After the Heart Attack

Hello, Everyone. I'm sorry it's been so long. It has been so hard to write for several reasons. For one, I have been so very busy taking care of my husband and children. Spending much more time in food preparation in order to provide heart healthy meals for my husband and also trying to do what I can to relieve him of some of his duties at home so that he can rest. Another reason, it's been difficult to sort through my feelings with all that has occurred this past year. There have been times of great stress and depression that I have had to work through. I feel like I am coming out on the other side. I am learning to find the beauty in the midst of challenges and the unexpected. I am learning to be grateful for what I do have instead of focusing on what I don't. I want you to know that you have made such a difference and have helped me through this difficult time with your kind words more than you'll ever know. I really appreciate you being there for me.

Marty is doing well. It is slow going. He is going to physical therapy three times a week. He gets dizzy and tires easily. After one session last week, his chest hurt all night; so that was a little scary. They did an EKG and said everything was fine, to just take it easy. We go for a stroll together in the evenings which is very nice. It's nice having that quiet relaxing time together. For those of you who are new here, you can read about the situation here.

Many of you have asked about Samantha, our special baby born with down syndrome. Here is the first post I wrote about her after her birth for those who have not read it. When you read it, realize we were not expecting this diagnosis. We were caught off guard and did not know anything about it. I was very scared and was grieving.

She is now 9 months old. I am so in love with her. She is so perfect in every way and so very beautiful. She is patient, sweet, content and smiles readily. She lights up when any of us pay her attention and/or picks her up. She is so very precious and the essence of her beauty, inside and out, reveals itself more and more to me each day. I kiss on her and hug her all day every chance I get, which is constantly.

She had and EKG and echo done, and her heart is perfect. The two holes that were there have closed on their own. She is very strong. She nurses well, says da da, buh buh and yea while clapping her hands together. She rolls from front to back and back to front and pushes up on her hands while doing tummy time. She can shake her rattle. Her occupational therapist who comes to our home three times a month is thrilled with her progress and says she gets stronger each visit.

I feel very blessed to have her for a daughter. I feel we are going to be fine. When I feel uncertain about the future with her, I just remind myself to enjoy her in the stage she is in now, just enjoy her being a baby. She is just like all of my other babies. I see no difference. When I hold her, all stress melts away. Holding her is therapy in itself.

We have many medical expenses which we are having difficulty meeting. If you find it in your heart and your means to help us, I have placed at end of this post a secure Paypal donation button. Thank you in advance from the bottom of my heart to those of you who wish to do so. I pray that God doubly blesses you.

I am looking forward to bringing you some sewing posts soon. I will be introducing a new feature on my blog that I think you will enjoy. Thanks so much for hanging in there and allowing me to have this time to take care of the extra needs of my family and adjust to new way of life. I'll leave you with some sweet pictures of Samantha.

Until soon and with much love, Trudy.

 Samantha adores Daddy and reaches out to him to be held.

 All six of our children together at one time which doesn't happen often.

 Matthew adores his baby sister and kisses on her almost as much as I do.

 Emily loves taking care of her little sister.

 She's so pretty in pink.

 Matthew and Samantha cuddling in bed together is a nightly ritual.

I don't post here often. This is actually a copy and paste from a post from my sewing blog. If you would like to keep up with me on a regular basis, please visit and follow me there.

Baby Samantha Has Made Her Entrance into the World

My precious baby has been born. She is now five weeks old. For more pictures and the full story please go to my other blog as that is where I am now doing the bulk of my posting.  If you want to keep up with my life and creative pursuits, please sign up there as a follower and put that blog on your blog roll. Hope to see you there.

I Will Be Posting at My Sewing Blog

Please visit me at my sewing blog, Sewing With Trudy. I am posting my sewing and art projects there.

I just wanted you all to know just how much I appreciate all of your comments. They mean so much to me. I'm sorry I haven't gotten back with you lately. I haven't forgotten you. I plan to make some time to do some visiting soon. I am now 28 weeks along in my pregnancy. Our little Samantha will be here soon.

I have been so busy trying to prepare for her arrival; so unfortunately, I haven't gotten a whole lot done on the art and sewing front lately. I am looking forward to getting back into a groove soon and carving out time for creating on a regular basis. I have a post coming out soon on my sewing blog on how to turn a regular skirt into a maternity skirt. And currently, I have a post up of our Memorial Day. And I have recently done a post with pics from my birthday including plenty of belly shots.

I have been doing a lot of thinking about having these two blogs. It is difficult to keep up with posting on both. I have been doing more posting and updating on my pregnancy over at my sewing blog. I've been pondering the idea of posting both my art and sewing projects there and not having to double post. I hope you will consider following and visiting me there. Please let me know what you think and if you are okay with that. Thank you for your continued support and feedback. Hope to hear from you.

Baby Ultrasound! Boy or Girl?

We had the ultrasound Monday. We were supposed to go in on the 25th, but we had to come in a week early because the doctor is going out of the country, to Greece. We brought our children with us. It is our tradition for the whole family to go to the ultrasound that will reveal the baby's gender. I'm so excited to share with you our wonderful news. You'll have to watch the video to find out. It isn't very long. My 17 year old daughter edited it down for us and added a little background music. It is very sweet, especially hearing the chatter of the children and their responses. 

My Thoughts on Being Pregnant at 46

I am now 17 weeks along in my pregnancy. 

Everything is going well in my pregnancy. I feel great and have plenty of energy. This is an awesome time in my life as a woman. I have the privilege of housing and growing a new life, a life that will not only be born into this world, but an eternal soul that will live forever. I never dreamed or envisioned that I would still be having babies at this age, 46 next Saturday. It wasn't part of my plan, but I am trusting in God's plan. I know that He has special plans for this baby. I am in awe that He wants to use me to be a part of that, that He has chosen to trust me for this special task. I know He will give me the strength and wisdom to raise this baby up for Him and His purposes and that He will guide me, along with my husband, along the way, as well as provide for us financially.  The whole thing is such a miracle, a life forming inside of my body. I am amazed by the whole process, the forming of each little part, a soul, little fingers and toes, sweet cheeks and sparkling eyes, chubby little hands that will bring me flowers, precious lips that will form the sweetest of smiles, arms that will wrap around me for hugs and security, the whole helpless form of this baby who will look to me for sustenance, nursing for nourishment. This will be such a sweet, precious time to be treasured in our memories forever. This baby will be such a precious gift to our family. 

I feel that motherhood is my highest calling and the highest career in the nation. Carrying and/or caring for a child is one of the greatest joys of womanhood. I gave up a successful career as a court stenographer to be a full-time mom. It is such a privilege and joy, and I take my job very seriously. I embrace the role of motherhood with all my heart. I pour into my children each and every day and love, nurture and guide them with all of the ability that God gives me, looking to Him each day for wisdom.

For those of you who do not know me as well, This will be our sixth blessing. Our oldest will be 23 soon after the baby is born. She will be graduating from college this May. The other children are ages 18 in May, 10, 8 and 3. The three oldest are girls, and the two youngest are boys. We are a homeschooling family. I have been teaching the children from home for 18 years now. Our oldest received a full scholarship to college after being homeschooled all 13 years.

At this point we do not know the sex of the baby. We will most likely find out towards the end of April. I will let you know as soon as I can after I find out. Emily, 10, is hoping for a girl; and Martin, 8, is hoping for a boy. I'm sure you're not surprised. 

We have some possible names picked out: Sean if it's a boy and Natalie Marie if it's a girl. Any name suggestions? These aren't totally set in stone yet.

Thank you so much for stopping by for a visit. I appreciate so much every one of you and the comments you leave. They mean so much to me. I am so thankful for the friends I have made here. Thank you for sharing with me in the excitement of my pregnancy. I will try to update you as much as possible and share pictures of my growing belly. I will also try to get myself in gear and organized to share with you soon my canvas art piece from Week 8 of The Artistic Mother Project. I hope you have a wonderful week.

I Am Having a Baby at 46

I am so excited to share with you our wonderful news. We are having a baby!!! I am currently 12 weeks along. I'm feeling great. No problems. I've been hula hooping my way through, and I'll continue to do so throughout the pregnancy. It is very safe. I made myself a pregnancy hoop. It is bigger and a little lighter in weight. First picture is of my blood being drawn for the lab work. Second one is an ultrasound picture of our baby. And then there is a video we made of the ultrasound.

Artistic Mother Altered Story Book, Week Seven

I made the altered story book from Week 7 of The Artistic Mother by Shona Cole using a baby board book, gesso, stamps, oil pastels and photographs. The book features my two year old son Matthew. I chose pictures of him doing his favorite activities and used fun little stamps of animals and other things I thought he would enjoy. I will be giving him this book as a Christmas gift. I'm sure he will be so excited to have a book all about himself.

The next project we will be doing in The Artistic Mother Art Group is canvas art from Week 8 of The Artistic Mother by Shona Cole. It is similar to a scrapbook page but for the wall. I am looking forward to this project. It will be very pretty. We will be using painted papers, fibers, a portrait of our child and attaching decorative beads to the sides of the canvas.

The thing I love about the projects from this book is not only am I learning the discipline of adding art to my daily routine and learning new techniques, but they are keepsakes and precious reminders of my greatest treasures, my children. Each piece I make celebrates their life. The focus is on motherhood, which is the stage of life I am in currently. So while I am working, I am also reflecting on my mothering and the uniqueness of each of my children, their special talents and abilities and how much I appreciate them. I also think a lot about how I can better be there for them and guide through their journey through life. It helps me to keep a better balance, to grow as a person and mother and to do something each day for myself as well as for my family. I also enjoy the fact that I am tapping into my creative side and that my life is not just about the mundane everyday tasks of errands and household chores.

My next task will be to paint more background papers and choose the child's photo I will be using for this next project.

I took photos of each page of this sweet little book. I hope you enjoy them and the little story that goes along with it. And be sure and let me know when you post your Artistic Mother art projects so that I can come by and take a look.

Click on the picture to enlarge it if you would like a close-up view.

Artistic Mother - Tip For Drilling Holes in Balsa Wood for The Butterfly Reminder, Week 5

I have heard from several participants of The Artistic Mother Art Group that they were hesitant to move forward with the Butterfly Reminder project from Week 5 of The Artistic Mother by Shona Cole because they were concerned that the balsa wood would crack when they drilled their holes, and that is a possibility. To avoid that from happening, what you can do is make a starter hole with a smaller drill bit, then proceed with the 1/8" (ISO 3.2mm) drill bit that the book recommends. Just take it easy going in a little at a time. I would suggest practicing this method with a scrap piece of balsa wood before attempting to make the holes on your butterfly. I hope this helps. I didn't have any problems doing it this way; so you should be fine.

Please let me know if there are any other concerns or questions with any of the other projects that I might possibly be able to help you with.

Artistic Mother Name Plate Week 6

Well, here it is, my name plate from Week 6 of The Artistic Mother by Shona Cole. I decided that since I have several children and I didn't want to choose one over the other that I would modify it a bit and use a picture of my four children remaining at home - I didn't have a group picture of everyone together - and put their names at the bottom. I may go back and do individual name plates and possibly do another group one when I can get all of the children together in one shot, not an easy task when one is off at college and doesn't have much time for visits.

And now to start working on Week 7, the altered storybook. This should be fun. My subject will be my 2 year old. He will be so tickled to have a book about himself.

Artistic Mother Butterfly Reminder Week 5 - Done!!

Here is my butterfly Reminder From Week 5 of The Artistic Mother by Shona Cole. I used a picture of me when I was 17 with my dad. I have it hanging in a prominent place to help me remember to work on my poetry since writing poetry is a fairly new thing for me. On Monday I will post my Name Plate from Week 6.

The Artistic Mother - Video

Hello, Artistic Mothers. Well, I've had kind of a lazy summer just hanging out with my children at the pool. But it's now time for me to get back on a schedule and start back to fitting art into my life a little each day. I have been dabbling in a little art. The children and I made my husband some artsy gifts for his 50th birthday. I will post those in the next week or so. I have finished my Butterfly Reminder for Week 5 of The Artistic Mother book. And I am halfway through with The Name Plate from Week 6. I will post The Butterfly Reminder on Saturday and the Name Plate on Monday. So I am now at the halfway mark of the projects in The Artistic Mother book. My goal is to complete them all before Thanksgiving. I feel it's important I give myself a goal and a deadline to work toward so that I will take it seriously and accomplish what I have started. The reason I am going through these projects is to establish the habit of fitting a little bit of art into my daily life. This has been so good for me, and I am learning so much. I have enjoyed going through these projects with you and getting to know several of you. When we are done, I hope to continue on with our friendship and continue to visit one another's blogs.

My husband took me on a date to the Cheesecake Factory, Yumm. I wanted to go to Barnes & Noble to see if Shona's book was there. And sure enough it was; so I did a video. So if you want to hear my voice for about 50 seconds talking about Shona's book, then click on the play arrow.

I would love to hear about your summer and what you are currently working on and where you are at with the projects.

So let's get excited again and geared up to move forward. Are you with me?

You are Special

I would like to remind you all just how special you are to God. Your worth is not based on your accomplishments or mistakes you may have made. God loves you just the way you are. He wants a relationship with you, just because He made you and you are His. Think about how you feel about your own children. You love them no matter what. Your love for them is not based on their performance, and you are always ready to forgive them. I think we judge ourselves too harshly, and we can't forgive ourselves. I think that hurts God because He wants so much for you to know how much you mean to Him. So I encourage you to gather up all of your hurts and past regrets and put them in a bag and give them over to God and never take the bag back again. It is a burden you were not meant to carry. Let God carry that burden for you. That is one of the reasons Jesus went through what He did on that cross, to release you from all burden and sin, to take that upon Himself. And He would have done it if you were the only one on this earth. Now that's powerful. Be free and soar. Be who you were meant to be.

“What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them.  And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.  Luke 12:6-7

Tribute to an Amazing Woman

I would like to honor my mother, Jonel, today. She is an amazing woman. She reared her three children as a single mother and did an amazing job. Times were tough. We didn't have much financially, but she never gave up. Somehow she saw us through. 

We never worried about where our next meal would come from or whether there would always be a roof over our heads, even though she did; she didn't let us know how much of a struggle it was to provide. We were oblivious. Kind of nice not to have that stress as a child. Life was hard enough as it was without adding more to it. I was made fun of in school for not having nice clothes. I was not in the popular crowd. I think it's all made me a more compassionate and loving person instead of one who thinks she is better than others.

She taught us to be strong and to have a good work ethic. She supported us in whatever we chose to do in life. Even though we were poor, that didn't mean that we were less than others. We were to care about the way we carried ourselves. She expected us to have good manners, speak properly with good grammar, to stand tall with good posture, to chose quality friends. 

Because she couldn't give us everything she would have liked, it made us stronger because we had to work for whatever it was that we wanted or needed. I bought my own car, paid for my own car repairs and gas, bought my own clothes, movie tickets, etc. 

My mother is also a breast cancer survivor. She didn't think she would live long enough to rear her children. She handled the situation so well. We were never afraid or thought our mother would die because she didn't share the scary details or possibilities with us. She kept them to herself. We didn't even know she was in pain or having reactions. We didn't know when she went to appointments. We didn't know she had lost her hair. She didn't talk about it. She wore a wig and went to the effort to still look gorgeous. She didn't go around feeling sorry for herself. She continued to go to work day after day in spite of the horrible reactions from the chemo. She never complained, although her pain was great. So we were able to enjoy our childhoods without a worry in the world. I am so thankful for that. Now she is a wonderful grandmother. She is so artistically creative and has an engineering mind. She can figure out pretty much how to rig or make anything. She used those skills in a decorating business where she and her husband, whom she married when I was almost grown, would decorate the malls for the holidays. And now she uses them to help the grandchildren with their school projects. 

Thanks mom for hanging in there and not giving up, for the example you've been, for all you have done and are doing. I dedicate this video to you.

Newest Members of The Artistic Mother's Art Group - Added in July

I would like to introduce you to our newest members of The Artistic Mother's Art Group. All these joined in the month of July. I hope you will add them to your list on your blog if you are keeping one and pay them a visit and help them to feel welcome.

I have all participants listed in a blog list just for the group near the top of my sidebar. Those who have posted most recently move to the top of the list. It shows five at a time; so click "show all" to see the whole list. You can come to my blog daily to see who has posted most recently so that you can visit around for inspiration as well as just encouraging one another. Thank you so much for everyone's participation. You are a great group!


97.  Deanna of A Crafty Mom's Life
98.  Cindi aka Ericksoc of So, That's Why!
99.  Jade Erin Scarlett of Jade Erin Scarlett OSCI
100 Kristen of Acorn Hill Studios

***If you are new here, I am hosting an online art group where we are working through the 12 -project workshop in Shona Cole's book, The Artistic Mother, together and blogging about our progress and visiting and encouraging one another. The purpose of this group is to learn how to balance our time between family, life's responsibilities and creative time for ourselves; to learn how to fit a little creativity into each day; to nurture our own souls so that we can be better moms and wives and to prevent burnout and depression. Please click here to read all of the details and leave a comment there if you would like to join us. In my sidebar, you will see a blog roll for the participants of this group if you would like to visit around. There is also a Flickr Group for The Artistic Mother if you would like to see the projects we have been doing in this group. The book can be purchased at Barnes & Noble, Borders and other bookstores as well as Amazon. You may also visit the author at her blog, An Artful Life.

Artistic Mother Group, How to Get Others to Read Your Posts

Good morning, beautiful ladies of The Artistic Mother Group. I want to make sure that as much as possible that everyone else in the group is aware of when you post something for our group so that you will receive visits. We now have 99 participants. That is so great! Because we are so large, it is not possible to visit each and every post that every member puts up; so when you post something related to The Artistic Mother's Art group, I would suggest that you start your title off with "Artistic Mother" to maximize your chances of others from the group paying you a visit. I look at the blog roll for our group every day; and when I see those words, I automatically know that this is a post that I don't want to miss. Please continue to check the blog roll on my blog for Artistic Mother Group related posts on a regular basis so that we can continue to encourage one another in our efforts to do a little something creative each day. Only five show at a time. Just click "Show All" to see all of the blogs. Also, keep in mind that if you are leaving encouraging comments, that will ensure that you will receive some back yourself.

Another thing you can do to help you remember to check my blog often to see if I have posted or check the blog roll to see if others have posted is you can put my blog on your blog roll and/or in your reader so you'll easily see when I've posted and you don't have to try to remember on your own.

Love you, Guys. Thanks for being such a great group.

I'm half way done with my butterfly reminder. Hope to have it posted in a couple of days.

Have a great day.

Blogger Buddy Meetup

Tuesday I had the great privilege and pleasure of meeting one of my blogging friends Rayanne of A Lovely Thought...Living Artistically at Home. I had wanted to meet her in person for such a long time. She is such an inspiration. She invited me to her home for tea, a special treat to eat and a nice chat, just the two of us. We talked about life, God, family and blogging and just loved on each other. It was a wonderful visit. She was everything I thought she would be, everything I had ever envisioned about her. She is so beautiful inside and out. She is so loving. Her words so full of wisdom. Her home is a beautiful sanctuary. Her loving touch and care for her family is evident on everything in her home. I felt such peace and tranquility coming from both she and her home. I feel so blessed to have had this opportunity to get together with this precious woman. I can honestly say that she is my friend and mentor. Thank you, Rayanne, for being such a good friend and taking time out of your day for me.

Artistic Mother Butterfly Reminder, Week 5, in Progress

After taking a much needed break to get some things in order and taking time to reflect on my goals, priorities and how I should be spending my time, I have started working on the Butterfly Reminder from Week 5 of The Artistic Mother. I will do a little each day until it is complete. There are a lot of little steps; so I don't want to put pressure on myself to do too much in one day. That is part of the message of this book, though, isn't it, to do a little art each day? So what are you working on right now? Are you finding time to do a little art each day, or are you in a period of extreme busyness or time of reflection? I would love to hear from you to know how you are doing, what's going on in your life, and if there is anything I can do for you, even if it is just to pray for you. I think of you all often and am so glad that you are a part of this group, The Artistic Mother's Art Group, and that we are doing this together. You are an encouragement to me and have made my life richer. If you are reading this and have not joined us, I welcome you to consider doing so.

Newest Members of The Artistic Mother's Art Group - Added in June

I would like to introduce you to our newest members of The Artistic Mother's Art Group. All these joined in the month of June. I hope you will add them to your list on your blog if you are keeping one and pay them a visit and help them to feel welcome.

I have all participants listed in a blog list just for the group near the top of my sidebar. Those who have posted most recently move to the top of the list. It shows five at a time; so click "show all" to see the whole list. You can come to my blog daily to see who has posted most recently so that you can visit around for inspiration as well as just encouraging one another. Thank you so much for everyone's participation. You are a great group!

93.  Deb of Hand Stitched
94.  Leslie of Words of Me Project
95.  Jodi of Opened Door
96.  Kelly of Artful Happiness, News & Notes From The Happy Shack
***If you are new here, I am hosting an online art group where we are working through the 12 -project workshop in Shona Cole's book, The Artistic Mother, together and blogging about our progress and visiting and encouraging one another. The purpose of this group is to learn how to balance our time between family, life's responsibilities and creative time for ourselves; to learn how to fit a little creativity into each day; to nurture our own souls so that we can be better moms and wives and to prevent burnout and depression. Please click here to read all of the details and leave a comment there if you would like to join us. In my sidebar, you will see a blog roll for the participants of this group if you would like to visit around. There is also a Flickr Group for The Artistic Mother if you would like to see the projects we have been doing in this group. The book can be purchased at Barnes & Noble, Borders and other bookstores as well as Amazon. You may also visit the author at her blog, An Artful Life.

A Fun and Interesting Post

To Learn more about me, please go to my sewing blog and read this post. I have written a fun and interesting post. Hope to see you there.

Photos From 2010 Trip to Israel

Here are few of the photos from our oldest daughter Sarah's two-week trip to Israel. Click on the photo to enlarge.

The ruins of Masada. It gets as hot as 125 degrees F there.

The Wailing Wall.

The Dome of the Rock. Only Muslims are allowed inside.

A suspicious looking cafe in Bethlehem.

This is a gate at Tel Dan that Abraham probably walked through.

The entrance to Armageddon or Tel Megiddo, a city mentioned in the Bible.

This is the room where they grew the pillars at the Roman city of Caesarea Philippi. Just kidding. It's really the ruins of a bath house. These pillars held up a floor and warm air would circulate between the pillars to keep the water heated.

The theater at Caesarea Philippi. The city was destroyed in an earthquake almost 2000 years ago. Only 25 percent of it has been excavated so far. They're saving the remaining 75 percent for future archaeologists with better techniques and technology.

Winnie The Pooh's tree at Tel Dan!

Jerusalem

Beautiful flower in Israel.

Market Street in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Via Dolorosa. Notice the bread at the KFC stand.

Garden of Gethsemane.

You can see here the Jewish custom of leaving a stone at grave sites and memorials. This is a memorial at Yad Vashem, Israel's largest Holocaust museum.

Remains of an ancient swimming pool at Caesarea Maritima.

Speaks for itself.

Sitting at the Seat of Judgement at the city gates at Tel Dan.

Caesarea Philippi.

View of the Mediterranean Sea from Sarah's hotel room in Netanya.

Ruins of a Crusader Fortress at Caesarea Maritima.

Sarah at Masada.

So sorry I have been out of pocket as of late, but I have been very busy these past few weeks going through my mother-in-law's things since she has passed away. I am hoping to get back into a routine real soon and get back to working on my projects in The Artistic Mother's Art Group. Thank you for your patience.

I have found some vintage treasures amongst her belongings. If you are interested in taking a look, you may head over to my sewing blog, Sewing With Trudy.