Happy Mother's Day

Just a quick post to wish every mom and mom to be a very happy Mother's Day!!! I truly feel so blessed to be a mother of 2 and grandma of 3. God has given me such joy to be in their lives. My mother and sister will be here to celebrate this occasion with us. Busy trying to do the cleaning, shopping, groceries, meal planning and some flower gardening...well Mark is busy helping do almost all of this and I just have to supervise. What a great guy he is!! Tomorrow, Madisyn, Erin and I are attending a Mother/Daughter Tea which is sponsored by Hope Ministries. It is their only fund raiser for the year...a pretty big occasion. Hopefully, next week I will be able to share pictures from all the events going on this weekend. I know how I feel after so much fun....very, very tired!! Here are some random pictures of the boys!

Our Eric

My other post was getting too long. Forgot to update you on Eric...he was laid off right around Valentine's Day and just got back to work around April 15. He will be starting his 4th year in the electrical apprentice program. Yea for him!! He had himself prepared financially to be laid off..he knew he probably would get laid off. We don't to get to see him as often as we would like...he lives about 20-25 minutes from us now. Oh well, all we do is mention a home cooked meal and he will be here.

I have a cute picture of our neighbor's Alaskan Malamute puppy (yes I said puppy) peaking under the fence...she loves us. Mia is almost a year old this summer.

The other pictures are of my early dwarf yellow iris and my sweet almond bush which is planted right outside our garage door....it is so beautiful in full bloom and of course my favorite color PINK!!

My Back Update

The status of my low back pain. Finally, had some med changes and another injection in my low back. I have started to feel alive again. My depression reared is ugly head and left me bedridden. Didn't care if I showered, zoned out watching TV (not remembering what I watched...probably good thing), didn't care to talk to anyone in person or on the phone. That has changed ready to get up and going in the am...pain is tolerable and not unbearable anymore. My internist called on April 15 and made an appointment with an neurosurgeon which is not until June 15. She came highly recommended by patient and other doctors...so that is probably why the long wait. Hopefully, she will be able to tell me when I will be able to have surgery to have the 5th lumbar fused (which is the only option to fix my back). With me having the lap band surgery and losing weight at the rate the doctors want me to, maybe I will have the surgery soon. Praying the surgery can be done soon. Pain takes such a toll on your body and mind. For 6 years I have had unbearable pain with the 2 knees and low back...knees are replaced. They are feeling great and ready to go for long walks with Charley.

Enough of that...on with fun stuff to talk about.

Erin and the boys are still living at Hope Family Center and doing great. Mark & I have both become volunteers for Hope Ministries. Mark drives their cargo van on Sunday mornings to bring all the ladies to our church....awesome!!! There got to be too many wanting to come to church with us that we did not have enough room between the van & car to transport them. Plus there is 17 children and 5 women (including Erin & the boys). I volunteered to be a Scrapbook Sister. In July, we will get together to scrapbook...the women are so excited...so am I.

Madisyn is continuing to grow into a young beautiful godly woman. So hard to see her grow up. Our little girl!!! She is looking forward to school being out...which is around May 27 or 28. She loves inviting others to church and youth group...which she thoroughly enjoys. Our youth group is constantly doing all kinds of challenges and activities. Mark is a helper for the youth group...he left the Awana program to move up with Madisyn. He really misses the younger children...and they have never forgotten him.

I was able to return to my ladies bible study a couple weeks ago...and have been truly blessed with our study on prayer. Awesome study...plus our pastor's adult daughter is teaching it. Sherry is not following any book just her experiences and study...what a Godly young mother & wife. God is using her some awesome ways of understanding his Word and teaching us.

Spring is about my most favorite time of year with everything all new again...flowers, trees, grass and new baby animals. I took some pics of my flowering crab apple tree which has real special meaning. My Dad loved this tree and the last week of his life the crab apple tree was in full bloom and just beautiful. We brought some of the blossoms up to his room. A friend gave me a gift certificate after his death and I bought a crab apple tree, it is now it 3rd year and was absolutely gorgeous this year. A bittersweet thing to look at this gorgeous tree because it will always bloom on the anniversary of the time my Dad passed away.

First of all, I need to let everyone know I have lost 36 lbs. and feel the difference and continue to feel great about my new healthy way of eating. Mark went in for his yearly physical and has lost 18lbs. and of course all blood work is great. So blessed to have a healthy, happy husband. Madisyn is now 5'5" tall and has lost 10-15 lbs. Wow!!! Things are changing in how we think about food.
Here are some pictures we took of each other just this week.

New blog

Just wanted to let anyone who reads hear that I have started a new blog for just my cards and scrapbook pages. I will continue to try and keep family and friends caught up on our family and pictures on this current blog. Feeling somewhat better so hopefully I can blog more often. My new blog can be found here.

Unity Inspirational Blog Hop

Sorry for my delay...my internet was down...

I made ATC cards for my 7 Gypsies carousel.

The Unity stamps I used are from the March KOM, My Mind's Eye Penny Lane patterned paper, Copic markers, and some pearl and clear bling, lace, and glaze.

"God gave us loving grandchildren as a blessing for all our random acts of kindness." Author Unknown.

Hip Hop over to Donna Baker
For whateva reason this link will not work, please click on address on my sidebar on the very top. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Just Time For A New Post

Everything here in Iowa is going well.

I have lost 24 pounds as of last week, which is 2 lbs. per week and that is the goal of my surgeon. My low back still is leaving me in a lot of pain. Some days are better than others. Oh well, that is the way it goes. Will be making an appointment with a neurosurgeon to see when I would be able to have surgery to fuse my 5th lumbar.

I will be sharing some cards and scrapbook pages on my blog. I love Unity stamps and they have challenges frequently...and I like to participate whenever possible.

Everyone have a very blessed day!!

Forgot to share what I used on this card:
All paper by Making Memories, Spring & happy from Unity stamps, dew drop for center of flower, some rhinestones, punch.

New Year -Lifestyle Changes

All of you know I have a worn out disc in my lower back causing a lot of pain and restrictions in my life. Surgeons will not operate and fuse it until I lose a considerable amount of weight. My search in weight loss surgery began about 4 years ago before we moved back to Des Moines. Now, with 2 replaced knees and my back so bad my search began here in Des Moines and was recommended to see Dr. Eibes at Iowa Bariatic. In August, I attended the meeting to get things rolling. After insurance approval, pysch approval, support group meeting I got my appointment to see the doctor for my lap band surgery scheduling on Thursday, December 18, 2008; and he had only one spot for the year for surgery which was on Tuesday, December 23, 2008. My prayer all along had been that my surgery be yet in 2008, because my deductible had been met with my knee replacement in March. Well, God is Good!! I had to scramble to get my History and Physical done on Friday morning, which is my internist day off. She made an exception to see me on Friday ...thank you God again. Plus, since it was sooo close to Christmas I had to finish shopping, wrapping and cooking. With the tremendous help from my loving husband and granddaughter we gotter done. My decorating was not as I would have like but the nativity scence and tree were up.

From December 9 until surgery I was on a presurgical diet to shrink my liver to make surgery easier for the surgeon and lost 6 pounds. On Tuesday, Dec. 23; Mark & I headed to the hospital at 4:30am for my prep before surgery at 7:00am. The surgery
went very well and they did not have to repair any hiatal hernia(which is common for people who have acid reflux..which I have). I was already to walk out of the hospital at approx. 1:30pm.

On Christmas eve I was able to sit up and watch everyone open presents. Couldn't miss all that!! I had 16 staples in my stomach area, which made it a little hard to get up and down but by Christmas day I was sitting up and watching movies for 6 hours.

Eight days later I had my staples removed and was weighed and had lost another 7 pounds. A total of 13 pounds. Woo Hoo!! A great new beginning!! My jeans I had been wearing now I don't have to even unzip or unbutton to take off.

The year 2009 will surely bring many blessings to us and you!!

Christmas Pictures

Sorry so late in posting my Christmas pictures. Watch for next posting...about my Christmas present a day early.

Charley's 5th Birthday!!

MY Best Buddy turned 5 on December 19. 2008. Here is some pics of him with his birthday cookie and new toy.