Fun with the Grandbabies!!

Hi all! Just got back into town from visiting with my daughter and her family. It was soooo much fun!!! I just can't be with those grandbabies enough! Thought I would share a little photo collage with you:

Hope you all have had a FABULOUS week, too! Hugs, Cheryl

More To The Story

I was going through my old scrapbook pages the other day and I came across this one that I did three years ago for a challenge to do "raw" journaling. I felt compelled to share it here. I hope the journaling might be a help to someone so even though it was a difficult layout for me to do and actually a little difficult to share I still have the feeling that I should...so here is the journaling:
There are generally reasons for the way people act. Everyone has a story. Everyone has a background. If we will just come to accept and love people in spite of the outer layer they show, we will have peace ourselves. My story, my background doesn't start simply with me...there are other stories, other backgrounds that put mine in motion. I was raised by my stepmom. So many negative images with that word that I hate to use it. In my heart she was my mom. My birth mother was not a part of my life after my dad and her were divorced. Drugs and alcohol were her priority. I remember scenes, from my early childhood I would rather forget. It might be easy to be bitter, but I am not. I understand that some choices she made at a very young age, when reasoning is not clear, affected her decision making process later on. She had a tough life. I am sorry she did not experience the joys of motherhood she could have. As I mentioned earlier, in my heart my stepmom was just my mom. That doesn't mean thing were always pleasant for us. There is a story there, too. There were often times I didn't feel a whole lot of love from her. There were ugly moments of fighting and conflict and not just your ordinary mother/daughter stuff. Before her and my dad married, her youngest son committed suicide. That leaves huge scars. She loved me. She did. She saw in me the same kind of personality that was in her son. This scared her. She couldn't stand the loss of another child. She felt she needed to make me tough to withstand the emotional rigors of a sometimes cruel world. I didn't know it at the time, but she later explained that she would do things that would cause me pain on purpose in order to get me to fight back. She would provoke the anger in me so I would learn how to confront life and not give up. It was not the way I would ever raise a child, but I understand. I understand her story. I understand the background. I understand now that she loved me. Everyone has a story. Everyone has a background.
HUGS, Cheryl

Vintage Garden- Sweet Dreams *CCCB*

Hi all!! Woohoo it's Tuesday and time to share a CCCB project! I truly loved our challenge this week brought to us by the lovely Ros! I'm hoping you will enjoy her Photo Inspiration Challenge this week.

This gorgeous bed set is from the Vintage collection but YOUR creation doesn't have to be vintage ... it's a matter of how these photos "speak" to you
You can make a card, tag, ATC or any sort of project. I created this "Sweet Dreams" card with the inspiration. I can't wait to see your gorgeous creations! Speaking of GORGEOUS get yourself over to City Crafter Challenge Blog and check out the inspiration from our FABULOUS Guest Artist, Charlene, and all the members of our DT! The winner of this week's challenge will be a Guest Designer for City Crafter Challenge Blog! So hope you are having some sweet dreams of your own today and join us in our vintage garden! Hugs, Cheryl

Celebrating Son-In-Laws!!

Today I pay tribute to my two AMAZING son-in-laws! I can't think of anything quite as scary for parents than the thought of entrusting someone to COMPLETELY LOVE, CHERISH, CARE FOR, and DEVOTE themselves to your beloved daughters like you do.
This is exactly what parents do when their daughters get married. I have to say that I have been so BLESSED to have son-in-laws that are PERFECT for my daughters. They are men that I know will do ANYTHING for their families. They are men of faith and character and honor. What a HUGE blessing they are in my life! It happens that today is a day to celebrate both of them!! It is my oldest daughter's anniversary and she has been married to the FABULOUS Bobby for 7 years today!! Happy Anniversary Angela and Bobby! We celebrate the day that Bobby came into our family! Today is also our son-in-law, Skyler's birthday! He is 26 today! Happy Birthday Skyler!!! We celebrate the day Skyler came into the world! So join with me in the celebration of FAMILY!! Hugs, Cheryl

My LOVE For YOU Can Not Be Measured *Happy B-day Angela!!*

Hi All!! Today is a very significant day for me.  Today I celebrate the birth of my very first sweet precious baby...28 years ago today my sweet Angela blessed my life!  My LOVE for HER truly can't even begin to be measured.  She is the epitome of the word GOOD!  Always has been.  I NEVER EVER worried about her not growing up to be an AMAZING person!  She has spent her life trying so hard (and succeeding I might add) to be LOVING, and GIVING, and GENUINELY a GOOD person!  You could not ask for a more PERFECT first born child.  She has always been an example to her siblings of goodness!  My heart is full of LOVE for her today and ALWAYS!! I am BEYOND PROUD of her and to be called her mom!  I LOVE YOU ANGELA with all my HEART and MORE!!  Happy Birthday Baby Girl!!  Please join with me and wish Angela the very HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS!  Hugs, Cheryl

It's A Shore Thing

Hi all! I'm so excited to be hostessing this week at CCCB!...and one thing I know for "shore" is that I LOVE THE BEACH! I was born and raised seven blocks from the beach and I'm pretty "shore" that at least a little bit of salt water runs in my veins. You can take the girl away from the beach, but you can't take the beach away from the girl...no matter how far I live away from it, it is still a part of who I am. So we are celebrating the beach this week with our theme, "It's A Shore Thing"! Your challenge is simply to create any beach related project. I "shore" hope you will join us!! You know how we ALL here at City Crafter Challenge Blog LOVE to view EVERY single project you share with us! Hop on over and see the GORGEOUS creation from our Guest Artist, Andrea Budjack , and our DT! The ULTRA GENEROUS Pixie Dust Paperie is our sponsor this week! For my project I scrapped this photo of my brother and sister-in-law who are still sweethearts and holding hands after over 50 years of marriage! I LOVE these two so much and they are such a wonderful example in so many ways to me! I hope you get to hold hands with someone you LOVE today! Hugs, Cheryl

One Of A Million PERFECT MOMENTS

Hi all! I had a couple spare minutes to create, so here is what I came up with. It is not strictly for myself, that I did this. My youngest daughter has been begging me to do a layout with this photo ever since I made the layout with her older sister with their little niece, Bailey, when they first got to see her just an hour after she was born. We need to have equal time you know! haha! Angela, if you are reading this...don't worry I'll do a layout of you and Bailey, too! It really is one of a million PERFECT MOMENTS! Hope you are enjoying a PERFECT MOMENT today! Hugs, Cheryl

Let the Sunshine In! **CCCB**

Hi all!! So happy to be here with a City Crafter Challenge blog post! Linda, our hostess this week is letting the sunshine in! The challenge is to create a project with the image of the sun on it or the word "sun". So FAB! You are going to want to check out all the rays of sunshine our Guest Artist, Jamie Lee, and our DT have created over at City Crafter Challenge Blog! Such a FUN prize for our winner this week, too.........A Guest Artist spot at CCCB! Woohoo!! Bring on that SUNSHINE all!! Can't wait to see your radiant projects! Hope your day is filled with sunshine and happiness! Hugs, Cheryl

More Play Time!!

Yeah...I had some more time to play around and create a layout! So fun to just CREATE! I just ADORE this photo of my daughter and granddaughter...it is so FULL of HAPPINESS! When my family is happy it just FILLS me clear of with HAPPINESS, too! Hope you are having a HAPPY, HAPPY day! Hugs, Cheryl

Just Because I Could

I had a few spare minutes last night to make a layout...so here is what I came up with. It is fun to create sometimes for no other reason because you can and want to!
My daughter is truly someone who makes the world special just by being in it. I hope you are sharing this day with someone who makes your world special! Hugs, Cheryl

Celebrating the 4th of July!

Wishing all of you in the U.S. a very Happy 4th of July!!! No matter what country you live in, I hope you are finding something to celebrate this weekend and bring you JOY and HAPPINESS!! BIG HUGS, Cheryl