New (P)Leather Purse

I've been needing to get my mind off of everything for a while to give myself a break. The only way I can do that completely is to immerse myself in a project. So that's where this came from... I needed a new purse anyways and I found the gray and green leather on a super sale.. but I'm pretty positive it's pleather...... where would they get neon lime green leather from???

I drew inspiration from a couple purses...

This one.. (which I made last year out of a yummy caramel colored leather...)

And some inspiration from little bits of all these....

http://pinterest.com/livelifeinlime/purses/

I love my new purse. And it was worth the 12 hours of work to be able to get my mind off of all the rubbish going on. I LOVE LOVE it.

Wish I had somewhere to go now with my new purse....

Sunday Update

I've recieved an email, but am going to keep it within my immediate family..

Here's the basic info:

My mom is doing ok. Still feeling really ill, but hopefully everyday is an improvement.

My dad is also doing ok. He still needs lots of prayers and positive thinking. He was able to stand and do some small knee bends with the help of some nurses, which is always a good thing!

Thanks for your continued support!

Lots of love

Good news, good news...

I got this email from my Aunt this morning - the one who is with my parents in Hawaii. It's such a comfort to have her there!! She's much better at giving me information than either one of my parents are at the moment!!!

***********************************************************************************

Aloha!

What a lucky day!!!  Twila is improving.  She’s still very weak, but is eating and she even showered yesterday.  The world which was off kilter because I was looking much better than Twila, is now righting itself.  She indeed looks better than me.  Perhaps I should shower or do my hair? Nah!

I packed up from their beautiful condo, made arrangements, and we were off to catch the 2:39 flight to Honolulu.  Good people on the Big Island.  One of my favorites was RN Mike McCool.  That’s really his name.  We all kept laughing.  He had seen Twila every time she’d been to the little hospital.  We landed, and got situated.  OldCastle and Wade’s Boss, Tim Ortman, have been so generous, they’d arranged for a rental car and for a hotel.

The hotel is about a mile away from the hospital, in the Honolulu Financial District.  It is great.  It’s more a suite, with a little kitchen, living area and bedroom.  We are on the 20^th floor and our view includes more beautiful, tropical Honolulu high rises and the harbor.  Yes, we can see palm trees.  We are lucky.

We hauled our bags to the room (I’m expert now on taking 4 suitcases), and then headed off to Queen’s hospital.  It was a very tender moment to witness as Twila walked in, Wade was resting, and when he opened his eyes and saw her, he just said “Oh!”  

Wade is vintage Wade.  Happy, positive, smart alecky.  I perceive he is in great pain.  He started PT yesterday.  That will continue.  Yesterday he did stand up and sit in a chair.  He wanted to feed himself.  They wrap a washcloth around a spoon, so it’s easier to hold, and he was able to get a few bites into his mouth.  Victory! I’ve seen Wade bend and move both legs, and use his right arm to eat, press buttons and such.  His left arm lays there like Cleopatra on her silken chaise lounger.  All in due time. 

Wade says it’s “electrifying” to feel all of the nerve endings coming back.  Think of your foot falling asleep, and then awakening, now multiply that by, oh, say a million.  Some people have all the fun.  The nurse last night said that it is a good possibility that Wade may be transferred to a regular floor today.  Right now, his job is to heal.  He needs to eat as much as he can and drink and rest.  Pretty much the same for Twila (she just woke up, headache is back, I whacked her with a dish and she’s back resting)

We feel and know of all your prayers.  Heavenly Father is watching over them.

Mom is in Honolulu!

My mom made it to Honolulu sometime in the middle of the night. Which is good for both of them!! I spoke to my dad last night and he was in good spirits. I don't know if he knew they were coming, so I'm sure it lifted his spirits even more!!

He was able to sit yesterday and STAND (he said he thought it was mostly on his own) YAY! His arms are still sore, and he can't hold the phone when he's sitting up, but he's doing so good! Making good progress!!! Still a long road ahead, but all will be fine.

We all feel so much relief that my mom is finally with him. I think it will be easier for the both of them now.

I'll post later when I hear more...

Tips for an Organized Pantry

I'm taking a break. I'm taking a moment to step away from the doom and gloom that has been the last couple days and take some time for myself. Need to recharge a little bit and get my head out of the dark clouds. Which in my world means, work on a project while the kids was Toy Story 3 and Mickey Mouse.

Yesterday, I tackled my pantry...and boy did I let out some pent up frustration on those shelves!! But they deserved it. So today, I'm going to share a little of what I have learned from surfing the internet and organizing and what worked for me in hopes that it might inspire you to be a little more organized!!

Tip #1:

Figure out what you actually need and use, and get rid of what you don't. I admit that I have some hoarding tendencies.... especially when it comes to fabric. But sadly I learned that my hoarding extends to food. But mostly because I forget what I have and then I buy more because I don't keep track of ANYTHING!! BIG mistake if you're looking to stay organized... but, the first step is eliminating unused/unwanted items. For me, this mostly meant empty boxes and such. Big things that were taking up a lot of space.

Tip #2:

Divide and Conquer. Separate out your foods and put what goes together, together. It should be easy to go to your pantry and know exactly where whatever it is you're searching for is.

Here's how I did mine...

Now I know exactly where to go when I'm looking for whatever it is I need. SO much nicer.

Tip #3:

Use containers. Baskets, trays, buckets, anything you can think of that will help. Maybe even try things you wouldn't normally use for storage...

Tip #4:

Use a turn table to organize spices/sauces. It's much easier to find what you need when you can just spin a little plate-thingy... Way better than rummaging through everything.

Before

After

Better right?

Tip #5:

Stay on top of it!! Keep a list of what items you have. That way when meal planning, it's easier for you to figure out what exactly you need to buy. We don't want to overspend on groceries, so staying on top of it is crucial to your organization!!

I'm the first to admit that organization in my home is FAR from being anywhere near where I want it. But it's a work in progess and I learn new things every day. But now, at least dinner is way less of a stress bomb for me.

What works for you?? What tips would you suggest??

Day 3 - Update

Text from my mom -

"I spoke with the nurse, Wade did not have a good night. His pulse got too low and when they have him on the medicine to counteract it, it makes his heart race which he did not like. They finally evened it all out. He was able to lift his left arm! Progress!! His nurse said his positive attitude will be a huge blessing. He thinks I should go home to Phoenix, but that's not happening before I see him! He can't make me go!! Just like Wade, always worried about someone else. Thanks for all your prayers!"


That's all for now.

Last update for Today...

...Unless something drastically changes.

Just got off the phone with my dad's nurse.

He can put his right left over his left leg which is a good sign. The neurosurgeon is sure that he'll walk again. I know I've said that before, but it's a big deal. It'll be a long road with physical therapy and such but he'll walk again.

He is still having a lot of trouble with his left side. He really can't move it, but it moves a little more each day, so they think it will just take a while for it to completely come back.

I asked the nurse how he looked mentally and emotionally - being all by himself. I cried when she told me that she loved taking care of him, and knew that he had lots of people who loved him so she'd been taking care of him how she would take care of her own father. She said that she sits in his room and keeps him company and they talk about their families and such. She said she knew who I was and said that we were lucky to have the family that we have. Which is absolutely correct. She told me other things, and I know he's in good hands.

I broke down after that phone call and cried in my room for about 25 minutes.

She guesstimated that he'll remain in the hospital for maybe up to a month. But with having a daughter recently in the NICU, I know that when they give dates like that, they never actually know. When caring for a critical patient, it changes daily. Hopefully, it's much less than a month. I'll be praying for that.

After he's released, she's hopeful that he'll be able to travel and come home. My family flies into Phoenix May 15th, which is about a month away, so I'm hoping we get there around the same time. Hopefully they beat us there.

My aunt Dana is now in Hawaii. She's an angel.

It's the same with my mom as previous posts. Hopefully they get to Honolulu this week sometime.


We are all emotionally exhausted. My brother Cole is supposed to go home to Phoenix this Sunday, but I'm hoping that we'll be able to find a way to get him to Chicago so he's not alone. At least that way he can stay with me until he leaves for his summer job.

As always, Heavenly Father knows what he's doing. We have faith, and we know there must be some lesson to be learned for our family. We have grown closer and are ever aware of the already numerous tender mercies that have come upon my family during this time. I, as I'm sure we all are, are incredibly humbled and feeling incredibly loved. Although a good hug every once and a while are always appreciated.

Love to all