Friday, August 17, 2007

100 Good Wishes

Hi there! This is just a quick stop to show you a couple of layouts for a 2 page spread...Yes, I am STILL working on Meikina's photo book. Once the Shutterfly coupon expired I sorta slowed down a bit, I guess I work better under pressure, LOL! Anyway, this one is really special to me. It has my Mother in it, and my Princess...and Snoopy! He's a crazy kitty and lives up to his name every minute that he isn't sleeping. He just has to know what is going on, all the time!

These layouts tell about Meikina's 100 Good Wishes Quilt. My daughter was a member of a Yahoo group made up of parents who were also waiting to adopt their little girls from China. They agreed to do a quilt square exchange so fabric pieces from all over the world make up this quilt. Several members of the family got in on the fun too! After all the squares were collected my Mother stitched it all together. I think she worked on it for about a year and finished it a couple of months ago. I brought it home on my last visit in early June. I don't know if you can see the top stitching very well, but it is done in red thread. "An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle but will never break." Ancient Chinese Proverb

The photos could never do the quilt justice, it is absolutely beautiful, a work of art made with my Mother's own dear hands! Snoopy made sure she did a good job, LOL!

Here are the layouts along with the journaling in case it's too small on the images. I hope you can see by reading this how special the quilt is to the family, and will be for Meikina as she gets older.

Credits: Frames by Katie Pertiet, Flowers by Jen Ulasiewicz, Stitched silk flowers by Kim Christensen, Journaling Note paper by Gina Miller. Cross Stitches by Amy Teets, Buttons by Christina Renee.
(Click photos to view larger)




Left side journaling:
In some parts of Northern China, when a baby is born, family and friends of the child donate fabric scraps from old clothing to the child’s mother. She then makes a quilt for the baby from the scraps. It is said that the luck and energy of the people who wore these clothes surrounds the child when she is wrapped in the quilt. This is the tradition upon which the 100 Good Wishes Quilt is modeled. In April 2005 letters were sent out to family and friends asking them to contribute a piece of fabric along with a written wish or note for Meikina. Families from all over the world who were waiting to adopt from China also sent squares of fabric along with their blessings and good wishes for Meikina. Each wish was mounted in a scrapbook with a small piece of the corresponding fabric attached to the wish. This way, Meikina will be able to read the wishes and see who sent each piece of fabric. She will cherish this quilt and the good wishes that were made for her before we ever even knew her.Meikina’s great-gramma Betty took all the squares and with her loving hands stitched them together to make this very special quilt.



Right side journaling:
Dear Meikina, I hope you will treasure this quilt for all of your life. I enjoyed putting it together for you. Every stitch was sewn with love. You can count the pieces and see how many people love you even though many will never get to meet you. You might not remember me later, but I hope when you use this quilt you will think of your great-grandma Betty. I wish you happiness and health and may all your dreams come true!
Love, Gramma Betty

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend!

Blessings and Hugs,
Cheryl

Thursday, August 09, 2007

I'm ROCKIN'!

As far back as I can remember, ROCKIN' has never been used to describe me. LOL! I will borrow one of my Sister's words and just tell you...I am BO-RANG! gotta love my little word wizard of a Sister! I approach this bloggin' thing hesitantly, and still nearly hit the delete post button after I tell it to publish post! But somehow I have managed to write a little something here and there, and normally I post a photograph or layout to ease the pain of reading my ramblings. To my delight there are a few people who stop by on a regular basis to see lil ol' me! One is my dear friend Betty Jo at Digiscribbles. I met her a few years ago when we were both members of a yahoo group called The Scrappin' Grannies. She was just getting started designing digital scrapbook supplies and asked me to be on her creative team. Since I was really new at digiscrappin' I was just tickled pink and that was where our friendship started. She has been there for me when I was needing prayer during some really dark times in my life, and she cheered for me during the exciting ones, especially when my family was waiting for news of Meikina during our adoption journey. And she is ever faithful to leave me words of love and encouragement, and offers of prayer. Betty Jo is one fantastic and loving friend! Bless her heart, she even awarded me the Rockin' Girl Blogger Award!!
Now that is a friend! I am to pass this on to my blogger friends, but all the people I know in my small bloggin' world have the award, so now my goal is to get out there and expand my circle of friends in the bloggin community. Then I will pass on the award, and will be blessed even more! Thank you dear Betty Jo!

New news is that I have postponed my surgery. I asked the doctor for alternative treatment options. There aren't many, and ultimately I will have to have it done. In the meantime he put me on Synthroid to hopefully suppress my thyroid from growing anymore, and in several months it might shrink it. At any rate, the final diagnosis from one last blood test that he didn't have the results from yet at my last visit is that I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. That's a mouthfull. Makes my throat hurt. My surgeon chuckled at me yesterday when I told him I didn't want him cutting open my throat if I could get out of it. He reminded me that he wouldn't be operating on my throat but my neck. So I grinned at him and said it didn't matter what it was, the idea of being cut open anywhere was enough for me. Anyway, I always get off track! It explains alot of what has been going on for so many years. I feel angry that if I'd had any kind of health insurance I might have gotten this diagnosis way before it progressed to this stage and treatment would be so much easier. But for now, my anxiety over the upcoming surgery is easing away, and life goes on. Thank the Lord that I am not too uncomfortable most days and I pray that it will get better and my energy level will also go up.

Of course I can't leave you without some eye-candy ...
Here is my princess posing for a photo I plan to use on a layout in the next day or two. Isn't she just a doll baby!


Better run, it's a work day like every day! Love you guys!

Blessings and hugs,

Cheryl

Sunday, August 05, 2007

Buried Treasure

My daughter wants nothing to do with Photoshop, but owns a Canon 20D DSLR. When she purchased this camera for her trip to China, she wanted great images, and most of all NO SHUTTER LAG. She hates that, and was about to just buy a film camera to take with her, but didn't want the aggravation of carrying around film for the two week duration along with everything else. besides, you can't email film easily and that is how I managed to get pictures of Meikina while they were still gone...that and the wonders of a web cam! So, I told her that if they needed any Photoshop work, that I would do it.

Even though I have finished most of what she needed for Meikina's life book, there are still tons of photos in that file that are untouched. I've had these images for well over a year and every once in awhile I glance through them to see what might inspire me to scrap or just do a little editing for prints. I keep going back to what I said in my last post about stressing over making things perfect. To remember more than anything else, that it is the memories that matter. Since I have been feverishly working to finish Meikina's Story I have had to remind myself of this more than once. Many of the photos I am using for this project are far from being technically correct, but I use them because for one thing, they are what I have. However, when I really think about it, those images work perfectly for the job that I need them to do. You know, the way God uses us, our imperfect selves to do His perfect will. I ran across another photograph in my Trip to China folder that were taken either by my daughter or her husband when they were in China. This particular photo had never captured my attention before now. I totally missed it in the hundreds of images in that file because I was looking for the perfect one. The one I wouldn't have to mess with too much, or one that I would have been proud to call my own. I am such a nerd. This photo that I speak of, while not perfect is exactly what I was wishing for! Except the lighting is horrible, the composition leaves alot to be desired. But the emotion! Oh it is there, it's all there, from the eyes and heart of a husband to his wife and their new daughter. All the EMOTION and AWE of that moment is captured forever. I just had to look at it with my heart and not the eyes of a perfectionist/ex-sort of a pro photographer. Once I had cropped, adjusted a bit and added softening, all of what my granddaughter's parents were feeling are more visible. Now I show you this, my daughter holding her very own daughter...on Adoption Day.




"In the mirror of His love I see my own reflection. I accept myself for who I am, with all my imperfections."

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Blessings and Hugs,

Cheryl

Saturday, August 04, 2007

IT'S SATURDAY!!

woohoooo!!!

For the most part I like my job, I enjoy being at work. I do love my quiet mornings at home though, and since I work during the day, that only happens on the weekends when I have absolutely nothing planned that I HAVE to do. So, this morning I puttered around the house, drank my tea, and just enjoyed my quiet time!

I also finished a layout that I struggled with all yesterday evening. I don't know why this one was so hard for me. Maybe the odd sizes of the photos? Multiple photo layouts are just tough. I have a hard time getting them to balance and then I wonder what to do with them after I figure out where to place them. I decided to just be satisfied with this one and let it go. I keep telling myself that it's the memories that matter and I'm not making progress when I spend hours on end trying to make it perfect. LOL!

Mother's Love Orphanage is where Meikina spent most of her first 8 months of life. She was very fortunate because Mother's Love was one of the nicer institutions, clean, with lots of space to play and a somewhat bigger budget for food and other necessities. That particular orphanage mostly cared for special needs orphans and only took healthy babies when there was extra space. The first orphanage Meikina was assigned to was really full, and since there was room at Mother's Love, she was sent there 22 days after she was found. Mother's Love was going to close at some point, and once a baby was assigned to a family for adoption, they were sent out to foster care until their adoption day. Meikina went to live with a foster family when she was 8 months old. She was very well cared for compared to many of the babies that are adopted from China. One family that Tammy traveled with were given a baby that they weren't even sure would live through the first night, because she was so tiny and sickly, lethargic, and malnourished. Very sad. It didn't take long for her to perk up though once she was given plenty to eat and lots of love.

The Mother's Love nannies took several photos of Meikina as she grew. It is rare to have any history of the babies, especially photos. God has truly blessed us because Meikina's birth parents even left a note stating her date of birth. Many babies are assigned a birth date based on how old they appear upon first examination. Meikina's foster mother took lots of photos with her digital camera and gave my daughter a CD of all the images when they met at some point during the trip to China. Before that she was emailing them, now that was a huge treat!!

Here is the layout, with photos of Meikina's first day at Mother's Love Orphanage.






Credits:Bg paper by JulieO, pink flowers by Amber Clegg, Tiny Flowers by Coreen Silke, Jewels by Syrin, Ribbon by Kylie Clark, Butterfly by DebF, Button by Ronna Penner, Swirls by LaWanna Lesjardin, Frames by Nancy Comelab. Fonts are CalistaMT, Unnamed Melody.

Lately I have been using oodles of different products on my layouts, and most of the ones I used for this one were freebies! Love that!

Ok, I'm gonna get off the computer for awhile and do something else. Later I will start another page of Meikina's life in the orphanage. I think I am really close to being done with layouts for the Shutterfly book. I do need to get a photo of her with her 100 good wishes quilt and plan to do that either today or tomorrow. And somehow I want to get a photo of Meikina and I together for the back cover of the book. I have no photos of myself with her, hard to do when I'm the photographer!

Have a wonderful Saturday!

Blessings and hugs,

Cheryl

Friday, August 03, 2007

Middle of the Night (and some layouts!)

Ok, I have my sleep schedule all mixed up! The past few weeks I have had a terrible time sleeping (besides staying up late to chat with my sister!) because of the fist in my throat feeling. I have had to prop up almost to a sitting position and sleep on my back and with head in a certain position in order to NOT feel like I was being strangled. Really uncomfortable. Well, Sunday night I had just fallen into a light sleep and I woke up to a voice telling me to get up now. I did. I wasn't sure why I was getting up but I obeyed, LOL! On the way out of my room my legs got all rubbery and my head was swimming, like the day I passed out at work, so I called out to my son who helped me to the living room. I was fighting to stay conscious, my heart was racing at high speed, and then I got to shaking so hard and couldn't stop it. This went on for a couple of hours, off and on. I was up until 4:30 AM, because I was afraid to go back to bed. I am pretty sure I was having a panic attack, but who knows really? I truly thought I was dying. It's hard to describe. I know that seems really strange but I didn't imagine that voice that told me to get up now. I think I had stopped breathing.

Hours later I was able to relax enough to try to sleep a little. And I slept like a rock! I slept through both of my alarms and woke up about the time I should have been leaving for work. YIKES! The people I work for have been so good and since I have never called in sick, or been late that wasn't a problem. I did call my doctor and he saw me later that day. Promptly gave me some antidepressants and an anxiety drug. great. I am sure he was thinking that I am a total basket case! He said my thyroid was enlarged but not enough to block my airway, that I shouldn't be feeling like I am choking. plbbbbt. That didn't change the fact that I was living with it every day and night. That was Monday.

Tuesday morning I woke up after sleeping off and on for a few hours, and started my morning routine. By the time I had showered I realized that "fist in my throat" feeling was gone! I had energy I hadn't had in several weeks! I had a great day that day too...except for a developing rash...hmmm. oh well so what is next, I put some cream on it and went on to bed that night.

Wednesday morning....totally covered with a horrible rash that worsened by the minute! my stomach and back were a solid red swollen miserable mess! My left arm was almost as bad. I could feel it creeping up my neck ears and sides of my face and then to my scalp! I went ahead to work, I didn't have much choice since I have no sick or annual leave because I am so new. I've missed alot of work lately due to medical appointments, but I stay late or work on Saturday to make up the hours. But my dear co-workers kept at me to call my doctor again so finally I did. I just dreaded going after the last visit two days before. I never did start the antidepressants or fill the prescription for Ativan that he gave me. I talked to one of the girls in the office, and she pulled my chart and went to ask the doctor if he wanted to see me and he said yes, today. I went on in there and he was shocked at the way I looked, LOL! It was pretty bad. But the thing is, other than the itch, I felt great. I must have been high on some of the histimines running through my body or something, hahahaaa! Anyway, he told me that it appeared to be a rash associated with an allergic reaction to a medication. But the thing is I don't take anything but Nasonex spray for allergies. That's it. period. Ahhhhh, but when I said something about the CT scan I'd had the week before, the mystery was solved. (Another physician, the ENT surgeon, had ordered the scan so this dr. didn't have it in my chart.) I was having a delayed reaction to the dye contrast that was injected into my veins for the CT scan. And all the fainting episodes were most likely related to that. So, maybe I'm not crazy. I believe I was very blessed to have had a "voice" telling me to "get up now". All I know is that I feel better than I have in a very long time. I'm sleeping way too much, I have been going home from work and sleeping for hours at a time.

Good restful healing sleep. Catch up sleep.

I came home from work today, went straight to bed. I woke up at bedtime, ready to roll! So, that is why I'm sitting here typing this boring stuff in the middle of the night! LOL!

God is very good to me. I know there have been many people praying for me, and I want you all to know that I appreciate those prayers very much. There are some dear people I consider my friends that I have never met in person, but I hold them close to my heart. Thank you so much for caring and for praying!

Now, I have some layouts to make your visit worth reading through all that stuff! LOL! This is a two page spread of my grandsons using photos taken during the two weeks my daughter and hubby were in China adopting Meikina. I had the honor and blessing of taking care of the boys while they were gone, what an adventure that was! We had a great time and stayed busy to help the time pass quickly. I sent new photos by email every day so the parents would feel connected to the boys, these are just a few of the many, many photos I took during those TWO WEEKS.


You can click on the photos for a larger view.
Credits: Background paper - Carla Gibson. Swirls - LeWanna Desjardin. Glitter paint - Meredith Fenwick and Christina Renee. Cardboard - LindaGB. Alpha stamp - Michelle Coleman. I used a template by Penny Springerman, altered somewhat, the frames and drop shadows were included.

Here is another one from the day Tammy and Kenneth arrived at the Louisvile airport with Meikina. The photos are really bad quality but I think for a layout like this, it doesn't really matter. (sorry, the old pro photog in me still stresses about things like bad lighting!) It's the memories and the journaling that are most important. Both of these two pagers will be in my Shutterfly photo book.


Credits:
Background paper - Michelle Coleman. Glitter paint splats and the tab - Christina Renee. Frames are - Nancy Comelab. Alpha Stamps - Amber Clegg.

I have lots more but this will do for tonight! Thanks for checking in!

Blessings and Hugs,
Cheryl

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Bumpus Floribundus - LOL!

My sister is a wizard with words. She told me a week or so ago that someday she would finish a book. She has started several but never finished any of them, so the next one she writes she plans to finish it before she starts it. HA! Silly Sister! She has the most fun sense of humor and is one reason I don't get nearly enough sleep. We chat online several times a week and have such a blast! She lives in California and I am in Kentucky, a 3 hour time difference, so by the time she is done with dinner and other family stuff I should be getting ready for bed. anyway, about the Bumpus Floribundus...

My CT scan shows my thyroid is huge. It's wrapped around my windpipe, squeezing it from the sides. I feel like there is a fist in my throat, sleep is something I used to do. I feel like I'm being choked all the time. Skeery! My thyroid has grown several cysts and nodules, the doctor calls it a goiter. What an unattractive word! My sister promptly renames it to Bumpus Floribundus. We have had lots of laughs over this! It's good to laugh about it, because that is the only thing funny about it. I have to have my thyroid completely removed. Not a big deal I suppose but I don't do well when it comes time to actually go and have the surgery. The day after I had the CT scan, I passed out at work. More fun. They called an ambulance, required for liability purposes. So, I get all the standard tests etc. including an EKG. All is normal. The doctor was relieved that I didn't have a cardiac EVENT. Event? That sounds like a partay to me! Some party, and the fun is just beginning, hahahaaaa! I've had more IV's and needles stuck in my arms the past few days than I've had in years. PARTAY ON!!

I've been buried in Photoshop most every evening. I have scrapped probably 15 new pages, re-worked a few others and I'm still not going to make the deadline for that Shutterfly coupon. It expires tonight so I'll just have to continue on and order it at full price when I am done. The book is going to be awesome tho, and I have thoroughly enjoyed it! I wish I had the time to post some layouts but it's time for me to go to work.

I actually feel pretty good today other than a rash covering most of my body. now what? I have no idea, but don't even think I'm seeing a doctor for this one....another event...LOL!

Blessings and hugs,

Cheryl