Pulling An All Nighter

It's Wednesday evening and we need to get up at 3 a.m. to get to the airport early enough to check in and get coffee.  I decided it wasn't worth getting a few hours sleep.  I'm more tired doing that than staying up.  I can't tell you the last time I did an all nighter when I wasn't sick.

I have a Photo gallery to share tonight.  This picture is what we had Saturday during our Stamping Time.  Jan and Jane visited and shared their new stamps and stuff.  Love when we get together.  It is so motivating!

Animal Adventures

Here are the ducks who visited Sunday evening.  The female did a lot of talking. 

 The ducks and deer tried to share the seed that had fallen from the bird feeders.

 Annabelle had a ring-side seat to all of this.  She didn't miss a thing.

 This was a quick shot at an Oriole.  I couldn't believe the beautiful colors he had  on his wings and sides.  He was making it possible for the ducks and deer to eat.

 I saw this on FB and liked it so much I had to share it with you.

 This is a beautiful photo from FB of Cleveland.  It's not mine but had to show off the beauty of our city!

 Loved this and wanted to remind myself that it's all about Him, not about ME.  This is so hard since even though we are adults, we still have egos and want to be recognized for what we do. I've said, I want to live in such a way that others will see a difference and ask me about it.

 This card is going to Operation Write Home.  It was for Tuesday's color challenge.  You were to use pumpkin, red and pacific point.  I love to sponge scenes and this is what I came up with.

 This card is for today's sketch challenge.  I turned the sketch on its side.  Poppies are one of my favorite flowers and remind me of my childhood.  My mom had lots that grew in our backyard.  They were beautiful and have stayed in my memory.  I have many fond memories of the flowers in my mom's and grandma's gardens.

The neighbors next to my mom when we were little were an older German couple named Marie and Mike.  They told us to call them Aunt Marie and Uncle Mike, though they were my grandparent's ages.
Marie had the most gorgeous of old fashioned flower beds that ran down the side of her yard in all of its splendor.

As a small child I'd stand with my mom at Marie's garden and listen to her tell mom all about her flowers, where they came from, which came from her mother's gardens etc.  They were all the colors of the rainbow.

One day I went out to find some treasures to give to my mother.  I picked a nice handful for a 4 year old and brought them to my mom.  Oh my, my mother didn't give me the reaction I had hoped for.  She told me I wasn't allowed to take Aunt Marie's flowers.  I cried and told her that I just wanted to give her some pretty flowers to make her happy.

We stood at Aunt Marie's back door and knocked.  I was so scared what Aunt Marie would say.  Just like a grandmother, she cupped my little face and smiled a big smile and said I had picked a beautiful bunch of flowers.  She said I could have them.  She also said if I wanted more all I had to do was knock on her door and we'd pick some together!

Imagine my surprise after hearing this.  What else would you expect from a grandma type?
I have other flowers like bleeding hearts that are memories I have of my mother's garden.  Such precious memories; from flower stamps.

We're on our way to Arizona for a week with Ben, Rachel, Sarah and Brianna.  Should be a great time.  It should be illegal to have to be on a plane at 5:30 in the morning though.  I don't know what Tim was thinking when he booked our flights.........I'm so thankful for him though.  He's detail oriented and has taken care of everything.  All we have to do is pack and get on the plane.

I hope to post pictures of our adventures out west.

Blessing of the Day:Time spent with Val talking about what is retiring from the Stampin' Up catalog.
Thanks for stopping by.
Blessings,