i hate making people cry

- I made two moms cry today - I didn't mean to - I was doing my job - I can't break the law.......even if they cry....

but man


I


hate


making


people


cry...


however - they both have the power to change their situation - I hope that they will take the steps they need to do so!

Now, in other news - the Astros beat the Cards again tonight - Go 'Stros!!!!!

preferences

What a day!!!!! Even though the preschooler we had scheduled to evaluate this morning stood us up, I was busy every second of the day...then I come home to some controversy on one of my news lists. What caused the controversy is not that important - just call it preferences ...what matters to me is that one of my friends was hurt by it, hard feelings were stirred up by it, and it is just unnecessary. Even more unnecessary was that my co-mom on the list is dealing with the illness of a close family member and really doesn't need this sort hassle on the list and in her inbox. It hurts my heart when something like this happens on a list, and then people start trying to stir the pot. I think it hurts my Heavenly Father's heart, too.

As a Christian woman, I believe that I am accountable for my words and actions - even though you reading this probably do not know me personally, it is up to me to let Christ show through my actions. I just pray that in my REactions to this situation today, that I did that. I didn't want to...to be honest, my humanity and flesh just wanted to jump up in someone's face...but by God's grace I didn't. That's one of those things I also have to credit my husband for being part of. When something like this happens and I have to deal with it in an administrative capacity, after venting at my computer a minute, I settle down and pray about it. I formulate my response, reread it, pray over it, and then, when I am wise, ask my husband to read it.

I thank God for my Godly, beautiful husband. His kindness and thoughtfulness has tempered my impetuosity more than once and kept me out of deep dog doo (weren't expecting that, were ya?).

Astros....changes - finally!

I like Phil Garner.....*really* I do - I admired him as a player, and like his personality and style...but as a manager, sometimes I had a really hard time understanding him....And don't even get me started on Tim Purpura....oy.

Morgan Ensberg would start getting a hot bat - he'd sit him down....what's up with that? And when Morgan struggled, they eventually ended up getting rid of him, and he got two homeruns in ONE game (however I do believe this move was God's will for the Ensberg family - the interview I heard him in he sounded so excited about going back *home* - they are such a sweet Christian couple, though; his wife has been a guest host on the local Christian radio station here in Houston - you can listen to it on the web, by the way - ksbj.org - AWESOME station!).

It got so that for a while you couldn't count on the line-up looking anything like it did the day before ....now, there's shaking things up, and then there's making people so insecure that they cannot do their jobs - creating tension...unfortunately, I think this was a by-product of some of the management decisions that were made. I do know this....the new management team has a hard row to hoe...but really, when you're in the cellar, there is only one direction that counts, at least - and that's up. I still have confidence that they can at *least* haul themselves out of the cellar before the end of the year! It will take more time, however, to build our minor league feeders into strong potential major league players.

(And whether they do, or not - I will still remain an Astros fan!)

Garrett really seemed to like his card. Kari caught on real fast that I had bought that set just for the tractor...for Garrett. He's such a sweetie.

I promised some time back (I went back and read my own blog...) that I would share what we made at stamp club this month...I always try very hard to keep my promises. It used to drive Katie crazy (my youngest, almost 20 year old beautiful daughter - Maid of Honor in her sissy's wedding in 2 months 2 weeks and 1 day) because she'd ask me to *promise* to do something and if I was not sure I *could* promise that, I'd always tell her I didn't know if I could, but I would try... because, you see, if I promised her I would do something, she would NEVER forget that I had promised...

it's important to keep your promises....even if it's *just* to share art work.....

SO, here is what we made!



Scrapbook page is Garden Green, Summer Sun and Pumpkin pie...lots of punches and lots of fun...do you know how HARD it is to do a buggy page with my girls???????


This is one of my favorite cards ever....got the idea for the punch art bug from a couple of folks, but changed it to make it ALL punchart (yes - I *am* the punchart queen, lol - don't ask how many punches I own...you really do NOT wanna know!). We used the slit punch to make the border the ladybug is flying over. Another idea I used with the extra kits I made up to replenish my card supply - Curvy Verses and the StampAMaJig also work to make a lovely curvy trail....ink CV with the black Stampin Write, one phrase at a time, and use the SAMJ to place it - it turned out really cute!!!!!


I like this one a lot, too - one of my favorite color combos - Bashful Blue, So Saffron and Certainly Celery. The Priceless stamp set is so cute! We used the Cropadile to set those eyelets - way easy!


Kari found this design on SplitCoastStampers by a gal whose name eludes us...I'll be glad to give her credit when I find her name again! It uses Carte Postale and French Flair stamp sets...

We also used a very cool tool - the SCOR-PAL (http://www.scor-pal.com) - to score all these cards....we made over 200 invitations...it took a while, but the S-P made the scoring an accurate job since we didn't have to measure and remeasure to score the pieces... can you tell I really like this tool?

Here's the inside... no offense, but not knowing who may run across my little boring blog, I expunged the names and locations...

Whew - I'm tired...tomorrow's the first day with kids, and I've been fighting migraine all weekend, so I'm quitting for the night. Y'all have a wonderful, blessed week, and, as someone challenged me to do:

make a difference in someone's life this week, will ya?

Garrett's Bday card

OK, finished the bday card for my SIL2b...


I'm pleased with how it turned out - it got a wow from Bo, so that works :)

I appreciate the girls at SUDEMOSONLY, my Castaway group and KraftingKarensStampCamps for their color suggestions...I went with Wild Wasabi for the base, Green Galore for the tractor and darker square, and Yoyo yellow for the yellow....a little punch here, a little snip there...voila! John Deere, look out!


(the inside - made a little pocket in the pocket so the money would be accessible...)


(Happy Birthday, Garrett! Love ya, son!)

I love Saturday!

WOW - have *I* been bad or what! It's been days - almost WEEKS since I last was here...hmmm, wonder if school starting could have anything to do with that!

I got my office moved back to my old school (hurrah!) and have already had 3 IEP meetings... yep, hit the decks running.... And the other diags have all already had more of those than I have (but they didn't have 3 and 4 year olds to test, come to think of it, lol - I *love* the little ones!!!).

sorry - Garrett (SIL2B) just dropped off keys to Bo's truck...

I'm fixing to work on some stamping and some prom scrapbook pages for a gal. Since my blog is largely undiscovered, lol, I'll share some of the stamping in a bit...can't share the prom pics as they aren't my kids :) Gotta make my future SIL a birthday card - tomorrow's his day! Hope Bo remembers he's supposed to get him something while he's out....hate to call him *again* as he is getting certain personal products for his cranky wife...and likely needs a break from her (me)...

I called him...walked out into the garage to check and see how many diet cokes there were at *his* request - don't you love a man who SHOPS...he also COOKS, VACUUMS, PUTS GAS IN MY CAR *and* he remembered that I was almost out of Diet Coke! I know...I know - I am SO spoiled...but I digress...the garage door was up and I thought G had left it that way...I turn around and Bo is talking to me on the phone and is *right behind me* - nearly scared the peewadoodling out of me, lol...

back in a minute...now the laundry is calling....

ok - I now have clean undies put away for the next week or two or three...I hate doing laundry, but gotta have clean undies!!!!!

well, *now* it's the phone....I give up....maybe I'll catch ya later!

Today, part C

Forgot one really, REALLY important thing....

Astros won AGAIN last night

(get out the brooms, we swept 'em! - now - to take on the Brewers!)