Saying Goodbye to September and the Giveaway!!
I can hardly believe that September is over. Where does the time go? I'm a little sad about it. September has been absolutely gorgeous here--in fact it's been in the 90's this week. Not quite ready for the cold, slushy October weather that we typically get. Our October is full and will be as equally busy as September: Dentist, Orthodontist, birthdays, family visits (woohoo!!!), and Halloween. Will you trick-or-treat on Saturday or Sunday? Around here, we do it on Saturday. That probably throws a couple of people. But we like to leave Sunday for Sabbath Day activities. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that our church will do a trunk-or-treat. Never heard of that? It's where all the cars line up in the church parking lot, open up their trunks and pass out candy from their cars. It's quick, easy, and I trust the people giving my children the candy. Easy-peasy and especially great on yucky weather Halloweens. :)
I wanted to give you one last reminder to make a comment on the blog post below for your chance to win this stamp set:

Here is another project I completed using my copy of the set, which was published in the Stamping Idea Book:

And I'm going to throw in one extra GIVEAWAY!! I'm going to give away a copy of the Stamping Idea book to another winner. I will select all winners from the previous blog post. Good luck!




I Haven't Forgotten

About my online scrapbook garage sale that is. I'm just digging out from creating two classes for 2Peas, filming for those classes, as well as lots of blog posts and assignment layouts. I have an upcoming Halloween class for 2Peas that I'm super excited about. You can find general details about the event at 2Peas here. Be watching for some sneak peeks. Really. I had WAY too much fun with this class.


Also, do you love Jennifer McGuire? She's returning for a special event in October. In addition to Jennifer's classes, I will join with other GG's in some fun stamping opportunities. There's a lot going on at 2Peas these days. I hope you join in from time to time!


Today on the Create blog, I have a tutorial on creating banners. Banners are all the rage these days, so I wanted to share my method for making three-dimensional banners for my layouts. Be sure to check out the instructions here.



And now I am off to finish reclaiming my scrapbook room and filming for the classes. Hopefully Youtube will be cooperative today. Have a lovely mid-week!


Feeling Sunny

Just another quick post for today. Completed this "Zoo Trip" layout using American Crafts "City Park" line. Ok. Seriously in love with this line. Really amazing stuff. And I even snuck in a little pink on a boy layout. GASP! It can be done! LOL!




You can find additional photos of this layout, and purchase the supplies to make this layout here at 2Peas.
You can also see my first layout for the AC Design Team on this American Crafts Blog post.
Our Greatest Fears

I had the opportunity to film a "Stories to Tell" segment for Northridge Publishing for our October issue which you can see below.



October's theme was "fears" and covered a variety of themes within that idea. The submissions for this article ranged from the hilarious to the serious. And the one layout that I shared in this video is the one that was hardest for me to create. It focuses on every parent's worst fear: losing a child. This layout was a hard one to journal through. I shed many tears, but I needed to let out what I was feeling. I think it will be a powerful memory for my children and their children to read someday.



For additional ideas on how to journal through your fears, check out the October Scrapbook Trends issue here!
Feeling the Fall

It's chilly in the mornings. Still pretty hot in the afternoons, but chilly in the mornings and late evenings. I've pulled out my jackets in anticipation. (And I even bought my son his winter coat already--you never know with our Utah October's.)

Today is a busy day and hopefully productive. I need to climb out from under the weekend mess. Does anyone else have stuff pile up over the weekend? Makes Mondays a little crazy.

I do have a fall layout to share with you from 2Peas today. It went live with the rest of the Garden Girl's projects this morning. Check out each Monday for a whole new slew of great ideas from the GG's! There is a lot of stamping on this project. Sometimes I just "need" to stamp. You can see more pictures and purchase supplies here.


Now I'm off to take the little guy to school.
Saying Good-bye to Saturday

It was a productive but slow day, and I, frankly, needed that. So busy these days. Worked on my new "How To" article for Scrapbook Trends. I really am excited about the new direction we are taking with it. Lots of fun things to learn, and I love playing with new tools and products.

Tonight I have been listening to the LDS General Relief Society broadcast. I love hearing our church leaders speak to the women of the church. It is uplifting and reminds me of what is really important. And can't we all make positive changes in our life? I know I certainly can!

One project to post today. Just a little "thank you" gift set for a friend. I used both American Crafts "Junior" and "Abode" to create this set. I also used a "Thanks so Much" stamp for the sentiment. Really simple project, but it takes a simple treat and card to a whole new level. You can find many of the products on this project here.



Wishing you a lovely weekend! Hoping to take a ride up the canyon to see the leaves soon. The mountains look beautiful!
Stamping Idea Book and a GIVEAWAY!

Have you checked out the Northridge Publishing's Stamping Idea Book? It's full of beautiful projects! For this particular issue, I contributed an article based on three designers using one stamp set. Each of us used this stamp set from Hero Arts:


I created two projects, including this little frame using the Hero Arts stamp set:



Then I asked Kandis Smith and Nichol Magourik to contribute some projects as well.
You can download the digital issues of our past magazines here!
And now for the fun part!! How about a giveaway? I have an additional "Mi Casa" stamp set for one lucky winner. This stamp set is new except for the large house image which was inked with black ink for photography purposes. For your chance to win, simply leave a comment by midnight MST Friday, October 1. A winner will be announced on Saturday, October 2nd. Please be prepared to offer your address within one week or a new winner will be selected!
Recovery and a Couple of Calls

So I had my friend's three little boys for the last 24 hours. They are the cutest little dudes. But it made me realize just how challenging little people can be. My youngest is in 2nd grade and gone to school all day. Funny how quickly you forget how the younger hooligans needs constant watching and entertainment. I'm exhausted! It's good to be reminded how awesome I find their mother. Yes, you know who you are. I don't know how you do that everyday and you even take them to run errands. GASP! So here's to all the mother's out there with young children. Kudos to you!

I wanted to point out a couple of calls from Scrapbook Trends. Here's a couple of hints to catching the eyes of our editors:

* Take a great picture of your project!
* Send in one project per e-mail.
* Send a little blurb (at least) with a tip or trick to creating your layout.
* And YES, our editors look at EVERY submission
* DON'T give up. Keep trying. And don't be afraid to resubmit a layout, card or project that did not get picked up before. It might fit a new call that we have.

Create: Quick & Easy 2011 Idea Book Call

Scrapbook Trends Magazine is currently looking for projects with the following themes for our Create: Quick & Easy 2011 Idea Book:

4 x 6" Photos
5 Ingredients - use only 5 supplies to make your card/project/layout
Cards
Celebrations
Embellishments
Family
Mini Albums
Sketches - please include your layout along with the sketch
Two-Page Layouts

***PLEASE SEND A SEPARATE EMAIL FOR EACH SUBMISSION YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE CONSIDERED FOR PUBLICATION.***

Deadline: 11:59pm (Mountain Time) on Friday October 8th, 2010.
Please send submissions to submit@northridgepublishing.com

March 2011 Call

Scrapbook Trends Magazine is currently looking for layouts with the following themes for our March 2011 issue:

Baby
Birthday Cards
Fun with Flowers
Spring
Stamping
Stitching
Two-Page Layouts
Real Life: Friends - Take a moment to celebrate the people that mean the most to you. Include your friends in a layout to record that special bond.
Challenge: Sketch - Create a layout based on your own original sketch (and please make sure to include the sketch!).
How To: Die Cuts - This new article focuses on techniques. This month, show off your favorite technique for die cutting. You may be requested to provide some items for "how to" photography or to star in your own "how to" video.
Showcase: Layouts you love that don't fit any other category. Be prepared to share the story behind the layout, why you created it, and why you love it.

***PLEASE SEND A SEPARATE EMAIL FOR EACH SUBMISSION YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE CONSIDERED FOR PUBLICATION.***

Deadline: 11:59pm (Mountain Time) on Saturday September 25th, 2010.
Please send submissions to submit@northridgepublishing.com

You can find all of our submission requests here on our website! Now go forth and CREATE! :)
Two Peas "Mini Album a Month" Class and a Tutorial

My September "Mini Album a Month" class went live at 2Peas this week. My class lasts for a month and includes photos, a downloadable pdf, and a helpful video. You can enter the challenge by following the directions here. All entrants have the opportunity to win a $10 Gift Certificate from 2Peas. This month's theme is a fall accordion album. Accordion albums are quick and easy to assemble and are perfect for smaller format albums. I hope you'll join me this month!



In addition to my class, I have a "Work It Out Wednesday" tutorial on the Create blog this morning. In this tutorial I demonstrate how to print text on a photo--something I really love doing.

I'm exhausted. Short night with a little fellow who is missing mommy. Breaks my heart to hear him crying out for his mom and dad in the night. Dad will be here later this evening to pick him up. Although it's much easier to distract kids during the daytime, I think he'll be pretty thrilled to see his Dad. What a cutie pie!
You Guys are the Best!!

After a very depressing weekend, I'm so happy to have the nicest blog readers in the world. Give me a few days to re-kit everything and photograph each kit. I will give a 24 hour heads up so everyone will know when items will be available. Then I will sell items on a first come, first served basis. But I like I said, I will give 24 hour notice so everyone that wants to will know when to come and "shop" here.

Watching the fires in Herriman, Utah. It's amazing how quickly people's lives can change. About 1400 hundred residents have been displaced. Three homes have been destroyed. We never really know when tragedy will hit. I wonder if I had only five minutes notice what I would take. I think it would be good to have a master list laminated on my fridge. We have our important papers in one location so we could pack up and take those, but what else would you take?

I want my journals, my photos, and my computer. My son would want his blanket and probably a few toys. My daughter wants to take her art portfolio and a little treasure box she's kept with things from Joey. Most of the other things don't matter. But imagine having only five minutes to choose. What a difficult decision. My heart and prayers go out to them.

I wanted to share a layout I created for July's Scrapbook Trends issue. This theme was "dreams." It's funny how you never imagine your life quite the way that it turns out. For both good and bad things. I feel blessed to have the life that I do. And I'm very grateful to have such amazing children and a sweet husband.


What do you dream about? Have you fulfilled your dreams? Do you keep a "bucket list" of items you'd like to accomplish? What is your biggest, unfulfilled dream?
Garage Salers are a Unique Breed

Garage Sales have changed a bit during my time (does that make me sold old--hee, hee). I expect people looking for a bargain. I expect people to offer a lower price. I expect people to dig through my stuff to find just what they need. I except and embrace it.

But times have changed, my friends. Now you can expect people to show up and ask you a price on something. At half what you were charging you cringe, but you recognize you are doing this to make money. You accept the offer. They walk around carrying your item, then change their mind, drop it somewhere else and leave. Another buyer browses through your stuff, insulting your taste, questioning why anyone would purchase that item, and then leave in an insulted huff. If it isn't free, they don't want it. Forget the fact that you paid three times as much for an item, they don't care. They want you to hand it over for nearly nothing and thank them for taking it off your hands.



Can you guess how my garage sale went? Yep. Total bust. The most dead I've ever seen it. Sign of the economy? I'm not sure.

Thankfully there was a sprinkling of super nice people, especially the ones that bought suckers and soda pop from my son. He made himself a nice little chunk of cash. That redeemed several people in my eyes. (I promise he reserved this face only for his older sister taking pictures. LOL!)


Soooooo . . . I will be kitting up items and photographing them to share with my blog readers. I will ship internationally, but do you have a suggestion as to postage. Meaning, is there a preferred way of postage: UPS, FedEx, Regular Mail, Flat Rate International. I will offer the best deal on shipping that I can. But wanted to hear what my international readers like to see.

I have lots of really good stuff still available so hopefully you'll see something you like.

On another, more positive note my friend had a baby shower for her first daughter after two boys this weekend. I wanted to create something that she could hang up in her daughter's nursery. So I created this alphabet art.



I used Michelle Underwood's "Go Fly a Kit" kit from 2Peas, which you can purchase here, to create a grid of the letters and then printed it out on textured cardstock. Simple and easy but I think will look cute in Molly's room.

Here is a look at the kit:
I love how it came together so quickly. Now that I've vented about my garage sale. I'm off to recover my house from the weekend and list a couch for free on the internet.
Wish Me Luck!

So today's the big day--my scrapbook/garage sale. I need to take a photo of the madness. At least I hope it will be madness. I have so much stuff to sell. And I really do want it to sell. I've spent hours kitting items and organizing items and pricing cheaply so that people can quickly find what they want and leave. I know there are other sales they will probably want to get to.

Jimmy wanted to set up a little candy table and Kate is selling some of her old Polly Pockets and Barbies, as well as, some hair flowers she has made (yet another talent I didn't realize she has). I love my little entreprenuers.

Between work, church items, and hanging out with my brother it has been a VERY full week. I told my husband last night that I'm tired. Not sleepy tired (although I did sleep pretty well last night), but rather life tired. Next week is equally busy, but mangeable. I have a good life, and I shouldn't complain. :)

I wanted to share one project with you. This was sent out with the latest Northridge Publishing newsletter. I love using vintage notebook paper on projects. If you are not yet receiving our weekly newsletter e-mails, be sure to sign up here.

Now I am off to hang up my garage sale signs and purchase some ice for the boy to sell some soda pop. Have a lovely Saturday!
Just Everyday Stuff

Went over to take of my brother today. He's doing better, but as he has many health issues, we are constantly on the watch. His story is quite a miracle too. Someday I'll have to share it--but as he is an easily embarassed 21+ year old, I will spare him for now. Still I worry constantly and I hate seeing my Mom and he so worn out. They both amaze me.

Tomorrow I am going to embrace my inner garage saler, and start setting up, organizing and pricing for my garage sale. I'm not thrilled about doing it. I never am. But I AM thrilled about saying good-bye to the stacks and stacks of goods I need to sell. I hope it's a good sale. I want it GONE.

Come and join me for a 2Peas sponsored "Back to School" class. I am featuring an altered memo board. You can find a helpful video and download a pdf with instructions and additional photos here.


Today's "Work It Out Wednesday" on the Create Blog is about tying ribbon to a frame. You can read the directions for this tutorial here.


One other note . . . this fun kit is available for sale through Northridge Publishing. I really loved working with this kit!


Today I hope to get the garage sale stuff under way, get some laundry done (oooh, so exciting), and maybe work (emphasis on the "maybe"). May you have a lovely day!
Thank You and a Few Things

Your comments are so kind. I love my blog readers. Writing Joseph's story is difficult but I've had this nagging feeling for a while now that I needed to get the basics down all in one place. I keep a personal journal, but have not yet been able to bring myself to write the details of all of it yet. Three years later, and I still struggle to do it. Thank you for listening! I am doing pretty well today and I'm sure there are lots of good days ahead.

On another note, there are two fun challenges I wanted to point out.

The first is a Boo-ville challenge hosted by Little Yellow Bicycle:

The second is hosted on the Create blog and involves using your personal or handwriting products on a layout. Here is my take (using rub-ons from Melissa Frances). You have until Friday evening to enter:


Wishing you a lovely Monday morning!

Joseph's Story

I know that many of my readers are familiar with my son, Joseph, and his battle with cancer. But I wanted to tell his entire story for both those readers and those who are not familiar with his experience. I will keep this page as a permanent link for all to read.

Joseph is my first born. Even before I met my husband I always felt like there was a little spirit waiting and wanting to come down. So it did not surprise me when we became pregnant just three months after being married. He was born in the wee hours of the morning after laboring for about four hours. He was a big boy at over 8 pounds. And his little face was squished so that his eyes, nose, and mouth were all in the center of his face. After the forceps required to extract him, we were still surprised to see how funny he looked. His little head was covered in whispy dark hair, and his eyes were a dark, dark gray.


Joseph's battles began early with a terrible bout of colic. The boy just couldn't burp or pass gas so his feedings were difficult. He cried and cried and was always drawing up his legs in the most terrible pain. It was a challenging time for his dad and I as we struggled to know how to help him. After about 4-5 months, the colic seemed to get much better and he developed a happy personality.

At the age of 2 1/2 and almost 3 Brett and I left he and his sister with Grandma so that we could take a trip to Hawaii together. When we returned she informed us that he had been suffering from diarhea for a few of the days that we were gone.

We had not been home long, when he developed flu-like symptoms. He was throwing up and throwing up and with such violence. We took him into his pediatrician who gave him a shot of anti-nausea medicine and we took him home to wait. He did not seem to improve. We had several calls from family members who felt impressed to tell us to take him back in. Although, we felt silly for going in two times in one day, we made the trip to the after-hours pediatrician. He did not hestitate to admit Joey right into the hospital because he was extremely dehydrated.

What followed were several days in an isolated hospital room with several tests. It was finally determined that he had developed Clostridium Difficile or C. Diff. Typically most people contract this bacteria from taking too many antibiotics, but Joseph did not fit that description. This bacteria was attacking his colon and causing the diahrea.

We began meeting with a Pedatric Gastroenterologist. She was fabulous and helped us work through the process of trying to help Joey get better. Although the flu-like symptoms were abated, the diarhea continued.

We were charged with collecting stool samples from a child who was not yet potty trained. And after several months of tests, and samples, and doctor visits, we learned that his C. Diff. had turned into Ulcerative Colitis. We were scared but naieve about what the difference was and how treatment would change.

Ulcerative Colitis is an immune disease where the body begins attacking a healthy part of the body. The immune system turns on but does not turn off. Joey's immune system was attacking a particular part of the colon and there was no relief from the symptoms no matter what we tried.

In the midst of this new diagnosis, Joseph was also diagnosed with asthma. We took turns spending time in the hospital each year for either bronchitis or dehydration. We became very adept at packing up and heading to the hospital.

Joseph was a trooper through all of it. He rarely cried or complained even after days of throwing up, IV's, and test after test. He was pleasant and kind to the hospital staff and doctors no matter the situation. I was most often the one staying with him at the hospital while Brett attended school full-time and worked full-time.

During the 10 years of Joseph's disease, we never found relief for his Ulcerative Colitis. Many people have periods of relief and remission. That was not the case for Joey. Instead we made plans for him to attend school despite having 6-8 trips to the bathroom a day. Often he was not able to make it and took an extra pair of clothes with him to school in case he needed to change. He withstood ridicule from his peers, the embarassment of his situation, and the struggle with being different.


Joseph has the amazing ability to be cheerful and to make friends. People loved him. He was polite, kind, loyal, and hard-working. Although Joseph's disease made things like Field Trips, Recess, School-wide Testing, and basic other skills much more difficult he never complained. His teacher's loved and respected him. Joseph was typically at the top of his class and was always surrounded by good friends.

We continued to pursue his care as we moved from Utah to Savannah, Georgia. We tried tried-and-true treatments, innovative IV therapy, dietary changes, and everything we could think of yet there was no change. Joseph continued to have chronic diahrea, frequent bouts of flu-like symptoms and trips to the hospital.

In fact one of his medicines, caused kidney stones and so we ended up in the hospital again for a few days as they learned of and worked on this new development. He passed one of them and spent half the day in the Emergency Room on Christmas Eve in excruciating pain. One of them was the size of a small watermelon seed and quite sharp.

In the fall of 2005, Joseph had his typical colonoscopy. The doctor mentioned there was a hardening in the colon, but we received no information that we should be concerned or worried.

When we returned to Utah, we met back with his original doctor and continued treatment.

During the summer of 2006, Joseph seemed extra run down and tired but we attributed it to our move and starting a new school and hayfever. Joseph began to complain in the early fall of a hard spot in his intestinal area. I could not feel it. But when we went to his appointment with his gastroenterologist, we discussed it. She was concerned. She could feel it. She immediately sent us from our doctor's visit over to Primary Children's Hospital for a CT scan. We spent hours waiting for our turn and then for the diagnosis. There was something blocking his colon.

His doctor once again discussed with us the back-of-the mind thought we had all known: that we might need to remove his colon. It was much earlier than we had planned to do this, but it needed to come out. We were scheduled for the following Monday.

We were not more worried than any other procedure. The doctors and nurses were kind and reassuring. Joseph was a typical trooper and remained calm and jovial. When he came out of the procedure, the nurses commented on how polite he was. I was proud of him and happy to see his sweet little face recovering well.

But we were not prepared for what came next. The lump was the size of an apple. They sent it out for testing. I remember sitting in Joseph's room. He was watching TV and still in intense pain. The scar spread across his abdomen from hip to hip. It hurt to walk, to stand, or even use any of his stomach muscles. The doctor called me out into the hall.

"It's cancer," he said. I felt instantly light-headed. I need to lay down, sit down, pass out, something. "I need to sit down," I said. He reached for the nearest wheelchair. I sat while he continued to explain. "It appears that it has been touching the liver so I scraped off what I could see on the exterior of the liver," he said. He went out to explain some details with me. He was shocked and saddened for us.

I returned to Joey's room. He could tell something was wrong, but I remained calm and tried to appear fine. He did not need to hear the news yet.

I left his room to call Brett. As there is no privacy in a busy hospital, I sat in the foyer of that hospital floor and sobbed as I gave Brett the news. He was shocked and upset as well. We were heartbroken. Our worst and yet impossible fears had come true.

Joey recovered well and was sent home to recover while we waited for the next step in his treatment.

Within a few weeks we returned to the hospital to begin chemotherapy. The oncologist discussed with us a treatment plan. We were clueless and confused and lost, but we listened and tried to research and tried to trust that this doctor would know best how to treat our son. I look back now I have so many questions I would have asked then. But I am not a doctor. I could not even think of all the things to ask or wonder about. No one ever said what stage of cancer it was or what the outlook would be. But we definitely could tell it was serious.

Joseph's chemo required that he have a three day hospital stay each treatment. He was thrilled to learn that the oncology floor had X-box's in every room. He sat in his hospital bed and received his treatment. I stayed at his side as much as possible. On some days his dad would come and stay and work from his hospital room. We were blessed to always have one of us at his side.

After several bouts of treatment, and several scans it was determined that the cancer had spread to his liver. In another agonizing surgery, they removed half of his liver. This scar stretched from his sternum past his belly button, forming the shape of a saber sword, which he actually thought was quite cool but scared his father and I. The doctor called us back to the lab where she actually showed us how much cancer the liver contained. The spots were each the size of a 50 cent piece. I was sickened and devastated.

Joseph struggled to recover from this surgery. It was really never the same after that point. Just a few days after this surgery, his bowels stopped moving. They opened him up AGAIN to discover a twisted bowel. They fixed it and closed him back up.

They transported him from his bed in Primary Children's to the LDS hospital for radiation treatments on top of chemotherapy. I had to pick up my little boy and move him from one wheelchair to another. We took a terribly bumpy ride from one hospital to another in the back of a hospital van. Joseph moaned in pain and we carried a throw up bowl with us everywhere. I was angry that he had to be transported at all. I wavered between anger and frustration and exhaustion. Why couldn't this be easier on him?

There came a time when they asked us if we wished to care for him at home. Joseph wanted to be at home so he actually rest. We learned we could continue radiation treatments at the cancer center at a closer hospital. We were thrilled. Brett and I were trained on giving him daily shots, changing his central line and IV, taking his blood pressure, and administering his medicine. Although I have been queasy over blood most of my life, the mother bear in me kicked in. I tracked his dosages, stayed up with him through the night, and cared for all his basic needs.

He stopped eating almost immediately upon coming home. We had nutrition through his IV. He could not leave his bed to urinate. He could not stand to be touched. We increased his morphine and administered Benadryl ever four hours. He lived for the Benadryl. He hardly talked. He slept all day and all night and woke only for short bouts of labored conversation. He contracted pneumonia and struggled with coughing. I sat the doctors down and asked them the hard questions, "Would he recover?" Their answer was "no." "What is the time table for this then," I asked. "Soon. Within a couple of months most likely," was their reply. I was shocked, disbelieving, and unprepared. We made the decision to tell him the outcome because we didn't feel it was our right to keep that from him. That was the hardest conversation I have ever had in my life and I wouldn't wish that upon my worst enemy. It was devastating and he could hardly fathom the news. I wonder sometimes if we made the right decision telling him, but at his age I felt he had the right to know, to prepare, to be aware. No parent should EVER have to tell their child that they are dying. It was awful, horrible and excruciatingly painful. I still feel deep hurt over that conversation and that diagnosis.

Joseph celebrated his 13th birthday on April 14, 2007 with Make-A-Wish. They went all out with a Clone Trooper costume. Darth Vadar and a storm trooper attended. They spoiled my other two children with so many toys. Although he was grateful, he lay on the couch and begged to be taken back to his room almost before the festivities began. He had no energy to give other people--let alone us. We did see one smile as he received his gifts from his siblings and us the morning of, but he was past the point of caring any more. It was simply too much.

A week and a half later, Joseph asked to sit up. He was having some trouble breathing. I put him in a recliner. Then we tried sitting him up on the couch. I left the room for a moment, and when I returned he was sitting up struggling to breathe. I loaded him up in the van and drove him to the after-hours pediatrician. They took his oxygen stats. They were appallingly low. The doctor called the hospital, which thankfully was just a half block away. The EMT's arrived to transport him that short distance. I called my husband and met him in the hospital ER.

It was chaos. Doctors were rushing around him. They had already taken a chest x-ray. The life flight pilots arrived, and they discussed transporting Joseph up to the children's hospital. They intibated him. Brett and I wept in each other's arms as we watched our little boy be put under. They wheeled him out onto the helicopter. I couldn't help thinking that he would have loved knowing he was going on a helicopter ride. They asked us questions about resuscitation. Despite knowing his diagnosis it was unnatural to suggest that we would ever "let" our child go. We begged them to perform whatever lifesaving measures were necessary.

Brett and I rushed home to grab some supplies and then made the 40 minute drive up to Primary Children's hospital. We rushed into the Intensive Care unit to find Joey actually somewhat coherent. We asked him how he was doing, he gave us a thumb's up sign. We laughed at his always positive attitude. He continued to maintain his positive personality despite it all.

Joseph continued on the breathing tube with in the ICU. We were encouraged to say our good-byes. We notified our extended family and they made the treck up to the hospital. They allowed us to escort two family members in at a time to say their good-byes. They sedated Joseph just a bit so the people would not overwhelm him. I sat in the rocking chair and I watched those he loved whisper their good-byes and hear them thank him for the kind of boy he had been in their lives. It was a beautiful glimpse into the life he had lived and how many people he had touched. To see my heartache mirrored in their own faces was so difficult.

Joseph hung on for a few days more, but in the night of April 27 as I lay on a cot next to his bed, I heard something change in his breathing and movement. I awoke instantly. I voiced my concerns and the nurse agreed that Joey was struggling more. When morning arrived, I called my husband and asked him to come up--something was not right.

April 28 was the most difficult day of my life. We knew what was coming. We cried. We each spent individual time with him trying to say a lifetime of loving messages. I won't share the details of his passing. It is personal, private, and painful. It was horrible. It was devastating and agonizing and filled with more pain than I knew was possible for human beings to suffer through. My beautiful son passed away in the evening and we had to return to a home without him. I will never forget the details of the day even though part of me wants to.

Returning home to tell our other two children and my Mother was agonizing. They were heart broken, and we all spent most of the night weeping. For days we wept. Our children wept. We wept. Jimmy, Joey's younger brother, worried over our reactions. He would flash a huge smile at us every time we cried in an effort to cheer us. It worked. And we tried for their sakes to be strong.

Joseph's funeral was beautiful. So many friends and family from his and our past attended. We felt loved and blessed. It wasn't a sad day for me. It was a tribute and honor to Joey's life, and I was proud of my little son. We selected a casket to match his love of Star Wars: shiny silver and unadorned. We covered his casket with beautiful flowers and gardenias, which were his favorite flower from our life in Savannah. It was a beautiful day.


Although I miss my son every minute of every day, the one thing that has uplifted us and sustained us is our belief in an afterlife. We believe that when we die we are met by loved ones and the Savior who welcome those who have lived right into a state of rest. Joseph certainly deserves rest. I know that when I die, I will see my son again. I look forward to that day. I expect to see my little son tower over me and lift me up in a big hug. I will laugh and rejoice in that. In addition to life after death, we believe in the Resurrection, a time when Christ will return to the earth and all who have lived and died will be lifted from the grave. Spirits will return to bodies, and we will have the opportunity to finish raising our son, watching him grow in health and possibly marry and raise a family of his own. I could not share Joseph's story without sharing my testimony of this. I KNOW this. Joseph would want me to share this with you. If you would like more information on our beliefs as Latter-Day Saints (Mormons), you can read here.
If you have suffered a similar loss, my heart goes out to you. My heart aches for you. I have talked with several parents and children who have lost loved ones. I would be happy to talk with you if you feel the need to share your story. Please feel free to reach out if you need someone to talk to. It would be a beautiful way to honor Joseph's memory.

I love you, my sweet boy Joseph!


Children's Cancer Awareness Month

I have created a special post containing Joseph's story, which I will also post today.

How can you help in the fight against cancer?

You can make donations to charities that fund research or that give proceeds to hospitals that treat cancer. You can assist in making a child's wish come true. You can devote your time and talents by serving as a volunteer at a local cancer center. You send uplifting and light-hearted cards to a person in need. You can offer to babysit siblings, take in a meal, clean their home. You can offer a shoulder to cry on and a listening ear. And you can offer a prayer or positive thoughts.

Just knowing that someone else values your pain and your struggle can make a bad day better.

My profuse thanks goes out to all those who sustained us in any way during and in the years since our son's passing. I will never be able to fully thank all those that touched our lives, but I love you all!
Copic Coloring: Magic of Christmas Card

I wanted to show you how I've begun (and I'm emphasize "begun") using Copic markers with my stamped images.

First I HIGHLY recommend that you purchase Neenah's Solar White paper. It allows the Copic color to seep into the paper and yet spread. It's so much easier to blend with this paper. Not absolutely necessary, but if you really want to play I suggest getting it.

Secondly, I suggest purchasing Memento's Tuxedo Black stamping ink. It does not bleed as you are blending and works in perfect harmony with the Neenah paper.

This is the stamp set "The Magic of Christmas" that I used on today's project:

And now for the card. First I stamped the Christmas branch image on the Neenah paper. And then I colored in the branches first with the light color and then with the dark color and then with the light color again. (I decided beforehand how I thought the light would hit this branch and shaded accordingly. I suggest watching some Youtube videos on shading with Copics if you have questions.)



And then because I only a few Copic Markers, I pulled out my Stampin' Up! markers to color in the smaller ornaments. Although these markers are not good for blending, they have rich colors and work perfectly fine, especially when there are not large areas to shade and color.



The next step was to stamp the medium ornament onto a square of the Neenah paper and color it in.


I then decided where I wanted this image to be placed on the branch and stamped it again. I also added shading to the right and slight bottom of each ornament with a gray marker. I also cut out the original ornament (minus the hook at the top of the ornament):



I decided that the stamped image looked kind of plain and empty so I cut down the image, distressed the sides and ran the entire piece through my Cuttlebug using an embossing folder. (NOTE: I also drew a line from the medium-sized ornament up to the branch with a black marker.)


Finally I assembled the card with some coordinating patterned paper, a silver bow, and grey photo corners. I added pearl gems to the center of the medium ornament and used adhesive squares to pop the colored ornament on top of the plain ornament. The sentiment is stamped with Versamark ink and then embossed with silver embossing powder.



Supplies:

* Green dot patterned paper (Little Yellow Bicycle)

* Red striped patterned paper (My Little Shoebox)

* Photo corners (Heidi Swapp)

* Embossing folder (Quickutz)

* Markers (Copic, Stampin' Up, Inque Boutique)

* Pearls (Zva Creative)

* Ribbon (Offray & Sons)

* Scallop Sentiment border punch (Fiskars)

* The Magic of Christmas clear stamp (Hero Arts)

* Stamping ink (Memento, Versamark)

* Embossing powder (American Crafts)

Today is a typical Saturday for us here in the Gallacher household: laundry, dishes, cleaning, etc. Brett is running a Relay Race this weekend and will be back this early afternoon. He has three sections of the race. I believe a 6 mile, a 6 mile, and a 4 mile. He thought at least two of them woud be in the middle of the night. Man, he's dedicated!

This Has Been Our Road . . .

Missing Joey a lot the past couple of days. Funny how I will be just fine and then an intense wave of pain will wash over me, and I just feel devastated all over again. Working through it. Possibly going to take the kids to the cemetary this weekend. The "Moving Wall" has come to Utah for the first time and I thought it would be good to visit.

I wanted to use the Little Yellow Bicycle's "Pack Your Bags" line to write about some of my feelings. We have been on a special kind of journey with losing our son. And even though these are travel-related products, they fit my mood perfectly. I find it cathartic to write about my feelings when I feel like this (I also give myself permission not to when I don't feel like talking about it).



Supplies:
* Cardstock: Bazzill, Prism
* Brads: American Crafts
* 1 3/4" Circle Punch: EK Success
* Brown stamping ink: Michael's
* Cuttlebug die cut machine: Provo Craft
* Staples: office supply
* Twine: craft supply

Thank you for letting me share my thoughts today. I'm sure I will be fine. I just have good days and bad days. Thankfully I think we all have more good days than bad days, which is a very good thing!
Teen Angst
So we have it here at our house. Not every day. But it sometimes rears its ugly head. And I had to do a layout about it. My daughter is fabulous. Seriously!! She amazes me with how kind, how hard-working, and how service-oriented she is. But really. It had to be said. ;)

I used Little Yellow Bicycle's "Free Spirit" line which is perfect for any teenage project.



Here is a close-up of the journaling block. I printed the text out on a scratch piece of paper, made sure my letter stickers would fit, and then reprinted the text on a journaling card from LYB. Then I layered the letter stickers (except for the "A"), and then added two strips of orange cardstock and some buttons. I added the "A" to the word with adhesive foam dots.



Supplies:

* Purple cardstock (Die Cuts with a View)

* Scallop scissors (Provo Craft)

* Ribbon (Bo Bunny Press)

* Twine (craft supply)

* Buttons (Basic Grey)

* Border punch (EK Success)

* Staples and paperclips (office supply)






* Font: Century Gothic (MS Word)

On another note, my brother is doing slightly better today. Thank you for thoughts and prayers!
Just a Little Update


Sorry for neglecting my blog for a few days. But I did want to give you a quick update.


My brother's stones grew in his bladder (of all places). They were each the size of a pea. He's still struggling with his pneumonia and some bleeding from his procedure to remove the stones. My Mom is a trooper and as a single Mom is both working full time and trying to play nurse. I am going over today to help some more. Please continue to keep them in your thoughts. I'm worried about both of them.


I have one layout to share with you from the June Scrapbook Trends issue. You can download or purchase the issue here.


This was a layout for the "Father's" section. I really love the conversation my son and Brett have with each other. It's important for kids to know that you love them and to hear it. Apparently my son hears it enough because he already knows what Brett is going to say before he says it. That makes me happy!


My 2Peas Goodie Box

My goodie box arrived yesterday. Like I said before, I've been saving up to get some CHA goodies. I picked some older product too because I loved it. But here is a quick photo of some of what arrived. New supplies always make me want to scrap:



But it's going to take a backseat this weekend. I promised to take my daughter on shopping trip, as she's been faithfully saving her babysitting $. But I'm also REALLY concerned about my younger brother who had 13 stones removed and has contract pneumonia AGAIN. :( I'm worried about both him and my Mom. Would you please keep them in your thoughts?
Man, Now I'm REALLY in Trouble


I went to a Stampin' Up! class last night. Have you seen their new catalog? Holy cow! Um, total eye candy and beautifully done. They've redone some of their colors, including bringing back some of their "In Color" tones from past years. Can you say "Wasabi!" I am in no way associated with them, but I always buy their catalog each year. It's one of the best stamping idea books out there.


Now I want to rethink my scrapbooking budget. Ha, ha. When it rains it pours. I am going to have to get my rear in gear and start getting my scrapbook garage sale organized, priced and DONE!! This will be a good motivation. At this point, I just want some stamp pads. I LOVE their stamp pads. I get a true, rich color every time and they seem juicy forever!!


I see that my order from 2Peas should arrive some time today. Oooh. I am so excited. Makes me want to design something!!


Speaking of 2Peas. Come and chat with me TONIGHT!! Here are the details. And there WILL be challenges and prizes involved. You can also chat with some of the other Garden Girls, as well. I hope you'll peek your head in!


I have one layout to share with you from May's Scrapbook Trends. It's an "All About Me" page. I just stamped on some cardstock circles on which I had first printed some little blurbs about myself. It's hard for me to do pages like this, but I recognize it's also important.






If you want a copy of the issue, you can order a hard copy or download a digital copy here!


And now I'm off to work on some "for fun" projects after all the stamping inspiration I received last night! (I spent well over an hour drinking up the gorgeousness in the new catalog.)
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