Happy Thanksgivng

I just wanted to wish everyone a joyful and blessed Thanksgiving.

I am so thankful for my family, friends, being of sound body and mind. I cannot tell you how happy I am to have, yet another, holiday with my dad. What a great gift to be given, the gift of life. He amazes me everyday with his strength despite a bleak future. Thanks be to God most high:-)! Please continue to pray for him.

I leave next friday for my first half-marathon. YIKES! I have been sick so who knows what to expect. I am just hoping to finish the race under 4 hours. I will be walking the entire 13.1 miles up and down the Strip. It could be worse, it could always be worse;-)

Again, have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Heather

Hmmm...

I realized a few days ago that I have completely neglected my blog. Summer was fun, other than being board, and finished with my awesome road trip with B.F.F Jaime.

Another birthday has come and gone leaving me to feel a little "lost" about my place in this world and what I (as a child) dreamed of becoming. I can remember people I looked up to telling me to slow down as life drifts away from us all too quickly. I now know what they were talking about. This is something I am going to tell my 11 year old niece with the hope she will take the advice, allow her mistakes to be made and look forward with star filled eyes just a little longer.

Dad has continued to recover from his coma but his hernia has also continued to increase in size. He is going to the University of Washington in a few weeks to being the liver transplant process. What a journey he has been on in just a few short years. Maybe a book will be written. I can't imagine dealing with all that he has. I am still and will always be his "Heathy Bear." I was lucky enough to go on opening hunting day with him and took a few pics. My first hunt ever!

School has started again and I feel as though I am wasting my time. I LOVE what I am learning, but being in school for as long as I have, makes a person a little crazy from time to time. Perhaps it's the lack of funds that are putting me a little under lately? I know I supposed to be working in this field and that is what helps me to push on.

Crafting was put on the back burner for a few months. But the month of October has been full of fun (sometimes frustrating) creations. I have sewn an adult Tinkerbell and Cruella De Ville costumes, 2 purses from scratch, Halloween coasters, a fall candy jar and fall paper tags for pictures. Some of which I will be placing on my Sporadic Crafter blog.

Hope everyone has a fun filled and safe Halloween!

Summer Is Almost Here

The last month of May and the first half of June have literally brought me to my knees a few times. School has been a blast (only one more final to go:) and it has allowed me the opportunity to meet some AMAZING new friends, be more outgoing, utilize my creative abilities so I may one day make a difference in someones life, and led me to find out that I have a really messed up foot! I have several stress fractures! Needless to say, all of the above mentioned hasn't allowed me much time for digi-scrappin'.

Now that my summer will officially start tomorrow, I will be devoting more of my free time to making fun blog backgrounds, digi-kits, some hybrid projects and traditional scrappin' as well. Hmm....maybe I am going to start selling kits?! Thank you for continuing to check up on the Sporadic Scrapper blog and keep coming back for fun downloads in the next few weeks.

And a quick shout out to my fun lovin' mama! Happy 60th Birthday Gloria! Thanks for inspiring me to be my wacky, fun and sometime crazy self. I wonder where I get it from?!

A Lot Changes in A Few Short Weeks

YIKES!! I hadn't realized how far behind I was on my postings until I had some alone time today. A few "major" things have happened these past few weeks that are helping me realize I am exactly where I need and am supposed to be in life. God has amazing timing and control over all we do and it is up to us to allow Him to work in our lives.

I had the opportunity to go to Bellevue for a Orthotics & Prosthetics conference with a few other classmates. It was a great experience and found all the information that was provided to me to be extremely helpful. I even made a job contact who is willing to let me work from home while I am going to school:)! I had a blast in Bellevue and the surrounding area on a day trip.

(I don't like my pic being taken but this is OKAY)

(If you look close....see the "Boat Island")

(Pretty pic)

(I don't like the rain, but I love the location)

On a sad note, the following Monday my dad was rushed to the hospital where he stayed for 8 days (I can't really remember how long because my days are all rushed together). He had a speech problem that showed up out of nowhere and progressively got worse as I stayed and spoke with him. I got the nurse and informed her that I thought my dad was having a stroke. She called for the doc. who confirmed the stroke, asked my dad if he wanted emergency surgery (he said he could live with the speech problem) and 5 hours later while pushing on my dad's stomach he had a seizure (I wasn't sure if it was a seizure or not. All I knew was my dad stopped breathing, went blue and then limp)! We called out for help but no one came. I have NEVER, NEVER been that freaked out in my life. I thought I saw my dad take his last breath in front of me. He is home now, doing well and all seems to be okay for now. I am not sure what changed after that week, but I have been seeing my dad in a different light. I was almost afraid to be around him for fear of another situation where I would be helpless. However, I realize that if it is time for someone to go I will celebrate that they are with their Father and that they are safe.

While all this was going on with dad, I was supposed to be preparing for my Anatomy final. I couldn't study worth a lick. School was the farthest thing on my mind. I am trying to get caught up and feeling a little stressed about it. Finals are not that far off and we are not getting the practice that other students have received. I have been getting GREAT grades on my projects so far and keeping a picture journal of each step. What a blast! I found out this week that I am going to be the recipient of a scholarship next year so I can finish the program. I actually did a little dance to celebrate at 11 p.m. when I opened my Congratulations Letter. Poor people downstairs. My classmates are great. We get along really well and that helps when I am feeling a little like a loser for not understanding something right off the bat.

As far as my digi-scrappin' I have been a little busy to keep up on it. However, I was asked to teach but I wasn't able to because the dates where when my dad was in the hospital:( Total bummer but I was able to spend time with my dad which was more important. My newest project is a gift for my mom's 60th next month. I need to get cracking on that!

If I don't post another blog this week, I hope everyone has a happy and SAFE Memorial Weekend.

Heather

Robotic Arm....Amazing

I am falling in love with the career I have chosen. There is sooooo much to learn and so little time to absorb everything that we are being taught. I am finding myself using my free time to do more research and discover this profession. The robotic arm that DARPA has created has captured my attention. Here a link to an amazing source of info. regarding the robotics side of the O&P industry.

Sorry for such a quick post, but I have to go back to class and learn about plastics.

A Givaway From Embellish Essentials!

Giveaway!! From Embellish Essentials (go to the blog HERE)

Last Sunday Jaime and I were up until 3 am getting ready for our BIG garage sale! Of course, we didn't PLAN to be up that late, but one thing led to another... and another... and so on.The best part about one thing leading to another is that we were up late packaging yards and yards and YARDS of ribbon into cute little bags of color coordinating ribbon. The reason why you should like cute little bags of color coordinating ribbon is because one or more of those bags will be included in our very first giveaway!!! Did you read that?? A GIVEAWAY!! That's right! Because we think we're crazy for having so much scrapbooking stuff for sale, we're just going to give it away. We've put our pretty (tired) heads together to come up with a surprise scrapbook package worth over $50!! Just for you, if you're the lucky winner!

Here's how you can enter this giveaway contest (you can get one entry for each task completed, up to three entries per person):

1. Become a follower of this blog and leave us a message in the comments section introducing yourself.
   
2. Post this giveaway on your own blog and leave a link to your post in the comments section.
   
3. Leave a comment sharing your favorite Spring scrapbook project (it can be a past or present project, or even one you have plans to accomplish someday).

The deadline to enter is Saturday, April 11th at 11:59 p.m. PST. The winner will be chosen randomly and will be announced on Sunday, April 12th. Check back to see who the lucky winner is! The winner will have 48 hours to contact us* so we can arrange for delivery of your prize.

*If we are not contacted within 48 hours, a second winner will be selected, thus nullifying the first winner's claim to the prize.

Good luck and have fun! Jaime & Heather

School IS Cool!

Monday was my first day of the Orthotics & Porthetics program out at SFCC. Feeling like a pre-schooler entering the lions den, I took my seat and sat quietly. I observed, getting a feel for the group. WOW! What a group. So many different nationalities, backgrounds and a few locals such as myself. This past week we spent time getting familiar with the way the program operates, taking multiple test, writing a paper and learning all the different types of program specific tools.

As I read the text book, watch videos and observe the other accelerated students and can't help but feel like I have found my calling. I am considering going on to become a practitioner, but that is still a little ways off yet. I can't seem to get enough knowledge about the industry and what the latest technologies are and how to use your creativity to work through a problem. LOVE IT!!!!!

Perhaps the best part about being in school is getting Fridays off! LOL! I love my sleep just as much as I love the program and now that I am older than most traditional students are, I NEED MY SLEEP:) I woke up today feeling a little refreshed and wanting to make something. I decided to make my first QuickPage (or QP as they are known in digi-world) so here is the layout using a pic. from the Twilight moive since prom is coming up.

If you would like to download the QP head on over to my Sporadic Scrapper blog and snag yourself this fun freebie along with the entire BELLA kit.

I really hope that everyone has a great Easter with their friends & family. Make sure to take time for Jesus and yourself.

Happy Good Friday, Heather