Little Pieces of Me . . .

Saturday Layouts . . .

2009-07-11T14:03:00.002-04:00

Finished a few layouts in the past few days! Kind of had a little fun being a little funky with one of them! Can you figure out which one that might be? ;-) Thanks for stopping by & as always . . . peace & love!

Thursday Layouts . . .

2009-07-09T10:36:00.002-04:00

Here are a few layouts I've completed in the past few days. Hope you enjoy them & as always . . . peace & love!

58 years ago . . .

2009-07-07T05:47:00.003-04:00

My parents walked down the aisle. Today they celebrate that VERY special day!!!

Although this is your special day
To share with one another,
It's special, too, for everyone
Who love you, Dad and Mother
That's why so many loving thoughts
Come with this wish for you
For everything to make this day
Just perfect for you two!

Happy Anniversary With LOTS of Love . . . always!!!

Sunday Scrappin'

2009-06-28T18:20:00.003-04:00

Happy Sunday everyone! Got to get a little scrapping done in the past several days! Hope you enjoy the latest layouts & as always . . . peace & love!

Happy 15th Birthday Tyler!!!!

2009-06-23T04:51:00.004-04:00

15 years ago today, God blessed us with our first grandchild! Tyler came into our world, our lives, & our hearts! Since the moment he was born, he has filled our lives with so much love, laughter, joy, happiness, & pride! Mere words cannot express how VERY much we love this kid & what he has brought to our world!! We celebrated a little bit here on Sunday while celebrating Father's Day with everyone and tonight we're all going to Wing House (Ty's favorite) & then to the Rays vs Phillies baseball game!! Where else would Tyler wish to celebrate his special day??? GO RAYS!!!!

Happy, happy birthday, kiddo!! Here's to many, many more!!! We love you with all our heart & soul . . . Gpa & Gma XOXOXO

Thursday!

2009-06-18T14:04:00.002-04:00

Another crazy week here! Here are a few layouts I managed to create! Hope you enjoy them & as always . . . peace & love!

A few layouts . . .

2009-06-10T09:31:00.003-04:00

Haven't had a whole lot of time to scrap in the past couple of weeks. Have kept pretty darn busy with other things, but here are several I did manage to create! Hope you enjoy & as always . . . peace & love!

35 years . . .

2009-06-08T05:12:00.005-04:00

ago today, I married my very best friend! Today we celebrate 35 years of marriage & I'm so happy that he's still my very best friend in the world!! I love you, babe, with all my heart & soul!!! I soooooooooooooooooo look forward to the next 35!! God willing, huh???

Happy Anniversary to us!!! I LOVE YOU!!!

A Taste of Pinellas . . .

2009-06-01T13:11:00.010-04:00

What a FUN day we had yesterday!! We went to the annual Taste of Pinellas which is a HUGE party that runs in conjuncture with the All Children's Telethon all weekend. Here are some favorite photos:

Nothing like fresh watermelon!

He's such a clown & I love him!

Pure joy!

Look at that beautiful face - even with pizza all over it!

We came upon a tent that had the most FABULOUS drum circle going on & we were lucky enough to be to join in! I tell ya - this was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much fun!!!!!

I entered a kids vs. adults tricycle race! I really had a good time & according to my hubby I kicked butt!! LOL!

Jilli loves her Daddy!

Look at that little girl's smile! Isn't she just the cutest?? Her Mom & Dad aren't bad either! ;-)

Now this was fun! They had 30 chairs in a circle & asked for volunteers. The only stipulation being that your feet had to be able to lay flat on the floor at all times. So, being the intelligent person I am, I jumped right up on stage! They told us to turn all the way to the right, keep our feet flat on the floor & lay back on the lap of the person behind us. Then they told us they would begin pulling the chairs out one-by-one until all of them were out from underneath us & we would be one continuous circle of strangers holding each other up! Now, I think you'll notice that I had a little boy behind me & I was so scared the entire time that I was going to hurt him! The little kid was a trooper & he made it until the circle fell behind us!

Ken, Jilli & I taking a little break from the festivities!

I have so much more to share but I'll keep those until tomorrow! Hope you enjoy & as always . . . peace & love!

What a week . . .

2009-05-30T06:41:00.003-04:00

On Thursday night we attended our 1st JDRF Awards Celebration & we came home with quite a few unexpected awards! Our Team Jilli-Bean came in 3rd place for the New Family Team with a whopping $4650!!!! I cannot even begin to express my gratitude to everyone who donated & helped!! THANK YOU ALL - from the bottom of my VERY grateful & humble heart!!! The grand total for our county was an astounding $225,190!!! I really think that total is amazing considering the mess our economy has been in!!!

We also came away with the award for the Best Overall Family T-shirt!!!! We are soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo proud of that award!!! It really was a family effort!! My hubby, Ken, came up with the idea, I took the photo & Pa Jeff made all our shirts!

My daughter, Barbara, Terri Feinberg, & myself also received individual awards for monies we raised! Such a Team Jilli-Bean effort on everyone's part!!! We cannot wait to kick butt again next year!!!!

Yesterday was the last day of Tyler's freshman year in high school! He did SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO well his first year in HS that he was able to exempt ALL his final exams!!! Yes, every single one of them!! He takes after his grandma! LOL!!! Words cannot express how proud we are of that kid!!!! I cannot believe that Ken & I are the grandparents of a sophomore in HS!!!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEk!!!

Here's photo of Ty & Jilli at the awards celebration Thursday night:

Aren't they just GORGEOUS??? Nope, not biased at all! ;)

Hope everyone has a FAB weekend & as always . . . peace & love!

Happy Thursday!

2009-05-28T07:21:00.003-04:00

Hope everyone is having a FAB week! Things are crazy here - what's new, huh?? Here are a few layouts I created this week:

Hope you enjoy! Hope you have a wonderful Thursday & as always . . . peace & love!

Memorial Day . . .

2009-05-26T06:02:00.002-04:00

I had created a post & thought I saved it & set it up to post automatically, but apparently I did something wrong & it didn't post yesterday like it should have. I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day - lots of fun, family, friends, food, etc. But I also hope everyone took some time to remember all the service men & women who have bravely, courageously & selflessly given their lives so we can be where we are, doing what we do. We owe so much to them & I'm glad we have a day such as Memorial Day to remember & honor them, but honestly, it's something we should be doing every single day of the year. Okay, off my soap box & here are some photos. Most are from our trip to our nation's capital in July of 2007, but the one is taken through the prisms of my parent's front door. Hope you enjoy & as always . . . peace & love.

Said it before . . .

2009-05-23T16:04:00.004-04:00

and I know I'll say it again & again. This kid melts my heart!!

Sigh . . .

Crazy week . . .

2009-05-22T06:02:00.004-04:00

Took a spill at the kid's house this week. I fell. Hard. It was pouring down rain & I lost my footing on the kid's porch steps. I thought I broke my left wrist, but it's just sprained. It's VERY painful & I really can't use my left hand/arm at all. It's bruised all the way past my elbow. My tailbone is black/blue/purple & painful! LOL!! My right foot got caught in the railing & got twisted & my hip hit really hard & is bruised, so I'm limping. I'm a pretty comical sight right now, let me tell you! ;-) My neck & upper right body are pretty sore because they hit the railing really hard & my head hit the step. Glad it's as hard as it is! LOL!!

So, needless to say I haven't felt good enough to do a lot of scrapping, but here a few layouts I completed before the fall:

Hope everyone is doing great & as always . . . peace &love!

Some new layouts . . .

2009-05-11T10:29:00.005-04:00

Haven't had a whole lot of time to sit down & create lately, but here are the latest layouts I've actually completed.

Hope you enjoy! As always . . . peace & love!

Mother's Day . . .

2009-05-09T06:19:00.002-04:00

I received this in a newsletter & it really hit home.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do:

When You're the Mom of a Mother
By Beverly Beckham and Grandparents.com

When my older daughter became a mother nearly six years ago, I became a grandmother with a brand-new baby to love. But I also became a different kind of mother to my baby. I was useful again. I knew things. I understood. And the most important thing I understood was how much my daughter loved her child.

Ten months later, my younger daughter gave birth to her firstborn. "Did you feel this way, Mom? Isn't it amazing? I never knew. Was I as cute?"

Motherhood, part two. That's what grandparenting really is. Your kids grow up, go off to school, move away. And they don't need you anymore. They don't call for advice. And you think, you're done. That's it. The job is finished.

And then your kids become parents and you're suddenly back in the game. "Mom, can you?" "Dad, will you?"

When a child is placed in a woman's arms — in a hospital, at an airport, in a lawyer's office, and whether the child is a newborn or a 10-year-old — a woman's life changes forever.

And so does the life of her mother.

I watch my daughters wipe noses and hands, buckle car seats, peel grapes, insist upon "please" and "thank you," wipe up spills, dry tears, read books, blow bubbles, monitor the TV, play games, and work outside their homes. And I am struck by the rigors of mothering — how hard it is and tiring and endless, and how amazing it is that anyone signs up for this job.

And then I think, this was once my job. I did all this. "How did you do it, Mom?" my daughters ask. And they listen to my answer because I've been down the road they're on now and they realize that maybe I know a few things they have yet to learn.

The mother-child connection. It changes. It evolves. It grows.

In the space between us now there is still no space. It is filled with children — theirs, but part mine. And on it goes. Mother to mother to child, this eternal bond that is recognized and honored on Mother's Day.

Happy Mother's Day everyone & as always . . . peace & love!

VW Wild Weekend!!!!

2009-05-05T08:45:00.009-04:00

This is probably the best VW weekend there is!! We LOVE all of us VW freaks coming together & sharing our VW love!! We start out at the pier on Saturday for a big all day show & then on Sunday we caravan from St. Pete to Sarasota & then back over the Skyway Bridge from Sarasota to a park in St. Pete for a huge VW picnic!! We had over 250 VWs of all types on our caravan!! It really is an awesome sight & as you'll see from some photos later, it does draw a crowd of onlookers! Following are some favorite photos from the weekend. I know there's a lot of them, but it is a 2 day event! LOL!!

The best of Show trophy my BIL, Steve, made! Pretty awesome, huh??

Jilli on stage gets a little help with some of the words from her Pa!

Jilli performs on stage!

VW sign on the stage at the pier!

Some AWESOME pillows my sister, Lori made & sent all the way from MN!!!

Trophy's my BIL, Steve, made! Are they not FAB???

My BIL, Richard's bus & our scooter! We had VW & scooter LOVE on Saturday! LOL!

This was a really AWESOME ship at the pier!

Some buses on the pier!

Loved this ladies tank plus she bought one of my sis' pillows!

I know it's a bit blurry, but my BIL spreads the VW peace!!

As far as the eye can see, VW buses!! Over 104 of them!!!

Here we go over the Skyway Bridge!

Think these guys wanted good shots????

Some onlookers!

More onlookers!

Even more!

And even more!

Hey, who's that????

Buses, buses everywhere!!!

Sure hope you enjoyed all the photos! As always . . . peace & love!

Busch Gardens!!

2009-04-29T08:24:00.007-04:00

We had such a FAB time at Busch Gardens on Saturday!! It's just really a fun place with LOTS of beautiful flowers, awesome animals & FUN rides!! Here are some of my favorites photos from our AWESOME day!!

Jilli was excited on the tram ride from the parking lot to the park! LOL!

Awesome lion topiary!

Jilli LOVED the train!

LOL! My silly guys!

This kid melts my heart!

Now those are some teeth!!

Peaceful moment for Ken . . .

Very calm vulture (thankully!)

Cute little Meerkat that really loved having his photo taken!

Sheikra!! FAB roller coaster!!

Happy, little girl!!

Now, THAT'S a GOOD big brother!!

Isn't this beautiful??

This little duck was too adorable! He followed me around for about 5 minutes & I wanted to bring him home with me!

The colors on this bird were just spectacular!!

This fish was TOO funny! It was like he was talking to us!

Beautiful topiary & that's Ty in the background!

So loved these colorful canoes!

Colorful Cockatoos!

Giraffe topiaries!

Hope you enjoyed them! I'm sure some (plus some of the other 500 photos) will be making their way onto to some layouts in the future! ;) As always . . . peace & love!

One year ago . . .

2009-04-22T00:01:00.007-04:00

One year ago today Jillian was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. At times it doesn’t seem that long, but other times it seems like forever. I don’t know if I’ll ever forget one single second of that day & how scared all of us were. How horrible it was to see our precious, precious girl so limp & lethargic. To see the fear & tears in my child’s eyes. We’ve come such a long, long way since April 22nd, 2008. We’ve learned so much. So much I wish we’d never had to learn, but we have. I think it’s made us stronger as a family & connected us in a way that’s very difficult to describe. Words cannot express how PROUD I am of my family. How very, very much I LOVE my family & how appreciative I am of all the support my family gives to my kids.

I wish I could express how PROUD I am of Tyler & how he has handled all of this. He’s had to take a back seat to his baby sister this past year & he hasn’t resented it for even one single second. He has shown nothing but love & compassion to his baby sister. He shows such care & concern for Jilli. He's protective & so very loving. He's everything a big brother should be & then some! He will never, ever in a million years know how much I adore & love him! How proud he makes all of us & how blessed we are to have him in our world!! Jilli is so fortunate to have YOU as her big brother, Ty!! So, very, very fortunate & lucky!!

And Jillian. Wow! What can I possibly say about our precious Jillian & all that she has endured this past year?? How courageous she is. How she remains so sweet, so loving, so absolutely adorable. How a little piece of my heart breaks every time she pleads for “No ‘jections, Mimi. Pweeeeeeeeeeze!” How a part of me wants to just say, “The heck with it – you got it, Jilli! No injections today!” But, thankfully, another part of me knows that she needs those injections to survive. So, I draw up the insulin & take her precious little arms or thighs in my hands & I inject. Another piece of my heart breaks. Every single time. Then we give each other a great big hug & kiss & go on with our day! A day filled with all the things a typical 2 year old goes through. To a degree. A typical 2 year old doesn’t have to have her blood sugar level checked before each meal & at bedtime. A typical 2 year old doesn’t have to watch every single gram of sugar & every single gram of carbohydrate they put in their body. A typical 2 year old can have cake, ice cream, cookies, juice, snacks of pretty much any kind. Not a 2 year old with Type 1 Diabetes. But our precious Jilli has learned to accept the word “no!” She knows what she can & can’t eat/drink & is wise beyond her years. She’s smart, she’s funny & she’s adjusting to her world the best way she knows how! She’s an inspiration to all of us & we all need to learn from her!I love you, my sweet, precious granddaughter. With every ounce of my being. I'm so proud of you, even though that doesn't seem like a big enough word . . .

I cannot even begin to describe the feelings I have for my daughter & my son (AKA as my son-in-law). What an absolute amazing job they have done with what they, as parents, have been dealt. This isn’t just a matter of the heart – it changed every single aspect of their lives. Physically, mentally, financially. Everything. I know how much their hearts hurt & how brave & strong both of them are. Oh, my children, I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo VERY proud of both of you!!! Jillian is so very lucky & so very blessed to have you as her parents!! I love both of you with all my heart & soul!!

And you know what?? I'm proud of me. I'm deathly afraid of needles. Almost to the point of passing out when I see one. Having to do sugar checks & give injections far exceeds any expectations I had for myself. When Jilli was diagnosed, I knew there was NO POSSIBLE WAY I was ever going to be able to do those 2 things. Especially to my precious, baby granddaughter!! But, here I am a year later drawing insulin, giving sugar checks & giving injections like I've been doing it all my life. I won't lie - it's the most difficult thing I have ever had to do in my life & it hurts my heart every single time, but I do it!! Because I have no choice!! I do it for Jilli. It's not about me & my fears & phobias - it's ALL ABOUT Jilli!!!

So, it’s been year full of tears & of laughter. It’s been a year filled with ups & downs. It’s been a year full of learning & helping, & most of all loving. Loving each other & loving this precious baby girl who God blessed us with.

Thank you, my faithful blog readers, for all the support you have shown this past year. I’m sure I’ll be asking for more throughout this next year & the years to follow. It does my heart good knowing that each of you will be there. Just as I’ll be there for each of you! As always . . . peace & love.

Some new layouts . . .

2009-04-21T11:01:00.002-04:00

Hey Suzanne . . .

2009-04-20T08:34:00.004-04:00

You said the photo of Jilli on the slide made you laugh! Well, here's another one that just may make you laugh a little harder:

Now check out the photo Ken took when we took Jilli to the park about a month ago:

Think the limb may not fall far from the tree???? ROFLMBO!!!!

As always . . . peace & love!

Easter Photos . . .

2009-04-18T18:38:00.005-04:00

Hopefully better late than never. Been a VERY busy, VERY chaotic week & there just hasn't been time for blog updates. That being said, here are some of my favorites from Easter Sunday:

Of course there are 100's more photos & I'm sure they'll show up on some layouts! ;-)

As always . . . peace & love!

Happy Easter . . .

2009-04-12T06:56:00.003-04:00

Happy, happy Easter everyone! I hope your day is filled with LOTS of peace, love, & hope. May the true meaning of this day be with you today, tomorrow, & always! XO

We're off to church, then a family picnic. Hopefully, I'll have some cute, fun photos to share! Whatever you do, wherever you go, ENJOY!!!

As always, peace & love . . .

Sea World . . .

2009-03-31T17:08:00.007-04:00

We went to Sea World on Sunday & had SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much fun. Took over 700 photos, but don't worry, I won't share ALL of them here! LOL! Here are some of my favorites though . . .

Amazing . . .

Now this is trust . . .

A little flower picking . . .

Gorgeous waterfall . . .

Nature's beauty . . .

Cute family . . .

Mommy & daughter . . .

Sweet sea lion . . .

Wheee! Barbara, Buddy, & me . . .

Jump . . .

Fly . . .

Dive . . .

Colorful show . . .

Gentle Manatee . . .

Dolphin feeding . . .

Feeding the sting rays . . .

Hope you enjoyed them too! As always - peace & love . . .

Newest layouts . . .

2009-03-27T08:49:00.003-04:00

Hope everyone is doing GREAT!!! Just updating with my latest layouts!! Always sending love & peace . . .