Me and Gary with Ashton on Christmas Eve at our house. I have no idea how many pictures were taken of this precious little one...I think everyone there had their camera ready. Oh yes, I have many more of him, will post a little later.
This is a fabulous QP made by Linda (scrapswithoutscraps) one of CJS Creation's creative team members. Thanks for the beautiful layout, Linda using CJS "Christmas Kit". Check the blinkie on the right for more fabulous freebies.
This of course was Ashton's first Christmas and I think it was more fun for everyone else in our family than it was for him. However, when his Daddy put him in the gift bag, he was perfectly fine with being in there. He seemed to know that everyone thought it was a really big deal that he was the star of the show and the best present that any of us received. God has truly blessed us with this little one.
I stopped by to visit Miss Gerri tonight, but when I saw the sign on her door, I quietly tip-toed away. Didn't want to disrupt "Her Creative Highness" while she was working.
Kit is from lots of different CJS creations kits. I didn't think Miss Carol would mind, since she's the one responsible for this. LOL
Our grandson, TJ and his wife Amber live in a different town (not too far) from us but it is only a few miles from the North Carolina state line, so the church they attend is Elk Park First Baptist in Elk Park, NC. Anyway, they had their Christmas play last Sunday morning and Ashton played the part of Baby Jesus. We couldn't attend because we are in the choir at our church and we were doing our Christmas Cantata at the same time. But, thanks to our daughter, we got pictures. I know the close up picture is not very clear but I just had to trim and re-size so that you could see his little head and foot sticking up in the manger. You know how we grandma's are...trim, re-size, adjust color, etc, you do what ya gotta do to show those grandchildren off! lol . (in this case, great-grandchild). All of you who are close friends know how blessed we are to have Ashton and we will be forever grateful for all the prayers that you all sent up for him and our whole family.
The kit is CJS "Winter Blue".
One of my other favorite hobbies, besides, digi scrapping, is quilting. This is a picture of one that I made for our granddaughter, CJ, a couple of years ago. I used several of my favorite pictures of her and put a verse in the middle square that says "I asked God for a flower, He gave me a garden; I asked God for a tree, He gave me a forrest; I asked God for an angel, He gave me a granddaughter." She was so thrilled with it and will not let anyone touch it. I hope it will bring her precious memories long after I'm gone.
The kit is Magical Sherbert Holiday from CJS. The frames were freebies, but don't remember where I found them.
Yep, this was drawn by our oldest grandson, TJ, who is Ashton's dad. All I did was put it on a background and cute little frame from CJS creations newest kit "Baby Boy Jasper". No PSE, no PSP, no anything done by me.
I overheard Papaw and Jacob talking about their fishing trips together this summer. It seems Jacob remembers his fish being just a little bigger than what Papaw remembers. lol So I went through all the pics that I took this summer and came up with the small picture on this page....so.... maybe Jacob was exaggerating "just a little" (don't all fishermen?) But hey, it's the size of the memory made that really counts.
I have no idea where I was trying to go with this picture...but I don't think I quite got to my destination! LOL. I took this pic yesterday morning and thought it was quite pretty so I decided last night to try to make a scrap page with it. I tried and I tried and I tried, but nothing seemed to look like I wanted it to. So after much altering, adding embellishments, adding effects, blending and deleting all of the aforementioned things, I just gave up and this is the end result.
The background is from CJSCreations "Fall Splendor" kit.
It's the same game every fall.. my poor Rhett fights with the many trees we have, to keep the falling leaves out of his precious lawn. He absolutely cannot stand for the lawn to be covered in leaves! He gets out the mower and rides around the yard for hours (we have a big yard) cutting up the leaves so that they make mulch for his precious lawn. He has done this four times already in the past two weeks. Did it today...lawn looked very nice when he finished... late this evening we got rain and wind....ya know what that means?? THE LEAVES WIN!
Kit is "Get Ready For Fall" by CJS creations.
Of course we think this is the cutest little pumpkin in the patch! This is our precious Ashton who, although he didn't get to go out on trick or treat night, was still dressed for the occasion. He has another costume also (a little cow) but will save that one for another day. He is up to 1o 1/2 pounds now, which doesn't sound like a lot most people, but that calculates to 8 pounds gained in a little over4 months. Still has to wear his heart monitor, but the doctors say they may be able to take it off next month. We praise God daily for our little blessing.
The background is from Fall Splendor kit by CJS and the "frame" is from the new "Flings and Things". I love it Miss Carol...thank you so much for sharing your wonderful talent with us.
Seems that Miss Carol isn't the only "Southern WannaBe". This lovely couple were seen checkin' out plantations for sale in nearby Gatlinburg, TN. I sure hope they find one. Only thing is, Miss Gerri...it takes more than an occasional "y'all" and a few Mint Juleps to make you a true southerner. One thing ya gotta learn is southern spellin' and language. You becomes ya, sometimes two words become one...as in woulda, coulda, shoulda, didya (as in didya have fun in TN) also one very important thing is most words don't ever end in g, as in shoppin', droppin', drinkin', dancin'. Rhett and I will be glad to give y'all lessons iffin ya think y'all would be intrested in learnin' southern speak. Y'all come back real soon now, ya hear?
Kit is "Fall Splendor colab" by CJS.
Just some fun. I love Maxine....she is soooo like me in some respects! LOL
The kit is "Fall Splendor colab" kit by CJS.
Just an update on our "Little Answered Prayer". Ashton is almost up to 10 pounds now, which doesn't sound like a lot but it has been so wonderful seeing him grow from a little over 2 pounds to the alert little bundle of joy that he is now. Up until now we've only had digital pics of him that we all have taken, but this is his first "studio portrait", lol. We praise God for him every day. Thanks for all your well wishes and prayers for him.
Kit is "Teddy Bear Picnic" by Suhrfers Scraps.
I received this award from my dear friend, Linda (scrapswithoutscraps). What a sweet compliment this is, to know that you can make someone smile. If you haven't visited her blog you are missing a true blessing. Her blog is filled with life, love and encouragement for all who visit. She is such a special lady and I'm blessed to be her friend. Click on her blinkie on the right and I guarantee you will become a regular fan.
Thank you dear lady for this award and the treasure of your friendship.
I have absolutely no idea why my parents (probably Mom) took a picture of my little sis and me in the bathroom. Judging from my "pose" I assume it must have been a planned picture. (gee, I sure hope that lid was down, lol). This is only one of many pictures that I found in a box in Mom's closet. Funny how things come back to you after all these years...I remember this bathroom in the house where we lived in Detroit...the big deep tub, that I used to fill up and pretend it was a pool..the curtains were blue with a dutch boy and girl pattern and they were made of plastic...and the radiator in each room that never put out enough steam to keep you warm, but was always making a clanging noise from the basement. I'm guessing that the journaling on the page was what Mom had in mind. LOL
Thanks for letting me share this memory with you all.
Kit is "Goodbye Summer" from CJS and the frame is from "Frames and Bonus" also by CJS.
Such a lot has happened in my life, in a short span of time. Mom's passing, Dad having to be placed in a long term care center, two flights to Arizona in two months, handling Dad's business affairs from more than two thousand miles away.
Wishing a very happy birthday to such a lovely lady and a dear friend. May all your wishes and dreams come true!
Yep, pronounced exactly like the onion, VIDALIA. lol Miss Gerri suggested that if little sis is going to be a regular on the veranda, she needs a more southern name. Sis thought and thought and finally saw a bag of onions I had just bought at the grocery store and said "Vidalia" that's my name. Ya gotta admit, it's pretty southern. I've also warned her that Miss Gerri hears voices and it's hard to tell what she may be turned in to. LOL
(Gerri, I've extracted her to make it easier for you, but please don't tell on me.)
Kit is called "Pansies" by ShmooAngel
OK, I know the old wives tale that newborns don't really smile, it's just gas but......don't even try to tell me that this is not a real smile. lol Prayers are answered. Ashton came home yesterday, weighing in at a whopping 4 pounds 10 ounces! No feeding tube, he takes a real premie bottle now. This picture was taken earlier last week while still in the hospital but he's home now and only has a heart monitor "just in case", but he seems to be doing so well. We are all so thankful to God for this tiny little blessing.
Background and bow are from CJS "Patience for Katlin" and the frame is from CJS "Gold n Blue". Ashton is a gift from GOD!
I took this pic of my sister today so she could e-mail it to her grandsons in California. She is blowing kisses to Seth and Sammy. My Sissy is not very computer savey "yet", but I think I can fix that in short order. She's really interested. Friends, meet my "baby sister", Betty.
Kit is from Suhrfer's Scraps and is called "Pastel Bouquet".
The pastor at Mom's funeral read this at the end of the service and made a copy of it for me. I find such comfort in it's message because it speaks of calmly joining our Saviour in Heaven. Mom was definately ready and she passed so peacefully in her sleep. I miss her terribly, of course, and I'm certain that I always will, but it would be so selfish of me to want her to stay in the condition she was in. Anyway, I just feel so comforted when I read this and wanted to share it. If you click on the page, it will enlarge, for easier reading.
One of my favorite songs by Van Morrison comes to mind when I see the fog roll in over the very cool water of this little lake. Our favorite campground is located by it's edge and in late evening when the sun goes behind the mountain, a slow gentle fog begins to roll into the campground. That's when you know it's time to start the campfire! lol. This is such a beautiful spot that God created for our enjoyment and I thank Him so much for it.
Background and Overlay are both from CJS, can't remember which kit the background is from. Sorry, Carol.
God has truly blessed me with the most wonderful group of friends that a person could ever have. A lot of friends will share your joy with you, but it takes a really special friend to share your pain, your sorrow and continue to pray for you in your time of need. That is what you all have done and I really feel that this has helped me get through this most difficult time in my life. When I returned home, yesterday and saw all the comments filled with love and concern from you all, I was overcome with emotion. You knew that I probably wouldn't see any of these comments until I got back home, yet you faithfully came day after day. I can't ever thank you enough or tell you in words how very much this means to me. I feel that you are all extended members of my family as well as true friends. I have found, in you ladies, that "friends are made in your heart", not necessarily "in person" and I love you all dearly.
Kit is CJS "Blue and Gold".
in such a tiny package. Introducing Ashton John Blevins, our great-grandson. We weren't expecting him until September, but he's here and the doctors say he's doing very well. His breathing is 50% respirator and 50% on his own and they have even started giving him a little mother's milk every 6 hours in addition to IV's and he is tolerating it well. He's active and doesn't like his diaper changed, lol. Thank you all so much for your prayers and please keep them going up.
A birthday wish for a very special lady who is also a very dear friend. I hope your day was filled with blessings.
no, not riding a tricycle! This is my first attempt at trying to create at least one thing all on my own....Word Art. You won't believe how long it took me to do this! LOL. I do so admire all the designers and I'm in awe at how they come up with such beautiful kits. So most of today I've been lost in PSE5, just wandering around trying to be creative, most of the time not having a clue as to what I was doing.
Jacob, our youngest grandchild, in one of his rare quiet times. We have this old park bench sitting under a tree outside our kitchen window. Several times Gary has said that it's old and we need to get rid of it, but "Jay" loves to sit under the tree and listen to his MP3 player. He definetly has the love of music in his genes. We are all music lovers and he is no exception. He sings in the "Youth Praise Choir" at church, in the shower, in the car, in the bathroom, where ever the mood hits him and believe me, he isn't shy about it either! LOL We love you "JayMan".
Kit is "Days Gone By" by Miss Carol of cjsscrapbookingwithattitude. I added the fireflies from her "For The Men" kit.
It seems such a short time ago that this little bit of a girl was only a baby. When she was born she had to stay in neonatal intensive care for almost two weeks. I've told the story of "CJ" before, so I won't bore you with details. We just continue to praise God everyday that He has a purpose for her and, by His grace, we still have her. I will, however, being her grandmother, brag just a little. She is graduating from a private Christian high school next week, at the age of 16, with a 4.0 average! She has already been accepted to King College in NC and will start in the fall. I still think of her as our fragile "Little Bit" but she has proven, far beyond our dreams, to be so strong, both in mind and body. She has dedicated her life to God and we are so proud of her.
I was in the mood for a fun page, so here it is. Now when "someone" comes by and drinks the last of the mint juleps, y'all can come on in and mix up a pitcher anytime you want. Since my dear Rhett is feelin' poorly these days, y'all just feel free to make your own if "someone" has beat you to the veranda.
The ingredients are:
12 mint leaves
2 tablespoons simple syrup (to make simple syrup, boil 1 cup of water and add 1 cup of sugar, stir to combine and let it boil a bit to make sure sugar is dissolved, store in fridge for future use)
crushed ice
bourbon
sugar
How to make Mint Julep
Moisten the top of the old fashioned glass with a damp paper towel and rim with sugar.
Tear the mint leaves and place them in the glass. Pour the simple syrup on top. Use a muddler to bruise the leaves (if you don’t have one, use the back of a spoon or something).
Add crushed ice to almost the top of the glass. Pour in enough bourbon to cover the ice.
Garnish with a mint leaf and sip with pleasure.
Of course, the proper glass to drink the Mint Julep out of is a special silver plated Mint Julep cup. You stir the drink in the cup with crushed ice, until a thin layer of ice frosts the outside of the cup.
Truth be told, I've never had a real mint julep but they sound so refreshing and so southern, and I love the story of the ceremony for guests. Just good ole fashioned southern hospitality.
Kit used is Miss Carol's new "Fun Kit" found at cjsscrapbookingwithattitude.
Our first pictures of our great-grandson. Oh my goodness....I knew we were old, but somehow the name great grandparents, has aged us even more. lol This is going to be the first child of our first grandchild, TJ and his wife Amber. He is due to make his appearance September 9th and we can't wait to see him..we love him already!
Kit is "Daisy Daze" by Crafty Accents
today and was so surprised to see Miss Gerri! I do believe it's the first time I've been home when she visited. We had the most pleasant chat and a pitcher (or two, maybe it was three) of mint juleps. Now, I'm not one to gossip, but that Miss Gerri can put away some mint juleps! Why, you would swear she was raised in the south! Well, we chatted and listened to some music and when Miss Gerri was ready to leave she asked if I had any TN white lightning that she could take with her....mind you it was for "medicinal purposes only" (she said). Well, being the gracious southern hostess that I am, how could I refuse a request from such a lovely friend of mine? She was ever so thankful and promised she'd be back real soon for another visit. I declare, she's just the sweetest little thing and so ladylike. It's a shame she has this strange condition when she walks though, why if I didn't know better, I'd think she was just a little bit tipsy (if you get my meaning). Love you, Miss Gerri...y'all come back real soon!!
It was the year I graduated from high school and went off to college. It was also the year that my very favorite car of all time, came out. A 1964 Ford Galaxie 500. Big and heavy, long and sleek. (that just about describes me now, lol). I have owned two of them in my lifetime but I no longer have either one. Probably couldn't afford gas for them now anyway. I have entered this page in Flair's "Fords Rule" challenge. I think Carol's latest kit "Mix It Up" matches the color of the car perfectly. Thank you Carol for sharing your great talent with us. Picture was taken in September of 2000 at the "Rod Runs" in Pigeon Forge, TN.
I know, you can't help yourself....ok, now that you've recovered I'll go on with the story behind this page....OK...I hear you still laughing! Now wipe the tears from your eyes, get up off the floor and I'll continue....
My now, 14 year old granddaughter, Tiffani. Like Gerri, I think it's only the grandchildren who are getting older, (NOT!) LOL. No special reason for the page, except...it's my granddaughter, I think she's cute and it matches the kit. LOL
of granddaughter, Tiffani. I remember this picture as if it was yesterday. I had gotten a big bunch of flowers to set out in the yard and just brought them in the house and set them on the kitchen table for a minute. Tiffani promptly climbed up into a chair and was deciding which she liked best by smell. Always trying to be the diligent mamaw...I had my camera close by.
This is Cory, our now 12 year old grandson. I've done these pics before in a different layout on Flair, but I love them so much that I decided to try them again in a different style. This was Cory's first Easter and after finding the egg he wanted to eat it, which is fine....except you have to remove the shell first! Cory wasn't aware of that, apparently Papaw wasn't aware of it either. LOL
This kit is called "Denim & Daises" by Clarey of Crafty Accents. It was a freebie I found on DigiScrap Depot. I love it.
This is my great-nephew, Seth on his first Easter. He looks like he's not real sure about this whole Easter Bunny thing. Seth is now 4 years old, much older and wiser, and loves everything about Easter. He is the oldest son of my lovely niece, Lisa.
My baby sister and me, all dressed up for Easter, circa 1953. As you can probably tell from her chubby little cheeks, I thought she needed a bottle every time she made the slightest sound. I truly cherished my baby sister...still do!! I Love you, Sissy.
This kit is "Celebrating CJS", from cjsscrapbookingwithattitude. What a beautiful kit to celebrate your first year.
I was looking through my pictures and came across this one of Gary and our three sons, taken about 3 years ago and when I thought about scrapping it, I remembered Carol's kit "Things That Glitter In My Life". These are MY GUYS and they definetly are the glitter in my life!
Thank you Carol for this beautiful kit.
if you are a grandmother, is there any sweeter kiss than one from your grand- baby? I think not. Oh I remember those sweet kisses from my own children..they were heavenly and I thought I would never get a sweeter kiss. That is until I had grandchildren! I think their kisses are straight from the angels. This is Jacob who is now 10 years old and thank goodness he hasn't reached the "too big to be kissing my mamaw" stage. lol In fact, even my grown children haven't reached that stage. If we happen to run into each other while running errands, WalMart, grocery store....where ever. We stop and talk and they will always kiss me before we say bye and go our separate ways. I thank God everyday that He has blessed me with such loving children.
Lisa is such a loving, caring and giving person. She is the mother of two beautiful little boys, Seth and Sammy, ages 4 and 3. We have such a close relationship even though she lives on the west coast. I love her like she was one of my own children.A scrapbook page using a picture of my mom that my daddy carried in his wallet for years. The picture was taken in the 1960's so that...
