Christmas wishes

What are yours? Mine are simple this year - and things just aren't going to cut it. My Nan is ill - she's been diagnosed with cancer, pretty much everywhere. She has it in about 5 different organs, as well as throughout her bones, and swelling at a fracture on her spine threatening to press on nerves. They are starting treatment on the spot on her spine to try and stop the possibility or paraplegia, and are talking about chemo as a palliative care move. After losing Pa earlier in the year, she is ready to be with him again, and is coping pretty well with the dr's assessment that she has months, not years.

So our christmas wish - that her new meds help her cope with the enormous amount of pain she's in over the christmas period, so she can enjoy the time we'll have with her family ... all our family from pretty much all over the country are flying in for christmas, which is going to be awesome. That when she goes, it's with dignity. She's a lady, my Nan, and the thought of her hanging on and losing her dignity, needing people to wash her, and feed her, and having machines keep her alive, is really far more painful a thought than that of losing her. So we're praying for a wonderful, blessed, and peaceful end to an awesome life.

So, after that depressing start to a christmas post ... who's ready for santa? Not this little black duck! I've battled the Plaza three days in the past week (anyone who's been to Penrith around Christmas knows EXACTLY what I'm talking about!!) and I've had amazing luck - driven pretty much straight into a parking spot! That, dear readers, is where the luck ended though. I've wandered around aimlessly, not able to find anything that really takes my fancy. I had a run-in with one manager from a store which will remain nameless, but then was saved by another - God Bless Glenn, who saved my bacon with my DS-loving 6 year old who is desperate for a blue one off Santa! I've got to say though, she's missing out from Santa ... I decided this year I don't want some random fat guy in a red suit getting the credit for the kick-arse presents I've been slaving over, so the really good ones are coming from me and Dennis!! So that's been my dilemma, actually ... coming up with a present that looks substantial enough to be a Santa gift, but isn't going to break the bank - we didn't want to spend too much this year, and I'm trying my hardest to stick to that! We eventually found some great gifts, but there are still little bits and pieces to be sourced. My kingdom for a decent junk shop!! And I'm battling that age-old issue ... what to get our next door neighbours who I KNOW have been baking yet again, to give us a special hand-made christmas gift. Is a large box of Cadbury's Favourites a suitable enough gift in return for hours slaving over a hot stove? Probably not, but that's as good as it's going to get!! lol

I whipped this up last night. How cool are these colours! I stumbled across these papers in a LSS, that used to be a fabric store. It has the best collection of scrapping and habby stuff, omg ... I was in heaven! And a gorgeous wooden book shaped box. I've been dropping hints, but I think I'm going to have to go and buy it myself for christmas! This is Pink Paislee Vintage moon paper - the owl and branch are cut from another sheet from the range. It's officially my first non-square layout! Those of you who know me know how stressed I would be getting at the thought of how this is going to look in my album .... but I've solved that dilemma, it just needs to go back to back with a layout done on Kraft cardstock, and has no brads or stitching, etc, peeking through the back around the edges! lol Yes, I'm anal. I keep looking at this layout and thinking it needs something else, but it took less than 15 minutes, and I love the colours in the pp - every time I add something else I keep taking it off again! So it's going to stay like this. How hot are we? ROFL.

This one uses some beautiful Basic Grey papers and alphas, and Melissa Frances and Fancy Pants trims. I love how the colours of the paper match the colours in the water!

This one is from a little while ago, but it caught my eye again while I was adding pics, so I thought I'd share it too ... how big is my Kelsey girl getting? Sigh ... it makes me proud and sad all at the same time.








K, off to tell Kieran, aged 14 and waaaay too cool for his own good, that he's coming to get a Santa photo taken today. Wish me luck! PMSL.

It's my birthday and I'll whinge if I want to!!

OMG ... what kind of person subjects themselves to pain on their birthday? This kind, apparently! It was my birthday yesterday, by the way, just in case you were wondering ... happy birthday to me! lol
So, the pain - well, we had Karate. I would normally have skipped it - I'm all for a good excuse not to go to training. But Kelsey was grading. And she ROCKED!!!! She's now an orange belt with white stripe. Go you little ninja you! So since I was there, I stayed for the adults class ... they knew I was around, it was a bit hard to sneak out. OMG ... OMG ... OOOOO MMMMM GGGGGG. Who knew that there were so many kinds of push-ups? We did normal pushups. We did scorpion pushups. We did some wierd kind of yoga-like prayer pushups (I tell you, I was praying during them ... ouch!) We did the specially patented, Kumiai-Ryu, "I'm a sadistic bastard and want to inflict as much pain as is humanly possible in a 60 minute period" pushups. And do I hurt today? Yes I do. Will I hurt tomorrow? You bet your sore little butt-muscles I will! But am I proud of myself? Abso-friggin-lotuley! I kicked all my tension from work out. I did some serious kicks that I've NEVER been able to do before. And, this overweight and unfit 34 year old held her own with teenagers and black belts. Go me!!

Hmmm ... what else? Well, it's time for a message from our sponsors ... lol. Who loves scrapping? Who loves Kaiser? Well, if the answer is you, my friend, then get yourself to ScrapTherapy, where this month's MAN of the month is Kaisercraft! Such nice new ranges in - you'll love them! Plus, the beautiful new Clear albums - I can't wait to play with these! Everything is super-cheap - some of the ranges this month are reduced more than Lee-anne's usual generous 20%!

This is my favourite otp of the moment - our "Christmas wishes" hanger! Kaiser papers and bauble album - cute huh? The back of the decos have a piece of clear plastic on them, so we can write our christmas wishes, and then they can be wiped off and used again for next year. I really like this!

A layout for the Therapy monthly challenge - to scrap a layout using one of a few great christmas quotes. I love this one, it's one of my faves, and this pic from last year of my kids plus our cousin Phoenix is so nice.

This album, a Kaiser one, is part of the girls' christmas present. It's got Veronica's lyrics, pics, and concert tickets. They are just going to go nuts - they think the concert is WAAAY too expensive. I can't wait to see the looks on their faces!

K, I'd better go - I've got so many teacher presents to make, and so little time. This is the problem with making something really awesome one year - they all begin to expect it when you've established a precedent! That'll teach me ... lol.