More than a Father....

More than a father, more than a friend, our love has no limit, our friendship no end. Although I cannot see you, I known I'm not alone. 'Cause my daddy's always with me, Even though we are apart, I know because you told me, you'll forever be in my heart'. Sometimes when I close my eyes, I see you sitting there in your chair and I climb on your lap and lay my head on your shoulder...and I am a child again.

By: Sherry Lyn Carsten (5-20-08)

Ok gang, I'm really missing my dad. Don't get me wrong, I miss my mom still... but my dad was there every day, my dad was my last connection to my past. With my mom, I feel there was closer, I made peace with her, and I did all I could to keep my promises to her. My dad was a different story, I was very close to my dad even though growing up was hard, once I became an adult and stuff we became closer. Ever since my grandpa died in 1997, I knew that I was left "in charge" of his things, and in the hospital. Well at the end he changed it all to his "friend" who's his ex-girlfriend...and I like her don't get me wrong, but I felt like he didn't trust me or that, well that honor was stolen from me. My dad had lung cancer and it was bad, and his suffering only got worse. I think back to those last couple days at the hospital. I know he loved me, because when I got there on Friday afternoon, I came up to the bed and leaned over and said "Daddy I'm here." and touched his hand and he grabbed my hand and wouldn't let go, even when I tried to sit down, he held on tighter.

Maybe I sould take down his photos and not look at them anymore. Maybe those are reminders....I just miss him so much. I feel like I am an orphan. I really don't have any family left. My grandparents are all gone, my siblings all live too far away, my neices & nephews all have their lives and live all over the place and both my parents are gone. Now I have some aunts and uncles but none that I am close to at all....I just feel all alone (family alone, does that make sense?). Thank God for my husband, his family and my friends... I would be alone then.

Well it's 12:22 am on Thursday and I don't feel like blogging about the blog challenge, so I will say goodbye for now...

Much Love from Michigan,
Sherry Lyn

Before I go to bed tonite, I'm going to...

....Hug all of my kids and husband, tell them I love them and always will love 'em!

Ok, I'm being very sappy today. I woke up this morning and something was weighing on me. I am missing my family, so very very much. When something is important to you, you show up... you make it happen... you work your butt off to be with that person. And it's sad to say sometimes you don't know that it is important or that people are in your life are really important. As we grow up we just think those people that are in your lives are just always going to be there...and they're not. I so want to just pick up the phone and call my dad, my mom, my sister, my grandma & my step dad. I just don't feel like there was enough closer with some of them...and really I think that is what is weighing on me.

Ok, so we are planning a trip for Labor day to spend time with my husband's family. So I will not be around from Friday to Monday... then school starts... YIPPEE, I am so ready for the kids to be in school and to have a break. :)

Tremendously Sad News!

I am in a load of shock, because my Local Scrapbook Store is closing down. :( I am really tremendously sad. :( Michigan's economy is so very bad and the store isn't making a profit. I am so sad. I sat and cried for an hour when I found out. Not to sound selfish...but how on God's green earth am I gonna get my pages done!?!?

My friend from Faith Sisters made me this really cool siggie. I love it!!

Creativity...

Why is creativity important?


Dictionary.com says that Creativity is the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; Creativity isn't just about art. We can be creative in many ways... the language we use, the sounds we make, the clothes we wear, the way we dance. Anyone can be creative even if they can't paint, dance or sing....they can SCRAPBOOK! Anyone can scrapbook, even if you don't think you can do it! I was talking to my new friend the other day, she was showing me her scrapbooks that she is working on. She made the comment "I know they're not very good, I just don't know how to do scrapping very well yet." And without thinking I commented back... "No one can tell you what is right and what is wrong, scrapbooking is about getting the memories that you and your family make. And about having fun! Going to crops, meeting new people and making lifelong memories and friends."



Now why is it important to me, well I have lots of ways that I "think" I'm creative in different areas of my life and I am surrounded by many creative people. I do crafts with my children, we have so much fun painting and creating different works of art. I love seeing my little girls' face when she is creating her masterpieces, and both my boys are so proud when they come home from school with a new "gift" for me, and when I "oooh" & "ahhh" over them they are even more prouder, makes me smile. My husband is a very creative trim carpenter and he has been creative in wood shop and art class. He has a couple of really cool snow mobile pitcures and a tin stamping of a snow mobile... he had given them to his grandparents and his grandmother gave them to him when his grandpa died. It was really awesome to see the look on my husband's face when she gave it to him. And when he shows me the stuff that he does in the houses that he works on.... man he is like a peacock. Now me, I guess I'm creative, I mean I LOVE to scrapbook and I know that is creative [to a point, I mean I scraplift a lot... shhh don't tell ;)] and people have told me that the photos I take are so creative. I sing almost every Sunday at church, and that expresses my creativeness. I write poetry, that runs in my family on my mother's side. My sister, mother, grandmother and great grandfather all wrote poems and my mother's sisters (my aunt's) also write poems, maybe some day I will share some of my or my mother's poems and my mother also crochet blankets for all her children and grandchildren. On my father's side, my grandmother did some beautiful embroidery on just about anything on top of other sewing that she did. My father and grandfather did their own kind of art when made their own fishing lures and my father created lots of leather pieces such as wallets and belts. So I have had creative people around me my whole life. And it rubbed off. :)





I believe God is the author of creativity. Really look at the world and all it's beauty. Like a sunset or a mountain top. The colors, the details, and the complexities of the many pieces that make up any of God's creations. I would like to think that when I create my art, either by photos, scrapbook pages, poems or even singing I honor God. How do you create?



These photos are just some of the art that surrounds me. I hope you enjoy them.

Sassy Saturday... UGH

Well, the Yard Sale was a flop, we made $20!!! All that work for NOTHING!! Our new neighbors came over and hung out with us, so we got to know them better... and guess what.... she is a new scrapbooker!!! How cool!!! We've made plans for when the kids go back to school, for her to come over and scrapbook together, and she wants to learn how to do some things. Hopefully I've made a great new friend. :)

Now on to the challenge...

Something nobody knows about me is...

Well, I guess nobody (but my hubby) knows that I secretly dream of learning to play the violin. I would really love to play at church. Most everyone knows that I love music so this shouldn't be a shocker for those people. And really I am an open book.

So my husband finally passed his kidney stones... YIPEE!! He is finally feeling better!!

Everyone have a GREAT Sunday and be blessed!!

Fun Friday!

One thing you want to accomplish today?....

Well, I want to finish pricing things for my yard sale that I am having on Saturday. The yard sale is part of my organizing effort. I went through my kitchen, my bathroom, the kids' rooms & my bedroom... and now everything is piled in the livingroom. I wanted to have the Yard sale this saturday so if I don't get it done today then I am going to have to aim for another weekend... which I'm sick of having all this junk in my living room... so I might just chuck the whole yard sale idea and donate the whole lot to Goodwill or something.

On a personal note, I still have a headache, not as bad.... but it's still there. I'm still waiting for my glasses to get in. Hopefully when I call today they will be there, and I can get there and stop these headaches!!

Vacation Pics... (Blog Challenge)

Hey friends, today's Blog Challenge is "When you do vacation pic. Do you make a different book for each vacation or all in one book?"

Well, I don't do a different book for each vacation. I do, however, do different books at the same time. I have a family book, that contains everything we do as a family, kids' school pics and special family events such as birthdays. I have just finished a book about my husband growing up (kind of like a baby book). I have three special 8x8 books one is a memory book on my grandparents. I have lots of different photos of them and their life together. The other 8x8 is of Marty & I and our life together, from dating to 2005. And then I did a "Book about me" for a challenge last year. I have our wedding album that I just finished last year, it's a 12x12. I have other books that I am working on, 1st a book about my childhood (since I got some more pics from my mom's estate) and the other one is on my roots, really on my great grandparents... Other books I want to do is memory books on my dad and mom now that they are gone. I still have a ton of pics of my neices and nephews so I probley should do something on them.

Now vacations are fun, and they are spent mostly up north at my in- law's place. My favorite places in Michigan to visit is the Mackinac Bridge and Mackinaw City. I love the fudge and all the history.

Well, I still have a headache...but I am supose to get my eye glasses today, this afternoon, waiting for hubby to get here to pick me up when he gets his check. We got some major grocery shopping to do and get my glasses. So maybe my headache will go away after I get my glasses.

Headaches...!!!

I don't blog as much as I used to because I've had these really horriable headaches. I've been to my family doctor, a Neurologist, and now to an eye doctor. Ok, my family doc sent me to the neurologist, the neurologist gave me anti-depressants to control my headache (can't tell you how many times I have found myself cyring for absolutely no reason) and then sent me to see an eye doc and told me to never go to a chiropractor, so I went to see the eye doc... and he told me to go see a chiropractor and gave me the news that I have to have glasses!! (I'm too young to have glasses... I am too young, right?) Does anyone have any experience with a chiropractor, should I go? What do you think about chiropractors?? Ok, well that's it for now. :)

A little bit about Walker

Hello my friends, having Tucker here, reminds me so much of Walker. I wrote this little piece just after we lost him, yes I got some ideas off of a rainbow bridge site, but it just fit him so much....I wanted to share it with you but I couldn't... after 4 months, I think I am ready.

"Walker our Beloved Friend and Companion"

October 29, 1995 to April 12, 2008

Walker was 13 years and 6 months young. Yes, young. Even though parts of him were old and slowing down he was still young at heart. Still game to chase a toy when he could see where we threw it. Still ready to insist that he follow my husband anywhere at anytime. Some days it was so hard for him to get up and down stairs, most days he took long naps & watch Maggie try to get him to play...and some days he did play with her, but he still wanted to please us with all that he was. Even at the end, Walker was charming all those who met him, even at the vet's office where we had him put down. He and my husband had a special bond, they were more than owner and dog, they were best friends, I still can see Walker wagging his long tail in love when he heard my husband's voice or when he heard my husband's truck pull into our driveway. He met every new experience with a smile, ears forward and tail aloft (oh that tail it knocked over plently of nick nacks or photos!). He was foremost among the elbow nudgers, and just plain in your face until you pet him; he saw no point in a hand lying idle when it could be put to better use scratching an ear, head or better his rear end.

Time is cruel, but Walker's light heart carried him through the years cheerfully. His life was well lived. He blessed every life he came in contact with. How could we ask him to go on in pain?

We love you Walker and can't wait until we see you in Heaven! But until then, enjoy your time at the rainbow bridge... we love you buddy!

Please vote for Maggie

Hello Friends - I was wondering if you all could vote for Maggie at Greatest American Dog

Thanks.

More pics of Tucker...

He is so smart! I've already taught him to go up and down the stairs and how to sit. We are still working on the potty, but that will come in time.

We had to take my husband into the ER this morning. He woke up in severe pain, the doctor says that he has a kidney stone... OUCH!!

Well after 4 months of not having Walker, my husband just couldn't stand it, he was talking to our neighbor and her sister is a breeder, and we got a 12 week old Shetland Sheepdog. He is totally cute, and Maggie is already loving having a dog around to play with. We named him Tucker. He is so beautiful, and so very smart. I've started training already, he isn't house broken yet and is wouldn't go up and down the stairs when we first got him, and he is doing that now (he is really freaked about going through doors.) and we went for a walk tonight and he walked some. We will get there... it's just really hard training when I've got 3 kids talking to him and confusing him. LOL!!

I saw my husband smile tonight, and I think it's the first REAL smile since we had to have Walker put down in April!! Tucker is his dog already, even though Maggie is getting really jealous! Oh yeah, we are not getting him "fixed" because the breeder would like to stud him with another puppy when she gets old enough. (NOT related to Tucker!) LOL!

Our family needed something to smile about!!

It's Thrify Thursday!!!

Hey gang... Well I am having a Yard Sale in a couple of weeks so I've been busting my hinney off to clean everything!! My husband and I cleaned out our kitchen, I can't believe that we had so much JUNK!! We have lived in the same place for the past 13 years, so things just kept piling up... literally! We set a date for the yard sale, and I started with my scrapbook area (because there was more than just scrap stuff there), then I went through the kids' rooms (toys & clothes), then went to the kitchen... now today is a relax day, Friday & Saturday I'm gonna bust out my living room, the rest of my bedroom and the two sheds. Then maybe I will be ready.

My goal for the yard sale is to clean out our house and get more organized. So here is my question... I would like you my readers to place a comment on this post and give me your organizing tips... :)

Thanks guys!!

Jeans Purse

Hello my friends...

I got a call this morning from my friend, she was in tears and finally she tells me that her 5 year old was in extreme pain and can't find any one to watch her other kids. Of corse I tell her to bring here it will be no problem for me to watch her 3 other kids. So today I had a 13 year old boy that thought he knew everything, told me I was changing diapers wrong to that I was cooking grill cheese wrong... UGH, my 9 & 7 year old foster sons, my 4 year old foster daughter, my friends 2 year old, and her 6 month old foster daughter.... AHHHHHH!!

Even though I had SIX kids I did some really fun stuff!! I made a purse out of a pair of old jeans. Anyone wanna know how I did it, just email and I will let you know how I did it.

BTW: Thanks for the comments on yestreday's blog. :)

It's been a while....

Hello all... I know I know, I've been gone for an aweful long time. My life has been crazy crazy and yep you guessed it crazy. All three of my foster kids where in baseball. UGH, Sunday to Thursday nights were spent at the ball field. I had my surgery as you know in May. Well I still have some moments when my throat just doesn't feel the same. Like at a baseball game I was yelling for my 9 year old, he was up at bat and wasn't doing very good, and I yelled his name and half way through yelling "It's okay just shake it off," I lost my voice!!

Since I've been to the Neurologist and started the meds he put me on I've only had ONE headache and fewer daily headaches. Well, except for when I ran out of meds and the pharmacy couldn't get me the meds without talking to the doctor, then I had a MAJOR headache... what was happening was my eyes were twitching, [okay this is hard to explain...so please excuse the really hard explaination :)], what I saw was flashing light - kind of like a stroub light - very annoying, and it felt like my eyeballs were spinning which made me very dizzy and I was very sick to my stomach... Oh boy it was aweful!! But better now that I'm back on the meds.

My husband hurt his back at work... 5 days with him on muscle relaxers and pain meds.... UGH!! That wasn't fun. But he is all better now and back to working like a crazy man. I thought I would share this photo of him... lol it's one of my favorites. I love him so much!!

I got to scrapbook last Friday and Saturday, I got 14 pages done!! I would share, but they have my foster kids on them and I can't share their photos.

Well, goodbye for now, and God bless you all!!