and Goodbye to 2008

Can't say I'm sorry to see the back of 2008. Here's hoping 2009 is a good year for everyone.
Happy New Year.

Christmas 2008 Merry Christmas everyone.

This Christmas was very different for us. The first year without my sister and her husband. Both having passed this year.

We decided to do something totally different as it would have just been too weird to have two empty places at the dinner table.

We (me and the boys), went to our local De Vere Hotel for Christmas lunch.

It actually turned out quite nice. We had a pleasant morning. Had a lovely lunch and then home to open pressies and just chill and watch telly.

Lunch was salmon and prawns, tomato soup, full traditional turkey dinner, christmas pud, cheese and biscuits, coffee and mince pies, strawberries, marshmallows etc., dipped in chocolate fountain. We only managed to get through the first three courses though and were totally stuffed.

An up to date piccie of Broxi and Scott in one of their favourite positions. lol.

Another Retreat Layout

This is a layout I did for a challenge at the Scrapajack Retreat. I won it, which was really nice and got some lovely chipboard as a prize.

The brief was to use chipboard in an unusual way. This picture was taken at Heather's hen night, so I decorated a couple of chipboard masks, added lots of glitter, feathers and ribbon, and bobs ya uncle.

Lemon Tree - Very Pretty.

Well it was my birthday this week. My lovely boys bought me a beautiful lemon tree. It was something I had wanted for a long time, and it fulfilled a promise that they made to my sister before she passed that they would get me one for my birthday. She knew I always wanted one to put some of my late fathers ashes into it. I will now be adding hers and my brother in laws too.

Bad Blogger

Although I have actually done loads of scrapping over the past couple of months. A lot of it I cant show, as I have made a memory album and also taking part in a cj. Will post piccies eventually.

However, here are some piccies of classes I did at the Scrapajack Retreat. We all had a fab few days scrapping our little hearts out at Bromsgrove Hilton. My room was to die for and quite honestly I could have moved in there and lived quite happily. It was huge.

The first piccie is of the 'badge that isn't a badge' that I made as one of the Challenges.

This second piccie is a pre-retreat challenge. We had to use papers by 3 manufacturers. buttons, ribbons, acetate and stickers.

This is a class I did designed and taught by Tracy Hudson, which I absolutely love. It looks much better irl,

I have more to upload but want to watch Celebrity, so will do the rest over the next couple of days.

The Butterfly Project

I am going to hopefully try to post a link to the Butterfly Project. I will be joining in on this project and I hope you all will too.

here

Phew.
It's been a difficult few weeks, again.
However, tomorrow morning I am off to the Scrapajack Retreat, and I am sooooo looking forward to it.
Loads of old friends to meet up with and hopefully lots of new friends to meet.
I love these Retreats. Highlight of my year.
So, will be back Saturday night with hopefully loads of new stuff to upload.

Just a quickie. Scott has been told he needs two new hips. He has his appointment this Friday, 31st. Janine is taking him as I am at the Retreat. Will know more by the time I get back.

Scrapping.

Well, Ive actually started scrapping again after quite a while of just not having time/inclination/mojo. I'm really enjoying it.

I can't put any piccies on yet though. One is a cj that I am taking part it. My subject is 'Fantasy'.

I have also made my badge for the Scrapajack Retreat. Ive also done my challenge layout for the Retreat to.

I'm now doing some layouts for a friend of mine who is making an album for another friend's birthday.

So busy busy, but nothing that I can show.

Got quite a busy month this month.

Heathers wedding (already been to the hen night - which was fab. Or at least I enjoyed it. lol).

Then we have the Scrapajack Retreat, which I'm really looking forward to.

Will leave you with a Hen night piccie of me. Do I look drunk? and no, I didn't go out wearing a feather boa round my nut. lol

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Well, Scott and Janine are back from South of France. They had a lovely time. Janine's dad had bought a speedboat so they spent many hours speeding across the sea, pulling a doughnut. Scott absolutely loved driving the speedboat (he's a bit of a speed freak). In fact, he's a nutter. when he is feeling well, he will have a go at anything.

However, he came back with a major chest infection which set of a bit of a flare of his illness, so today is the first day he has been up for seven days. Typical.

Couple of piccies of them on holiday:

and this one is Janine's favourite piccie:

My Weekend.

My mate Jak came down for the weekend. She brought her scrapping stuff and we had good intentions of having a nice saturday afternoon/evening scrapping. However, the shops got the better of us and we spent the day mooching round the shops and didn't get back until 7pm. By then our feet were dropping off and all we could do was flop in the chair and wait for the Indian Takeaway to arrive whilst we watched X Factor and Big Brother. lol.

However, I was determined to do a layout this weekend as it has been ages since I managed to get any scrapping done. I've been looking after Scott and Janine's dog Broxi whilst they are away on holiday and caught her on camera (she hate's the camera) napping with one eye open watching what I was up to.

Scott and Janines visit to Scotland

Scott and Janine went to visit Uncle Claude and Aunt Linda in Glasgow last weekend. These are the piccies that Linda took whilst they were there. Scott is just over 6 months post transplant and starting to look much better, although he still has a way to go yet.

This is my fave piccie. Scott and Janine at a Loch.

Couple more piccies. These are Scott's relatives on his dad's side, who are all from Scotland. I think his Uncle Claude bears a resemblance to Prince Philip, which is quite weird as when Scott was younger he looked loads like Prince William (not quite so much now though).

This is Uncle Claude.

and a couple more piccies.

This is Scott with his Auntie Maggie (his dad's sister).

Scott Janine and Aunt Linda (Uncle Claude's Wife) below at Strathclyde Park.

Scott and Janine and then Scott on his own.

Matt's Tatt.

Matthew has recently had his first tattoo. Having watched Miami Ink and seen some of the fantastic tatts that they do on there, I have got quite used to the idea of the boys having their tattoos and may even have a small one myself in memory of my family.

Scott has three and wants another one. Unfortunately, I don't like even numbers which means he will have to have another, afterwards. lol.

Here is Matt's. It is not quite finished yet, this is the outline.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=btuxO-C2IzE&feature=related

check out this lovely video.

Scrap Room

I can't wait to sort out my scrap room. At the moment it is just a crap room. I have bought two units from Blundson Market that used to belong to one of the traders. I''ve had my eye on them for a while and said if she ever left I would like to buy them. Well she did and I have.lol. I bought them a few weeks ago but haven't had them delivered yet due to all the recent happenings in my life.

I have also bought paper rack/stand from Lynz who is selling her shop. So once I get everything here, I can have a good old go at sorting out my scrap room. Maybe then I will be able to do some scrapping.lol. I've got lots of ideas at the moment so it is frustrating not to be able to work on them, but there is just no room in my new room at the moment, due to piles and piles of paperwork that I am steadily working through.

I will leave you with a piccie of the girls on my table at the Scrapajack Retreat that Rachel kindly sent me the other day. We have from left to right. Karen, Sally, Heather and me. Rachel, who was also on our table, was taking the piccie.

And They Call It Puppy Love........

Matt is totally besotted with this little girl, even though she is Scott's dog. She is such a little darling though, you can't help but fall for her.

How could you not love this little face (she had just woken up.lol).

The Brox

is growing daily. She is four months old. How bloomin big is she going to be.

Goodbye to my Darling Sister
We had the funeral this week for my sister, Eileen. It all went quite well as far as funerals can do.
It is the day to day living without her in my life that I am finding difficult. She phoned me literally every day all my life. She was 10 years older than me and more like a mum. If the phone rings in the morning I automatically for a second think it is her. When I have something worrying me, I automatically think 'I'll give our Ei a ring'. It is so strange.
I will miss her for the rest of my life.

Sad News.

My sister passed over yesterday. Unbelievably, she had been suffering from Breast Cancer without telling a single soul (unfortunately including her doctor). I knew she was unwell, but never dreamt it was anything so serious. She came to stay with me a couple of weeks ago, and after a couple of call outs from my own GP (who she refused to allow an examination), I eventually caught sight of what I thought was a bruise on her upper chest. When I pulled back her nightie, I was mortified by what I saw. She has never been in hospital and was too terrified to tell anyone. By then, however, it was far too late. She had been suffering with her breathing and I thought she maybe had pneumonia or pleurisy - hence my constant calls to my doc, but when the ambulance (called by my doc) arrived, it was obvious it was far far worse than I could possibly have dreamt of. Within a couple of hours of arrival at the hospital, I was told it had spread throughout her body and she had possibly 24 hours to live. I stayed with her 24 hours a day throughout the next few days and she passed Monday morning 9th June at 8.30.

I don't know what I will do without her. We drove each other nuts sometimes, as Sisters do, but she was always there for me when I needed her, and vice versa I like to think. After her husband died on March 29th this year, we only had each other. We had lost our mum when I was 12 (she was 22), and our Dad 5 years ago. We had decided to buy a house together and she was going to invest in my business so that instead of working for me, she would be a partner. She was so excited, but yet she was hiding this secret that was going to ensure none of this ever happened. Why didn't she tell me? Cos she knew I would make her have treatment - no matter what. Instead, she left it too late, and now she has gone. I am devastated.

This is the last picture I ever took of her. I took her away for her birthday in April this year. Who would have believed that 6 weeks later she would be gone.

Just a quick couple of piccies. I haven't updated my blog for some time. Life is hectic at the moment. With Unc dying so suddenly on March 29th it has thrown my life into turmoil. I am having to travel up and down to Worcester each week to shop etc. for my sister as she lives in the middle of nowhere and doesn't drive. Also, she has sunk into quite a deep depression and just literally sits all day doing nothing. I'm now worried cos I think she has fluid on her lungs as she is breathing odd and her ankles keep swelling up. Every time I mention the doctors she starts crying and saying I am stressing her out. So quite honestly, I don't know what to do.

Scott still hates having his picture taken at the moment. He is still recovering from his stem cell transplant and his hair hasn't grown back properly yet and his face is still a bit puffed up from the meds. Sneaked a couple though.
So this is Scott and Broxi.

Next is a piccie of Matt. He shaved his hair off when Scott lost his due to the chemotherapy. Brotherly love. If this kid grows much more he will be reaching the ceiling. lol. Sorry he isn't a kid anymore, he is 19!! Where does the time go.

and the next piccie is Broxi doing her best impression of being a cat. lol.

A piccie of Broxi aged 9 weeks. She is sooooooo cute. A real character.
Look how she sleeps. Bless. You just have to tickle this tum. Irresistable.

Another cheeky little piccie of Broxie. She reminds me of my Dad. Bless. (That is meant in the nicest way)

Welcome
I have lots and lots of news, re; Scott's Transplant. However right now, for a nice change, a little bit of good news.
So say Hello and Welcome to the new member of the family, Broxie. Scott and Janine have been waiting a long time for this little beauty to be born. She has been 'on order' for a while. They decided on a British Bulldog for many reasons. Scott will be able to take her for walks, if all goes well, but she doesn't require lots and lots of runs like a lot of dogs, so they will be exercising gently together. She will be staying with me (as Scott is at the present moment), for a couple of months until Scott is well enough for him and Janine to get a place of their own. I'm really looking forward to having a 'baby' in the house.
They are fetching her in two weeks time.
Maria, the lady who bred her, has sent us this piccie. How adorable is she. Looking forward to scrapbooking some lovely puppy pics in the near future.

It's Here
The big day. The day we have been waiting for, but equally dreading - for a long long time.
Scott goes into hospital tomorrow. This is for his Stem Cell Transplant. He will go in tomorrow to be settled in ready for his Hickman Line being put in on Thursday. He will then have chemotherapy every day starting Friday until he no longer has an immune system. I will not go into too many details, but it is quite a dangerous process. He will then receive blood transfusions, platelet transfusions, an then his stem cells will be warmed up (they are frozen), and re-introduced into his body. We then sit back an wait to see if his immune system kicks back in ok. I will update as and when.
If there is anyone out there that reads my blog (I know Im crap at updating, just too much going on) please say a prayer for him.
xxx

Happy New Year
To everyone. It is a big year for us. Scott is going in for his Stem Cell Transplant (hopefully, beds willing), on the 17th January. It starts with a Hickman Line being inserted. He will then receive chemotherapy every day until his bloods show he has no immune system. His stem cell (which were harvested in November) are then transplanted back into his body, hopefully kickstarting his Immune system. I will let you know how things go.