So today was...hard.

Hard. That's a good way to describe today. I finally mustered up the courage to talk to Mike last night about my job situation (or lack thereof) since moving here. It's been so frustrating. I knew the work wouldn't be as easy to come by as it was in Portland, but I didn't think it would be this bad. Meanwhile, with the economy getting weaker, his business is getting slower, as well. Both of us being on commission is always hard. We have done it this way for nine years. There are always busy and slow times and we have learned to juggle our finances. But this time, I can just see the writing on the wall. We all know where the economy is heading. And I can see that there isn't alot of work for court reporters here. Plus, we just found out that our insurance premiums doubled.

So Mike and I talked about it last night and today I worked on my resume. He's having a hard time with it...thinks I am jumping the gun and should try and wait it out. I think that's just burying our heads in the sand, and why wait until things are really scary?? That doesn't do any good. I would rather do something about it now, and if things pick up, then great. That will be a good problem to have. We told the kids tonight that I will need to start working a "real" job. Haley burst into tears. ::::sigh:::: Kyle said, "Good. Then maybe next year we will go to Mexico again!" LOL Damon...well, Damon took another bite of his pizza! :)

I have applied for a couple of positions at the hospital here and will apply for a position at the City...keep your fingers crossed for me! :)

Please do me a favor....

Hi Friends!

How have you been? Things have been really busy around here...our new home was completely unlandscaped in the back and we tackled it weekend before last and did everything from fill dirt to all the final touches (except a few flowers that I'm still too scared to plant as it still gets down below freezing here at night) in one weekend. We were exhausted, but it looks so nice and it's nice to have that not hanging over our heads anymore!

On to the project above...as everyone knows, both my MIL and my FIL have cancer. My MIL finished chemo at the end of January and my FIL just started chemo a month ago. He came over last week and asked me to shave his head for him as his hair was coming out in big patches. So when we were finished, I had them pose together for this picture. It is so surreal that they would be going through this together, and I thought that a picture chronicling this stage in their life would be something that they would treasure when this is all over and they have their health back.

I put alot of thought and energy into the whole idea and exactly what I wanted it to look like. I wanted it to have words, but words that were meaningful and not "morbid." I picked the stamp from Lizzie Anne Design's set Say It In Script. It says, "Cherish Yesterday, Dream of Tomorrow & Live for Today." It is one stamp, but I colored each little saying seperately and cut it out so that I could mount one of each of the little sayings in each corner. The other corner has the little bridal flowers from Michael's (colored) and a little pearl added to the middle. I then used red line tape to put the ribbon around the edges and a little pearl in each corner. All of the elements were thought out so that they would be understated but meaningful...the photo was what I wanted to be the focal piece. I was so happy with the way it turned out and my husband was, too. He was so appreciative of my effort and was excited to give it to his mom for Mother's Day.

We had both of our families over for dinner...I prepared a big meal and made sure it would be a nice evening for everyone. After dinner my husband went and got the gift. His mother opened it and very quickly and loudly SHRIEKED, "DARCE....THIS IS HORRID!!" And it didn't stop there...she continued to say it several more times. My heart sunk...I wanted to cry. I felt like a little kid who had created a clay handprint and was told it was awful. I didn't know what to do. No one was saying anything, except for her. I finally just said, "Wow...after all of my hard work." I really regret that statement...really regret it. I should have just walked away and composed myself. But I just felt like such an idiot. I guess she realized that perhaps it was a little harsh so she quickly said, "I mean my picture." I didn't say anything else. I began serving dessert and fought back tears the rest of the night. She tried a couple of times after that to convince me how much she liked it.....ummmm, yeah. I could tell.

I know that not everyone appreciates our love of crafting the way we crafters do. I get that. I know that I don't create the masterpieces of so many others in this crafting world. I get that. But to scream over and over about how "horrid" something is when you can tell that someone made it, regardless if you know how much time or effort went into it...I don't get that.

My night was completely ruined...and most of my Mother's Day. I cry just thinking about it.

So to everyone that is ever given a handmade creation by someone else....whether it be a child's drawing, a true work of art, or just something made from the heart, I beg you to SHRIEK, "OH MY GOD! I LOVE IT!" Even if you don't.


Stamps: Say It In Script (LAD)
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black
Ink: So Saffron, Really Rust, Bravo Burgundy
Other Goodies: Adhesive Pearls (Hero Arts), Bridal Flowers (Michael's), Ribbon, Frame

A Mini Meltdown

No, this is not stamping related, but I hope someone can help calm my nerves!!

Our PC that the kids use and that also has 3 years of photos on it....just died. The power won't even come on. I have never been able to figure out how to burn my photos...I'm freaking out that I won't get them back!!! I have printed some of the major "events" but it's the day-to-day snapshots that I am just heartsick about. :(

We have a computer guy coming tomorrow...cross your fingers I can at least get my pictures...ugggh. :(

A Personal Note...

Just wanted to take a moment and write a personal note...we recently moved back to our "hometown" so that we could be closer to family. My MIL was diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer in September, and after some health problems of my own and some health problems my mom has had, we just felt it was time to get closer to family. Both of our families now live just a mile away from us. The transition has been harder than I thought it would be, but it's only been 7 weeks.

My MIL finished chemo the week before we moved back and has done amazingly well during the last few months. But the family was struck with another blow this week when my FIL was diagnosed with breast cancer. It is so surreal to see them going through this so soon after my MIL's diagnosis. And for it to be breast cancer...we all think of it as a woman's disease, but it is so very real for men, as well. He will undergo a mastectomy on Thurs and will begin chemotherapy soon therafter. They have so much on their plate. We are so glad that we made the move back...we know now more than ever that we did the right thing!

Please keep them in your thoughts...they need all the strength they can get right now!