Less than stellar . . .

So not the most perfect day in all creation for our family. My dad's cancer surgery was on Monday and today (Thursday) we received the news that the cancer was found in his lymph nodes. That brings the added "bonus" of chemotherapy and possibly radiation treatments. My mom and dad handled the news relatively well and my mom even said she was in some ways relieved that they would be doing chemo . . . . something to the effect of her feeling like it would be a good preventative to the resurfacing of cancer in his body in the future.

On a much less serious note, Chad called to tell me that his rental car was broken into in Texas and they stole his entire briefcase (laptop, external drives, iPod, and keys to his truck sitting in the airport back home). Lovely. So the kids and I will pack up into the car and drive to the airport tonight to meet him with his spare key.

If there is something fun to focus on, I'd have to say it is the scrapbooking I was able to do this afternoon. I finished a layout in a quick amount of time which is VERY unusual for me (literally like an hour). It is the first layout I have put together for the class I will be teaching at my LSS on May 23rd. I am excited to be teaching. A bit nervous for the pressure to create and teach my students something new and beautiful. But all in all I am looking forward to trying my hand at teaching others this art that I so love.

So the story goes . . .

I've recently discovered this world of web logs (blogs) . . . yep, I know, they've been around for years. But somehow this way of recording my thoughts and journaling life's little moments got past me. The idea of keeping a journal on my computer is intriguing to me. I am a lover of all things related to preserving memories of everyday life. Mostly for my children to look back on some day and giggle, but also for me -- as a visual expression of creativity and as a way to embed snapshots of this life in my memory. Watching Chad's grandmother endure the agony of alzheimer's is a reminder to me that I may not always remember these days as clearly as I do now. So, with that, I plunge into my blog titled "Ice Cream Kisses and Popsicle Dreams". A lengthy title, but one that brings me joy - reminding me of Hannah and Dakota. Before bed every night, they have their "night-night snack". Hannah is my ice cream girl and Dakota is my popsicle guy. This bedtime ritual is something I treasure . . . . perhaps not the healthiest habit, but consumed in moderation with oodles of love on the side, it's here to stay.