Celebration 66! -- Heart2Heart Challenge

This week the challenge at Heart2Heart was to use a photo as a focal point ...

I'm much more of a scrapbooker than I am a cardmaker.

However, I captured this endearing photo of my parents on April 21st 

and decided to use it for this challenge.

On that day, they said "I do" again. Sixty-six years after their wedding day.

I wrote their exact words inside the card.

This will be a remembrance card for them to look at each day.

I'm so thankful I could be with them to celebrate their 66th, and to capture 

this special moment when Mom rolled her walker 

over to Dad and took his hand,

and they had their heart-warming conversation.

Card inside and envelope corner stamp:

After I wiped a few tears away, 

I asked Mom if she wanted to try on her wedding gown--

just for old times' sake--

and she said, "I don't!"

We all laughed.

Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving your comment!

I used:

Close To My Heart products:  Splendor papers, Cranberry and Dutch Blue inks, Cranberry and Sunflower Waxy Flax, Cranberry Ribbon, Foam Pop Up Squares, 

and Stamps from these sets:

Cherish the Moment; He Said, She Said; Classmate Alphabet; Amore Numbers; and Dainty Thoughts

Check out more photos that are truly awesome focal points by clicking the H2H button:

Memorial Day 2011 at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery

Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery
St Louis, Missouri
Photography by Jane
May 29, 2011

"Thank you" is not enough, but those are the words we say
to each man and woman
who served with commitment and honor
and gave the ultimate sacrifice
so that you and I might enjoy the freedoms we share.

Thank you.

Shadow Shot Sunday

Forsythia in bloom

Garden sculpture on the deck

Old mum & old watering can

I happily happened on Harriet's site that features Shadow Shot Sunday. So I decided to participate. Here are my shadow shots from today, a beautiful Spring day to be outside, one just full of God's blessings.

Want to find out more about Shadow Shot Sunday? Double click on the camera!

God's Midwest Winter Weather

In just 24 hours, we've gone from beautiful sunsets & clear winter nights to ice and snow here in Missouri.

I love the glow of the city street lights a few miles away from our hilltop "perch."

But our night is looking much different tonight!

Snow is still falling, mixed with ice crystals ... the thermometer reads 10F ... winter has come to our area ... even the snowblower couldn't get the ice off the sidewalk and driveway today ...

I got some practice using the new camera during the night snowfall ... I set the ISO on these pix at 1600. It sure is fun to experiment!

Creator God, Your every detail of nature is awesome to see (and thank You for letting me see it from a warm home)!

MSgreenthumbs Layout

Dear gardening friend Linda took these photos of me on a day last summer after she handed me her shovel and said, "Dig!" That was right after I had enjoyed rolling down her sloping hillside to the creek bed--it feels so good to do kid-like stuff. So I was acting silly, as you can see.

We were in her beautiful botanical-rich backyard among the irises. She wanted to give me starts of pampas grass. The ground was so hard, we took turns digging, and I was able to bring three starts home. They since bloomed with pretty plumes!

Aren't the iris colors pretty with this Key To My Heart paper collection?

The stamped tabs along the top spell "free therapy". (And so it is!)

I used the "Bottom Border-title" layout in the CTMH Reflections book (page 35) with these products:

Key To My Heart papers

Dazzling die cuts in white daisy

Yellow colored pencil & juniper ink/water pen on the die cuts

Colonial white ribbon

Hemp

Spring blossoms brads

Juniper & Chocolate inks

Stamps: Amore lower case & Chocolate alpha small

I'm so anxious to get back to gardening again! I still have some daffodils to plant so I had better find my gloves and bulb planter.

Sights & Sounds of Christmas

Christmas Eve sky & sunset from our hilltop home

Go Tell It on the Mountain

Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and ev'rywhere;
Go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born!

While shepherds kept their watching o'er silent flocks by night,
Behold, throughout the heavens there shone a holy light.

The shepherds feared and trembled when lo, above the earth
Rang out the angel chorus that hailed our Savior's birth.

Down in a lonely manger the humble Christ was born;
And God sent us salvation that blessed Christmas morn.

(Isaiah 40:9-11; Luke 2:7-20)

Happy birthday, Jesus!

Blooms Abound

White blooms on the guacamole hosta

Pink impatiens flowers

A single Rose of Sharon flower

All men (people!) are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of the Lord stands forever. 1 Peter 1:24-25

Of all God's creation, I enjoy His flowers and their beauty (next to people and dogs, of course)! And I like to photograph them, frame the art, and create nature-themed cards for special people.

The wet spring and summer have kept the yard and gardens a lush green with huge blooms to enjoy. Here are a few blooms from our garden this week. I thank God for all His creation--especially the blooms and the birds they attract. (I'm still trying to capture hummingbirds in pix.)

I especially thank Him for the living Word--Jesus--whose love and forgiveness is ours forever.