Hi world!

How have you all been?

I’m anxiously awaiting Spring. Today is suppose to be in the 60’s! Heavenly!

I have a few updates on my family to share at the bottom of this post 😀 So those who want to know what’s up, can be in the “know”.

I’m just starting to wined down from the April Release, and am getting ready for May! LOL! It is a never ending circle or events and planning.

Have you seen the New! April Release Products <—-CLICK HERE

Be sure you check out the GALLERY<—-CLICK HERE

Our Digital Release is coming up on the 15th!!

You can see a little snippet of one of the sets HERE!

Now I’m gearing up for some fun stuff to share 😀 I’m really enjoying the extra creativity these challenges are encouraging me to create!

Today we have a NEW! Pretty Palette Challenge!!

KEYWORD MTMEPPS04

To see challenge details, and/or enter your creation go to the MTME Blog<—HERE!

This is MY version of the Pretty Palette 04

I have to say I think this is STUNNING! I love the colors.

This will be a “possibility” of being my mom’s birthday card. She turns 54 this weekend. I generally make several and pick my favorite! LOL! Crazy huh?

So here are some details!

I LOVE the Singing Silhouette ©  set 😀 So pretty.

So I cut my Caged © cut file, to cut my cage, I then stamped my cage, with a little masking, and stamped the branch and flowers from the set, then added my bird 😀

I used the postcard sheet from the Cool Romance © digital paper.

I cut it out, then added a dirtied up silhouette flower from the Occasional Labels © set in the lower left hand corner.

I used the writing from the postcard as my “sentiment” on the palette.

For the bottom “pattern” layer, I made my OWN paper 😀

That is my favorite thing to do!

I used the Argyle Amazement © set to create my pattern. Can you say LOVE IT!!

Well what do you think? Pretty nifty eh?

Now for an update! If you don’t follow my family, no biggie, just move on to view the Pallete Challenge!

As I said my mom is turning 54 this weekend. It is a very pivotal time, as it was that weekend last year that her life forever changed.

It has been a year since her husband was arrested for her attempted murder. He is still in jail. The case is going to trial as he refused a very good plea bargain, which would have lead to deportation.

He is denying his confession, claiming he didn’t understand what he was saying (his first language is Portuguese), and requesting that the video confession, after his arrest, be thrown out. Trust me he speaks English very well.

Anyway, my mom returned to court to renew the restraining order. The judge granted her a 3 year order. They are undergoing trail very soon (we don’t have an exact date yet) and she has filed for divorce. We don’t know if he could get out so better safe than sorry (not that a piece of paper could save her from him, but it can be helpful-right?)

In the divorce he wants half of everything SHE worked for, AND get this, he wants Alimony when he gets out because SHE ruined HIS life, and he won’t be able to find work. The list of insanity goes on and on.

 Hopefully we will get  a judge with an 1/8th of a brain, and he will not allow any of this to take place. My mom has been paying on everything (his vehicles and other stuff she wants possession of, as she needs these items) always, and more obvious since his incarceration.

So a long way to go with that.

Now we go on to her Cancer. She will undergo surgery the 29th. She will be hospitalized for a week and then have a long recovery. She will undergo 2 more rounds of chemo after healing, then to hopefully be cured 😀 She has been amazingly strong through all this. She had many weak moments, but in the end she found the strength she needed to move forward with her life!

Her life isn’t ready to be over. She has much left to do in this world 😀 I’m not ready to not have my mom around yet. I have 2 girls of my own to raise (and a son) and need someone to guide me on what I’m doing, and how to get through the tough stuff.

Speaking of girls, many have asked for updates on Alexa.

I will post some photos of her soon.

Tonight she is partaking in a school event, where she will be doing African drums, and dancing! I hope to catch it on video (hoping for good quality so I can post it here for you all to see her! She has grown and matured so much in this last year).

As May approaches she reaches her 4th year in remission!!

She is by far the strongest person I know. She is my little hero. I am in a constant state of awe of her. She is in the ‘pre-teen” attitude stages, and I have to remind myself this is a good thing! The attitude is insane! Everything is an argument. She wants it her way or no way. Sounds like me when I was her age.

 That being said, I am ever grateful for these daily struggles of will, as she has always been strong willed. It is far easier than the struggles with her life. I’ve been told that it is her strong will that pulls her through. It is why she does so well. Well that and God’s hand guiding her through. Alexa has a great purpose in this life, I am certain of that. She keeps me in constant check, of what is important in life, and how fragile and precious each moment is.

I recently had a meltdown over the fact that the 2 years she was ill I took barely any video or photos. I didn’t want to remember anything about that time, now I sort of wish I had. Especially when we went to Disney. I SHOULD have video tapped at least that! That was a a happy time. After some severe mommy guilt, I promised to record more, and take more photos.

Well that about wraps up the family review, for now anyway. I’ll let you know how the dance goes 😀

Thanks for following our story.

Until next time!