Laura's piece of Paradise

My word found me as is often the case.  I was going over ideas with my husband and he said what about Courage?  I said, me, little mousy me?  Not likely to have a lot of courage.  He says then well how about Encourage you are always encouraging others to do the best they can and to have faith.  After that I started seeing where it could be an inspiring word for the year.  Encouraging words for others as well as to encourage me to do the things I want to do.  So, that is my word for the year.  Encourage...but more for myself to do and try new things and to keep up with my weight loss.  Encourage myself not to lose hope on losing more and getting to my goal this year.  I know I am half way there and know I can keep going.  I just need the right encouragement. (Like a shopping spree for new clothes)! LOL I am also encouraging myself to use what I  have in my scrapbook room instead of buying new items.  That is going to be...

DEAR BETHANIE!!!  My Dearest Daughter turned 18 today. How did I end up with a woman in my home? I miss my little baby, but I love the woman she is becoming. She makes me proud to be her mom and I LOVE being her mother. She opted for no actual party this year at the house.  She just wanted to go to the local Hibache restaurant and enjoy a good dinner with family.  We were lucky to have Grandpa come with us to eat.  He had never been to a Japanese steakhouse.  He loved the food and the experience!  Daddy partied it up at the Japanese Steakhouse.  They offered him Saki and he took them up on it! Silly man! Branch and Bethanie both caught food with their mouth and Billy had  thrown at him. Maybe he shouldn't have offered the cook a mouthful of Wasabi! Bethanie loves the Volcano they make with the onion on the grill.  It keeps us all warm! :) Here is our beautiful birthday girl with her flower and ice cream for her bir...

I hope all of you had a wonderful New Year Celebration with family and friends. Bethanie was blessed to see her best friend that she had while we stationed in Biloxi together.  Hannah is now in Tennessee and came to meet us at my Dad's house in Georgia when we went to see him in the first week of our Christmas break. the first page shows Bethie and Hannah now, the right page shows them when they were  much younger in Biloxi.  Look Beth is bigger than Hannah! Hannah is 4 inches taller than her now! In these pages I used: Cosmo Cricket Girl Friday background paper Cosmo Cricket Gretel papers Basic Grey Bling Imagine Better Together on the right page. Hello Kitty Font and shadow fused with gypsy Lots of brown (chestnut roan) chalk ink (cat's eye) The left page I am submitting to MY Pink Stamper for Design Team call. :) The right page doesn't apply because there are too many colors. (I needed to use pink, green, brown and one other col...