can read more about it here!

New Hairdo!

Whatcha think?

New Layouts

This first layout is not all that spectacular but I had such a great time that night and I loved the family pictures so I just had to do it!

In all fairness this next layout is almost an exact copy of the one on the front cover of September 23009 Creating Keepsakes magazine. I even copied her idea to make it a pocket page! I think this idea will be used again and again.

This one I like...it is my first successful use of the Heidi Swapp ghost letters. I like how it emphasizes the feeling of glass on this layout.

These next 2 pics are documenting the change in Marissa's playroom...from little girl to preteen. I did a close up on the journaling.


This last layout is of Jamie and the swords PaPa got him. IT was a very special gift for him and PaPa pulled many strings to get the swords!

Hopefully I can get scrapping done this weekend. I have some great pics that I got printed at Snapfish that I want to use plus some I printed at home, thanks to my good buddy bringing me a whole box of ink carts!!!!! YAAAAY! I love me some free stuff......

OUCH!

This morning my husband woke me up at 4:30 in horrible pain. He was trying to stand up to get up and go potty, but his foot was hurting. When he put his foot on the floor and tried to stand, he nearly collapsed on the floor as severe pain shot up through his ankle and into his leg. After Marissa got onto the bus, I took him to our doctor. The doctor poked, prodded, drew blood, asked questions,and promptly diagnosed him with GOUT! I was shocked. I thought that was something only elderly people got!

Treatment is pretty vague at this point. It is wrapped in an ace bandage, and he is supposed to be drinking tons of water to flush the uric acid from his body. He has to keep it elevated, and take a non-steroid anti-inflammatory every few hours.

POOR GUY! He is in a lot of pain! I feel so bad...there really isn't anything I can do!
(You know how that is, the mama in you really wants to fix it whenever someone is sick!)

Anyway....blood results should be in tomorrow to show the exact level of the uric acid in his body and the doctor will determine then if additional medication is necessary. Until then, it is pretty much grin and bear it.

So please say a prayer for Jamie, for speedy healing and that he can return to work on Saturday as anticipated.

9-11

I cannot believe it has been 8 years. This year 9-11 is on a Friday again, just like the actual day of the attacks on the World Trade Center.

I saw the headlines today announcing that various sports teams and civil organizations and other groups will be doing things to commemorate the anniversary and it brought back memories of that day. I remember how scared I was after the attacks, and how I wondered if our world would ever feel safe again. I thought of the pride I felt in our firefighters and police as they worked so hard to save people trapped in the building, and how we all rejoiced as many walked out alive. I recalled the sadness at how many lost their lives, and the stories of their loved ones left behind. We all sat glued to our TV in those days after the attacks, searching for answers or maybe just "rubbernecking" at the devastation because we were so numb. And I remember sitting on the couch with tears streaming down my face as we saw footage of the "Shock and Awe" campaign. (Not that I do not or did not support our country and military in it's endeavors, I was just so sad that it had come to this) I really can't put a name on the emotions I felt that night, it was a combination of sadness for our world and fear for our children and pride in our country and many other emotions all rolled into one.

I have heard many relate that day as a day they will never forget, and I think it is a day that will be like the day that President Kennedy was shot for my generation. Everyone remembers where they were when they heard that the towers had been hit and were falling. I had dropped Marissa off at preschool and I was taking my grandmother to look for new eyeglasses. Our first stop was the WalMart vision center to see what they had. For whatever reason they had a big screen TV int eh front of the store that day, and I saw the news broadcast that the first tower had been hit. AT that time we all thought it was a tragic accident. We left Walmart and headed into Savannah to America's Best Eyeglasses to see what they had and heard on the radio in the car that the second tower had been hit and that it was believed to be a terrorist attack on our country. I didn't know what to think. We left the eyeglass shop and headed home and as I drove down Abercorn Street I saw the police and SWAT team in their black protective gear surrounding the FBI building and it wasn't until then that I realized that life would never be the same.

Part of me wanted to go get Marissa out of preschool early and take her home, but I wondered if she was safer there or with me or if she would ever be safe again. I decided to pick her up at regular time, and when I did, I noticed that although the kids did not know anything there was a definite somber mood in the air and sober expressions on the teachers and staffs face.

That night as I lay in bed, I wondered what would happen. Would we recover from this and go on as before, or would there be more attacks? What was was coming next??? For the first time in my life I have to say I briefly considered moving to Canada. I am ashamed to say that because I love my country and don't think I could ever leave but that is just how afraid and confused I was.

So what about you? Where were you when the towers fell? Leave a comment please and share your story. And tomorrow, say a prayer for our country, it's leaders, our military and every American everywhere.

Middle School

Wow....baby girl had a hard day today. She got off the bus and burst into tears as soon as she walked in the door. Being in a homeroom class without any of her old friends is hard. She has not made any new friends yet. She feels left out. I feel so badly for her, and part of me wants to storm the school and beg them to move her to another homeroom, but I just don't know if this is right. She was very upset, and cried for quite a while. She is sad that her old friends on the bus are talking all about their new friends. She feels left out. It was a bad day in 7th grade......

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Swine Flu Paranoia is Getting Out of Hand

My friend Debbie sent this to me and I had to share it! This is too funny!Poor Piglet!!!!

Welcome to 7th grade!

Marissa is officially a 7th grader! We had a good morning. She got up and got moving without much complaining, and we were at the bus stop at 5:50. She hopped on the bus and began chatting with her pals. Jamie and I rode down to the school to walk in with her and give Jamie a chance to meet her teachers since he was working at Open House. We were both amazed at how orderly the students were and how well organized EVERYONE was. WE LOVE COASTAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Marissa was fine riding the bus because she knew her bus driver from last year. We are so blessed to have Mr. Knight as her driver. He loves these kids like they are his own! Because Marissa sits right behind him, he says he is "drivin' Miss Daisy". She loves her bus! She did want us to meet her at the school however to walk in with her. We went in for breakfast with her and after she ate (cheese toast, cereal, mixed fruit and milk), walked her to class. She trotted right on into her homeroom....no tears, no anxiety, PRAISE GOD!!!!!