A Touch of Christmas by The Kit Cart

Download word art here

Jamie of The Kit Cart Designs has another adorable kit for us today.  It's called A Touch of Christmas and it has 70 elements, 17 papers, 2 alphas and there's a super cute set of tags!  Check out the preview...





Here are some layouts I've made using A touch of Christmas...





You can find this kit at The Kit Cart blog store and at Gotta Pixel so check it out!

Where's the weekend when you need it?

Download word art here

Going back to work this week has been exhausting!  I've come home everyday and napped and napped and napped then gone to sleep for the night.  lol!

One of the teachers at school got a grant to plant a garden with the kids and  she asked some of us to join her.  As soon as she approached me I made it quite clear that while I thought it was a wonderful idea; I know less than nothing about planting and growing things. 

People, I have killed a cactus and I'm pretty sure I can even kill plastic plants if they're left in my care for too long! 

I agreed to go along with the project for the kids but I'm not above buying vegetables at the store and placing them in the garden so it looks like I've grown something.  lol!

Anyway, I had to go over a four page survey with each child in my class individually, give each student a 20 question pre-test, then grade and record the test scores. 

Seriously, I'm doing an awful lot of paperwork just for the privilege of killing some poor innocent plants. 

Thank you guys for the emails about Sebastian!  I promise to let you know when the cards start arriving.

Now, don't worry if I disappear for awhile.  You see I plan on winning the big powerball prize.  I know I'm going to win because I asked the Magic 8 Ball if I should buy a ticket and it said YES.  Then I asked if I was going to win the money and it said YES.

I had to buy a ticket because everybody knows the Magic 8 Ball doesn't lie!

Just Believe by Nibbles Skribbles

Download word art here

Just Believe is a great Christmas kit by Nibbles Skribbles. If you do the Elf on the Shelf at your house for the holidays you'll really love this kit! There are 50 elements, 12 papers, an alpha, a set of word bits and 9 solid papers.











Here's a layout I made using Just Believe...



And, of course, I'm on the good list...

11-27-12

Download word art here

Another surgery for Sebastian

Download word art here

Remember the text message I promised to tell you about?  The one that reminded me of just how lucky I am?  Well, here it is...

"Sebastian is scheduled for surgery on Dec. 19 for his right arm.....He's scared but he's being a little soldier."

I was reminded of how lucky I was to know such an amazing little boy.  My scars will heal and no one will ever be the wiser.  Only the people I have chosen to tell will ever even know what I've gone through. 

Sebastian's scars are different.  There is no hiding them.  They are there for anyone to see.  He is only six, but he is confident enough in who he is as a person not to hide these markings. 

He is a soldier.  He is a tiny little six year old soldier who is facing a very big battle.

This surgery will be more difficult than the last one.  It will bring more pain and possibly even more rewards.

You see, if this surgery is a success, Sebastian will have movement at his elbow.  He will actually be able to bend his arm.  Can you imagine that?  Something that seems so simple to you and I could make all the difference in his life.  Just think of all the possibilities that could open up for him!

This surgery is also scary because he's had it before...on his left arm.  That surgery didn't work.  There is no movement at his left elbow.  There is no movement, but there is a scar.  A permanent reminder of what might have have been and what we hope can still be.....someday.

If this surgery is a success the doctor's are willing to go back in and redo the left arm.  Another surgery.....another chance....endless possibilities.

This surgery is different because Sebastian is six now.  Even though it's been less than a year since his last surgery he will tell you that he is a year older.  A year older because he is six now. 

He is no longer in Kindergarten.  He still likes Justin Bieber.  He still thinks that everyone should just be nice.  He still loves Spiderman and video games.  He now wants to be a doctor when he grows up ~ a doctor who helps children with their bones.  He still loves the smell of his mommy's house.  He wants to grow up and get married and have children ~ a boy and a girl.  I know that he would still save the princess if he could.  He is still the bravest person I have ever met.  He is still my hero.

Christmas will be very different for Sebastian this year.  I am sure that he will receive the normal presents and well wishes that all six year old boys hope for this time of year, but there will also be doctors and casts and pain and medication and sleepless nights for him as well as his parents.

 Because he is six now, Sebastian is that much more aware of what going to the hospital means.  He is more aware of the pain he will endure.  He is more aware of the hard work that will come after the surgery.  He is more aware of his differences and how special they make him.  He is more aware of the world around him and the looks he gets from strangers.

Perhaps the biggest and best gift Sebastian can receive this year is hope.  Hope for a surgery that accomplishes what was only a dream a few short years ago.  Hope for an arm that works the way it should. Hope for the future that he dreams of having.

I am once again asking for your help in filling his hospital room with love and hope.  The cards you sent for the last surgery meant the world to him.  He still talks about them and the far away places from which they arrived. 

Do you think it's possible to get even more cards this time?

Please share this post and send a card if you can


Sebastian
c/o Ms. Brown's Class
Greynolds Park Elementary School
1536 NE 179 Street
North Miami Beach, FL 33162

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

For those of you that are new to my blog and don't know Sebastian's story, you can read about his last surgery here.

11-26-12

Download word art here

11-25-12

Download word art here

11-24-12

Download word art here

Thankful It's Fall by The Kit Cart

Download word art here

This adorable little kit was a Facebook freebie in early November, but if you missed it don't worry because Jamie has added some extra elements and papers and placed Thankful It's Fall in her store! And...it's even more special since Gotta Pixel is having a 40% off Black Friday sale!



Sorry, I don't have the updated preview with the new elements and papers, but you can see it in The Kit Cart store!

Here are some layouts that I've put together...

I'm doing well....

Download word art here

I went in for my procedure the other day and the fabulous Orange Croc Guy was up at 5:30 AM to drive me to the hospital.

Me:  You don't have to stay.  You can go home and get some more sleep and I'll call you when I ready for a ride home.

OCG:  I'm not leaving you there alone.

Me: I'll be ok and I won't mind if you leave.

OCG:  I know you'll be ok, but I'm still not leaving.

We arrived and I got checked in and taken immediately to get prepped for the surgery.  I managed to get through everything without crying until right before they took me into the operating room.  lol!

I was on the operating table and looked at the clock on the wall as I was falling asleep.  It was 7:15.  The next time I saw a clock it was 9:30 and they were waking me up in the post-op room.

What was the first thing I said?

"Did I wet myself?  I feel like I wet myself."  They tried not to laugh and assured me that I hadn't. 

It was then explained to me that while I had been unconscious the decision had been made to keep me in the hospital over night.  OCG was being told and once I was moved and settled into a room he would be brought up to see me.

A couple of hours later I woke up in my room to find OCG there with the charger for my phone, the ipad and my laptop.  He had left after all!  But he didn't go until he learned that I would be staying overnight and he ran home to get things to keep me busy while I was being held hostage.

The poor guy even stuck around and ate a hospital lunch with me. 

I sent him home with the assurance that I was going to be ok and really just wanted to be alone so that I could sleep.

Bright and early Wednesday morning I was informed that I could go home.  I quickly called OCG and proceeded to get dressed without even bothering to take a shower while my discharge papers were getting prepared.

OCG arrived, I got loaded in the car and we headed out.  We stopped at the drug store because I had a prescription to get filled.  OCG ran it inside and came back to take me home after being told there was a 45 minute wait.

OCG:  I'll get you settled and come back for the drugs.  Do you want anything else?

Me: Hot chocolate and bagels.  Toasted with lots of butter.

OCG:  Bagels?  How many

Me:  32

OCG:  You want 32 toasted bagels with butter?

Me:  yep, and garlic salt.

OCG:  Did they give you some medication before you left the hospital?

Me: no

OCG:  Could you still be feeling the effects of whatever they gave you yesterday?

Me:  I doubt it, but wouldn't that be cool!

We got home parked the car and OCG held my arm as we started to walk inside.  It suddenly hit me how atrocious I must look.  I decided to pull up my sleeve so that my my hospital and allergy bands would show.  My hope was that anyone we passed would notice the bands and feel sorry for me instead of pointing and screaming.

OCG:  What are you doing?  It's cold out here.

Me:  I don't want people to think I'm doing the morning after walk of shame.

We got inside without scaring anyone so badly that they felt the need to scream.

OCG:  I'm going back out to get your stuff.  I'm taking your keys and locking the door so you don't have to get up for any reason.

Me: What if there's a fire?

OCG: There won't be a fire.

Me:  There could be a fire.

OCG:  If someone comes to the door yelling "fire" and you smell smoke then you can get up and open the door.

Me: If I cook there will be smoke.

OCG:  OMG!  Don't cook anything!  I'll be right back.

There may have been more to that conversation, but I really don't remember it cause by this point I had already kicked off my shoes and crawled into bed wearing the same clothes I had worn to the hospital the day before.

I woke up a little later to hot chocolate, a bagel that had been toasted buttered and sprinkled with garlic salt, my prescription bottle and OCG who seemed very grateful that I hadn't actually tried to cook anything.  lol!

All in all, I'm in pretty good shape and while I still feel some after effects of the surgery they aren't nearly as bad or as painful as the first time around.

Right now, I have to say that I am thankful for so many things!

I am thankful that I was able to enjoy a wonderful meal with my rag tag group of friends today.

I am thankful that as I type this they are all sitting across the room laughing and talking.

I am thankful for all the emails and messages wishing me well.  Many of them have come from you guys.  People I've never even met, but still consider an important part of my life.

I am thankful that on Wednesday afternoon after OCG had left and I sat alone feeling sorry for myself and crying that I received a text message that reminded me of just how lucky I am.

As soon as I find the words to share the text message with you, I will.  It needs to be heard.

 

Nibbles Skribbles is having a Black Friday sale!

Download word art here

Gratitude by Shel Belle Scraps

Download word art here

Shel Belle Scraps has released a beautifully soft kit called Gratitude. It has 14 papers, 38 elements and a full alpha.



Here are some layouts I've made using Gratitude...





If you love this kit as much as I do you'll be happy to know that Shel is having a sale and you can grab this kit as well as many others for an awesome price!



Have fun shopping

Go Vote by Two Moose Designs

Download word art here

If you missed this cute mini kit while it was a freebie you're in luck now because it's been added to the Two Moose Designs store at The Studio.



I think I've already shown you the voter registration cards I made for our mock election at school...



But did I show you our ballots? I made these using Go Vote with an ice cream cone from the Icee Sweet kit by Scrappy Cocoa and a cookie that Steph and Manda found for me...



By the way, ice cream won our election by a landslide!

Here's a layout I made using some of the photos I took on our election day and a template from the Two Moose designs variety pack....

Autumnal by Nibbles Skribbles

Download word art here

Autumnal is a beautiful new kit from Nibbles Skribbles. It has 33 elements, 18 papers and an alpha.  There's also a set of matching solid papers.

Manda of Nibbles Skribbles said this kit was a stretch for her, but I fell in love with it as first sight! What do you think?









Let's all let Manda know how much we love it!

Here's a layout I made using Autumnal...

11-20-12

Download word art here

Radio silence

Download word art here

OK guys, it's time for me to start getting prepared for my next procedure.  I may not be around much for the next several days, but I promise to stop in and let you know how I'm feeling as soon as I'm up to it.

Try and stay out of trouble because I don't want to miss any of the good stuff!  lol!