Azraelle's Bon Voyage Party

The party is over and done with! Thanks goodness. It was so much work getting everything together...but it turned out beautiful. A few minor upsets....guest of honor was over an hour and half late. The pastor and his wife came and he wanted to bless her and the event and she was still getting dressed across town. The wind kept blowing at the decorations but they still looked gorgeous. I was a wee bit upset when I found that instead saying Grambling Bound.....the cake said Gambling bound and was decorated with playing cards and coins.....A lot of people who were supposed to come...did not...oh well. We had plenty of food...good music...and she had a great time. And my second eldest, Dee said she DEFINITELY does not want a party. She would rather have a gift. Here are a few pictures...more on flickr

National Pursuit of Happyness Week

Some one sent me this lovely website to energize my blog...it has a 14 month calender to help when you don't know what to blog about. I have to admit that I am often blog entry challenged...I average about three - five posts a month. And this calender is supposed to help. The first entry for this week is that its National Pursuit of Happiness week. This couldn't have come at a better time. Its past time I pursued my happiness. I have been unhappy for some time in my life and its time I put me first. I know people always say that you have to put yourself first in order to be a good mom etc. But I have been so bad about following that advice.But no more.
And my first step is a doozy. I asked my husband for a divorce. I have been telling him that I am unhappy. I have tried to get him to go to counseling, to talk to our church minister...but of course he wouldnt. He doesn't see anything wrong..he gets all he wants out the marriage. He has someone to take care of him. He doesn't feel need to work, help out with kids, help out around house, help with our disabled sons therapy. He can watch cable tv and hang out with his buddies. Generally act like he is 19 years old. His reply when I told him I wanted a divorce was fine..do what you want. Please pray for me and my family. This is going to be a time of great upheaval.

Inspiration for new projects sometimes comes
when we least expect it and this was one of those Inspiring moments.

This very special SHMILY Blog Train was Inspired by a
story on the internet you may read for yourselves HERE.
(Thank you Nicole & KC)

SHMILY (See How Much I Love You) is Truly Inspiring...
Please remember to show those in your life some SHMILY
when they least expect it.

MAMACAT SCRAPS
DMK DESIGNS
KISSED BY PIX
KISSED BY CARI
DESIGNS BY HELLY
KC'S SCRAPPIN SANCTUARY
LIV LUVS SCRAPS
HEAVENS DESIGNZ
MONKEY DOODLE DESIGNS
JUST ANOTHER SCRAP BY JUDITH
MYSTIC INC DESIGN
TOTALLY RAWKIN DESIGNS
FOXY LADY CREATIONS
LADY QUEEN'S CREATIONS
DESIGNS BY CINDI
WILLOW ART PRODUCTIONS

Here is my contribution to the blog train. Be sure to pick it up here

Love Is....

I have lost three close family members to domestic violence. My aunt was murdered when I was 10 by her husband of one month. He stabbed her 28 times no one even knows what the dispute was about. She left a six year old son. My cousin who was like my older sister was murdered when she was 23 year old and I was 20. Three hours before her son's father shot her, my mom and I were at her house and were upset at the huge bruise on her arm. She smiled at us and said he SAID he was sorry.....she left two little girls and a 3 month old son. Two years ago another cousin of mines naked body was left in a wooded area, she was last seen arguing with her off and on long time boyfriend, there has been a couple of arrests but prosecutor seems to have little interest in taking this court to trial. She left two preteen daughters. All of these crimes were committed by men who purported to LOVE them. I always go back to (IMO) the authority on Love, who said:
Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant (1 Cor. 13:4)...where in there does that leave room for abuse? where does it leave room for murdering the very one you claim to love? My heart goes out to Jennifer Hudson & her family. I am crying the same never ending tears. In one second, some idiot demolished your life as you knew it. And nothing can ever change it back. As time goes on, you build it into something new...something different. Something not quite as good as it was...after all those loved ones are no longer there with you. It never hurts any less...it's just not as close to the surface. But something will remind of that person and even now almost two decades later, the pain of my cousins passing can overwhelm me. I wish I could tell every woman who is with an abusive mate, not to allow him to do to her family what has been done to mine. I wish I could show them all the years of pain and tears that has been inflicted on children who are missing bright smiles and warm hugs of their murdered mothers. I wish I could tell all those abusers, hey we love her too, she doesn't BELONG to you. But I can't. I can only continue to pray for those whose pain I know all too well.