Getting a Handle On Things

When I took over as the schools NCO for 4BSTB the job was quite over whelming. There systems and procedures to get to know and I have had to do it all without a computer. Most of the systems are computer based, which makes not having one dedicated to myself difficult to do my job right. Bringing my own laptop to work relieved some of the stress, but I cannot connect it to the net and there is no way to print. I have had to stay up late and work some weekends to get up to speed on the work, but I think that I am getting over the learning curve now. In a few days I will have a brand new computer all to myself.

I can go back to being at home when I am at home. It was difficult to come home only to know I would not have time to play with Jeffrey or help Tricia make dinner since I would have to use my own computer and printer to get work done.

Game Time

Jeffrey has discovered "Hi-Ho Cherrie-O" and "Cootie" in the last few weeks. He LOVES to play both games and is always asking if we can play one of them. He gets excited for every spin or roll and cheers even if he doesn't win. He's so funny. He's at such a fun age right now. Last night he won Cootie, so that's his winning bug on the top.

The Best of Times

So I wrote about the worst of times, here is the best of times. Twice before I have been to the Special Events Center at Fort Carson to welcome Cory home. The first time was three months after we had been married. It was the first time I had ever been on post and I was just so excited to get there. I can remember what I wore, what shoes I was wearing, and the anticipation of waiting to see them walk through the doors. (Think Christmas times 10). The first time there was also the anticipation of finally starting a life with my husband, we had only spent a handful of days together before that day and I was excited to be on the same continent with my husband!

Memorial for SSG Haney

On Friday a memorial was held for SSG Haney. The BN conference room was filled with the members of his MP platoon awaiting to meet his wife and brother. I happened to come out of my office just before Mrs. Haney went into the room. She recognized me immediately and we talked for a few minutes while she prepared herself go in where she would see so many people that worked and played with her husband.

At the ceremony we watched two video that featured photos of SSG Haney. I had never seen these before and so learned a little bit more about the man that sat across from me on the night of the RPG strike.

The movie Saving Private Ryan begin and ends with scenes of an old war veteran searching for and finding the grave of the man that saved his life in battle. In the ending scene this old Private Ryan wants to know that he was a good man and lived a worthy life. SSG Haney did not take that seat to prevent me from sitting in it, but knowing that many subtle changes in circumstance could have put me there, I feel a connection to him that reminds me of him nearly every day.

I live a different and better life knowing that I could have been in that seat. At least by living well, being a good father and husband I can make the best of what was taken from us that night.

New Phone Number

For as long as I have been alive Grandma MacNeil has had the same phone number. I was able to dial her number from memory in Texas, Korea, Iraq, Colorado, Afghanistan, or anywhere else in the world I was near a phone. It was hard to have to write down a new phone number to reach her once I heard that she was no longer living in her own home.

Congradulations to Chris and Brian

We are excited about the announcement of the birth of your son, Adian. Congratulations to you both and we hope for a quick recovery for Chris.

Looking Back

It hasn't been a year yet since Cory's injury, but I finally feel like I am in a place where I can talk about it. Sept. 6, 2009 is a day I won't ever be able to forget, it was the day I realized what mortality meant. It was a Sunday and at about 2 in the morning my phone rang. I picked it up to hear Cory's voice on the other end of the phone. I asked him what he was doing and he said "I'm just here in bed," I thought it was a little strange, but he had mentioned that they were possibly going to be getting cell phones for the NCO's and maybe that's what it was. So I jokingly said, "oh just hanging out in your sleeping bag huh?" Then he said the words that changed my life, "No, I'm in a hospital bed." I said, "Cory MacNeil, you tell me what happened right now." He told me what he could which wasn't much since he was barely coming out of the sedation after his surgery. I was in such shock I didn't even ask him what arm he had hurt. He didn't tell me too much of what happened, because he didn't know what he could say, but I wouldn't have heard much of it anyway. It was a short conversation, but he assured me he was alive, he was whole, and he was going to recover.

In Search of the Best Parks

Jeffrey and I are still in search of the best parks in the Denver area. Every Wednesday and Thursday while Mommy is at dance we go out in search of the best places to play.

Toy Story

Tricia noticed that Jeffrey has been watching the same television shows and movies over and over. He loves Mickey Mouse, Little Einsteins, Special Agent OSO, Finneus and Ferb, Pingu, and Shawn Sheep. We have decided to avoid those television shows for a while and I have taken those movies off of his shelf. We will also be more diligent in watching along with him.

I had to fast forward a few parts of Toy Story this morning. Jeffrey gets scared at the most unlikely things. He had to sit in my lap during a few scenes as well. Jeffrey is funny about putting his hands over his ears during scary parts so that he will not hear what is happening. At one time he had my place my hands over his ears and then he put his on top for extra noise blockage.

Jeffrey also earned his first sticker for his Big Boy Night Time Activity Chart.

Jeffrey's Big Boy Night Time Activity Chart

At a family meeting we decided that Jeffrey needs some more structure during his night time activities. Tricia came up with the idea of using a chart to track his progress, as well as our own, in following through with a night time schedule. After twenty stickers have made their way on to the chart we will treat Jeffrey with a night of UP. The current DVD we own is not working so we will be looking for a used copy in the mean time. I used the Stampin' Up program to make the chart which we printed on photo paper and taped to the fridge.

Also, the child gates we have on some of our rooms are not keeping Jeffrey out any more. He is big enough and strong enough to climb up and over them. It will be harder to keep him in his room during time outs as well as the security breach that is not looming outside of the craft room.

Life goes on...

Aren't we cute? Well I think we are. This was the second ball we went to this summer. It was the battalion ball and it was pretty fun. A good study in people watching if nothing else. I like my dress (I made it before the last ball) and am thinking that I'll add a few embellishments before I wear it again.

Cory had to go back to work today. He's able to see pretty well now and we can't have convalescence leave forever. Jeffrey loved having daddy at home and it was hard for him to see daddy go off to work today. He got spoiled having someone to wake up with him at 6:30. Mommy doesn't often see that time of the morning.

But I'm happy to say that our life has fallen into a happy and somewhat mundane routine. We've had enough adventures this past year that I don't think any of us will mind having a little bit of the boring for a while.

Later this summer we have a trip to Yellowstone planned, I'm excited and so is Jeffrey. I can't tell you how often he will ask if we can go visit Sugar and Po or Uncle Scott's dogs or Grandma and Grandpa. He will usually ask to go on an airplane, but then remind me that he doesn't have any money for it.

Getting Jeffrey Ready for School

Page from a workbook that Jeffrey colored in as his homework

Tricia has begun to work with Jeffrey on his "homework." He came up with the term after seeing me work on my own homework so often. Looking ahead to his upcoming preschool days there are certain things he will be expected to know before entering school. Tricia has been good to work with him each day on some simple lessons presented in a couple of books she picked up. I will have to get into this habit as well so that I can be involved with Jeffrey in this way.

PRK

Jeffrey helping in the kitchen

This last Thursday I had PRK surgery done on my eyes at the Evans Army Hospital. I had the surgery done once before about eight years ago when I first came in the army, but over time my eyes have returned slightly to the shape that my DNA intended them to be which led to a slight decrease in my vision over time. After this second surgery I am back to not needing glasses at all. That is a huge plus for shooting photography. It will be a few more weeks until it can be determined what sharpness my eyes will finally rest at, but for now I am excited at the immediate results.

I do have to keep replenishing my eyes with artificial tears as the surgery did disrupt my tear ducts. The systane tear drops are like a drink of water for my thirsty eyes. In the mean time I did find out that this surgery prevents me from attending the Sapper Leader Course I had hoped to go to for at least six months. I would have liked to have attended the course with the group that is getting ready to go from the Aco, but in the scales seeing without glasses for my photography is more important.

The World From Jeffrey's Camera

A Big Cut for Jeffrey

Jeffrey's hair was looking a little long in some places. It was time for a haircut, but more than just a trim around the ears with scissors. It took Tricia and me to wrestle Jeffrey like a calf while we handed off the trimmers to each other. When we let him up his hair was much shorter, and he looked much older. Tricia does not like it when I remind her how much older he looks now. (Because it took him so long to have ANY hair! -Tricia)

At the Park with Jeffrey

After dropping Tricia off at dance in Denver I took Jeffrey to the local park. I left my camera behind at home and carried on my simple point and shoot with me. After the lesson from the rodeo I have decided to spent my time with Jeffrey playing with him and watching him play rather than spending so much on making images of it. I will save my photography for other subjects. I will be a father forever, but there is a limited time to be a daddy.

Lesson at the Rodeo

I received two complementary tickets to the rodeo at work. While Tricia went to Denver for dance, I took Jeffrey for a night of horses, bulls and cowboys.

I brought out my camera as soon as we were in our seats and began looking for dynamic angles and interesting people. Soon Jeffrey was not satisfied with sitting next to me and wanted to stand in the isle to watch. I could not fully concentrate on taking photographs when I had to keep a constant eye on him an call him back when he inched away. In a short time Jeffrey was walking away to explore among the crowd and I had to leave my seat and walk after him. The closer I came to him the faster he went until it was a game of catch. It was apparent that I was not going to take photographs and keep Jeffrey safe.

I took Jeffrey all the way out the parking lot, put him in his seat and drove away from the rodeo to show him how serious he was about staying by me. After a short drive we turned around and came back to the rodeo. Jeffrey was good for the rest of the night and I left my camera locked in the trunk. I have decided once and for all that spending time with Jeffrey and photography are not compatible until he is older. When I try and do both neither come out well

Back to the Grind

Monday was my first day back to work, and on Sunday evening I was not looking forward to it. My new job as the schools NCO is a big responsibility and I am having to jump right into it. Tricia reminded me that I always felt foreboding before heading back to work after our breaks at the WLC back in Germany. Remembering that I tend to feel that way before leave ends helped me to get back to work quickly and get into my job.

I did not write about our vacation very much, so I will look back on it now. The first days of leave were spent hanging around home completing some projects that we had in mind for a while but did not get around to doing before.

Scott and Jen invited us to stay in their amazing house while we visited in Utah for two weeks. The party that Scott and Jen threw at their house for us was unforgettable. All of the kids loved the bounce house and I was able to see some family members and friends I had not seen for years. Tricia came up with the idea to send the e-vitation so that we knew who would be attending and how much food to get.

For our drive back to Utah we took I-70, which added an hour to our driving time, but it was well worth it for the beautiful country side we saw. Leaving early in the morning helped the trip to feel shorter and it gave us time to unpack and get back into the house after arriving home. As always after a long stay away from home, Jeffrey went around the house to inventory and touch his toys.

Our last days were spent relaxing and completing a few more tasks around the house. In all, our vacation was a wonderful experience. Although there was plenty of relaxing, I used every day as though it were the last.

One year ago I had been in Afghanistan for a month. A lot has happened since then. I have learned a lot of lesson about making life full and meaningful since then. I am grateful for the experiences that gave me those lessons.

Jeffrey and Me

In my last college class I was required to write an essay on maintaining a relationship through communication. I chose to write about Jeffrey and me.


Jeffrey and Me

My son, Jeffrey Robert MacNeil, was born on 17 March 2008. He recently turned three years old and is now sleeping on my bed after an exhausting day of running, jumping, bouncing, hugging, wrestling, making messes, shouting, crying, laughing, talking, eating, and exploring. Jeffrey can do things that will wind me up with frustration and then have me laughing right along with him in the next moment with an unexpected comment or a look on his face. Like most fathers, I like to think that my son is within my small circle of best friends.

Conversion and Expression

When were you converted to Christ? The question caught me off guard. I had not been asked such a direct question before of this nature. It took me a thinking second to answer, but not because I had to recall a particular event or series of events. I had just not had someone phrase it so plainly before and I was amazed at the non-beguiling directness of the inquiry.

A friend had invited me to church while I was living in Texas. This new friend of mine had been an impressive specimen of living a values based life. We met in an ethics class where shortly after the guarding walls of meeting new people came down and candid answers began to circulate the room over questions of ethics and morals I was thoroughly unimpressed with most of my classmates. However, my friend talked honestly about himself and could not help but reveal that his values had been received from the church he attended. He never mentioned this directly, but hints about how he said things let me know where a great influence upon his thinking and reasoning had come from. I accepted an invitation from to attend one Sunday both on a part of our friendship and on wanting to know, what a church service was like that had so obviously had a lasting impression on him.

Before the meeting began, I was introduced to one of the pastors who asked me in our conversation how I had been converted to Christ. After I got my train of thought back on its tracks I rehearsed a short history of critically thinking about the gospel as a young man and coming to know the Savior for myself. I have remembered this scene of explaining how I had been converted to Christ and the words that shaped the question for ten years now.

Preach My Gospel states the purpose of a missionary is

To invite all people to come to Christ in order that they receive the Restored Gospel through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and his atonement, repentance, baptism, and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and endure to the end.

As Latter-Day-Saints, we understand and accept that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints is in fact the Kingdom f God on earth. The very kingdom that Jesus referred to when he made the statement in his prayer, “. . . thy kingdom come . . .” We also know that our commitment to Christ is made acceptable through covenant making, such as baptism. Those covenants grant us entrance into the kingdom as well as protect and preserve us in that place. Knowing these and other doctrines well allow us to make a strong association between the kingdom, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints, with our commitment, conversion, association, relationship and love for Jesus.

Unfortunately, if one is not associated well with those doctrines nor the vernacular we are want to use when talking about our commitment to Jesus Christ, it can sound like Latter-Day-Saints are simply church oriented people (here church is used to denote an association of people who worship together). In other words, with all our talk about church and our commitment to it, it may sound as if we are more dedicated to a club of worshipers that to the Lord himself.

Think about often used questions and phrases as, when did you join the church, when meeting a new member. What do you think about what the missionaries have taught you? How long have you been a member of the church?

As a missionary, I was often asked by members of the church that I met when moving to a new area was, were you born in the church. Of course, the question really intends to ask if my parents are members of the church and if I began attending as a child in primary. I would respond to this question by saying that I had not been born in a church but in a hospital. I often received a confused look to my attempt at humor as the Spanish Saints thought I must have misunderstood their question.

The question of who has the best phraseology to represent their commitment and conversion to Christ is a mute one. The important point to keep in mind is how members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints represent their faith, commitment, and belief in Jesus Christ to those that are not familiar with the doctrines of the kingdom and our commonly used vernacular.

Still Out On Holiday

Adam and Vanya Porter had their open house at the Porter home up the street from the Brown home. We attended and had a great time. I was able to see some friends from the South Jordan ward as well as family from the Brown/Porter side of the family. The Brown/Porter families always have a good time and that night was no exception. After walking through the line to greet the bride, groom and parents along with a short sit to enjoy a plate of chocolate covered goodies from the chocolate fountain it was time to dance.

While Tricia competed in the Irish dance feis, I took Jeffrey to see both Grandma MacNeil and Grandma Jackman. He was nervous when we arrived at both homes. He did not want to leave the car and clung to me when we went inside. I am not sure what caused this, but after he found a flashlight at Grandma MacNeil’s and the collection of toy trucks at Grandma Jackman’s he opened up and had a great time. He ran around both homes looking for adventure and interacting with his grandmothers.

We spent our evening at the Wheeler Farm watching a local group of kids put on a sing and dance performance. A sherbet ice cream on the way home topped of the evening.

The Start of Our Vacation

I was more than ready for my 30 days of leave to begin. In order to save our money for our trip back to the big UT, we hung around home. It was nice to get some things done around the house we have been meaning to do for a long time but had not made time for. I had hours to hang out with my boy, Jeffrey. It was great to spend entire days with Tricia. Once we get back to work in a month there will be a lot to accomplish, so this is the time to take full advantage of time with family and not delay.

Neither Tricia nor I could sleep well. We set out on our journey to UT extra early. Just a few miles down the road we heard a sudden noise under our hood. I pulled over and found a serious tear in the engine belt. We were able to make it home safely and waited until Midas opened up a few hours later. Because we had taken our car in for repair just a few days ago and no one noticed this deficiency, Midas replaced the part and performed the service for free.

Soon we were on the road and made the 600 mile trip in one day. Having gotten a late start the trip seemed all that much longer. Jeffrey still traveled well despite his begging need for a bag of pretzel. We arrived at Scott and Jen’s home in time for his birthday party. Scott showed us around their amazing house and took us to our digs down stairs. Wow, what a home this is.

We did not do much to celebrate out anniversary back in May. We decided at the time to save our money for this trip and take a day just for ourselves. We left Jeffrey with Sugar and Po and spent a morning at the Jordan River Temple. We had intended to have lunch at Tuscany, but arrived too late. We diverted our plans and ate up town at the Thai Foon. After an afternoon nap we went to the University Of Utah Theater where we had reserved seats for the Beauty and the Beast ballet dance recital.

The next morning we had breakfast at the Nauvoo Café and attended a session of the Salt Lake Temple. Just after noon we were back to pick up Jeffrey of whom we received a favorable report from Sugar and Po.

Zenfolio for Photo Ordering

I have begun my photography business and have already served my first client. Part of my business expense was to join Zenfolio. This is a service which I use to share my photo with my clients and allow them to order prints online. Since I am already paying to use this site for my customers I thought I might as well make a gallery for family and friends that may be interested in having a print or two featuring our own family. The website is secure, so not just anyone can surf the web and find our photos. If you would like an invitation to the gallery just respond to this post with the email address you would like it sent to.

Follow this link if you would like a gallery preview of the contents so far.

Things that make us laugh!

Jeffrey makes me laugh! That kid has got something about him that is just funny to watch, even when he's grumpy. He found these glasses or "woggle goggles" at loooooooooves wearing them. (He also loves red juice can you tell?)

He also thinks the Staples commercial is the funniest thing he's ever seen.

Here's the original...


Here's his version...

Sunday Thoughts

Last Sunday I met someone at church I did not know before. I noticed the book The Biblical Roots of Mormonism laying next to him. I found out that he is the author and I asked a few questions about how he did his research. I was surprised to find that the book is the result of two years of daily study of the Holy Bible. As he read from Genesis through Revelations he kept notes on references supporting LDS doctrines. Eric then related how Saul was a Pharisee and knew the Old Testament books very well. His denunciation of Christianity was based upon his thorough knowledge of those ancient texts. After the vision of the Savior that came to him his perspective changed. Now, writing to New Testament times saints, he referred often and heavily to the Old Testament prophets and their words to teach about Jesus Christ. Paul’s experience with the Savior gave him a whole new view of the books he thought he knew so well.

I have finished another class at the University of Phoenix. That is three down and many more to go. After my 30 day leave period is over I will begin another. The classes cost $1,400, but I only have to pay $85 as a book fee. Thanks for paying for college, Uncle Sam.

After dropping off Tricia at dance I took Jeffrey further into Denver to visit the capitol building. He must have had a good time because for the last few days he has asked to go back to the capitol. We had a simple good time together walking to the capitol, playing on the cannons at the footsteps and walking back when the sun began to go down.

Tricia has been enjoying her I Love Lucy on DVD. Jeffrey asks once in a while to watch his Lucy. I recall watching that show when I was growing up. It is a fun series to watch and I have found myself enjoying a few episodes with Tricia over dinner or after work.

We have a nice set of speakers hooked up to our desktop computer. I have been searching through the iTunes Radio channels and have found a great variety of channels to choose from at no cost. This gets me into listening to music I would not have otherwise had I made a purchase. Big band, jazz, house, and the best of the 50’s.

Thankful

So I've had my share of emotional stress the last three years and learned a lot about myself in the process. I'm not done being pruned though, I'm a currant bush that needs lots of work. Sometimes I get pretty frustrated and I feel like I should have the chance to be a big fruit tree, but I know that the Lord has other plans for me. But I'm trying to be happy as the currant bush that I am and not compare myself to the other plants in the garden.

But I am grateful that I have a wonderful husband who stands by me (even if he doesn't always understand why I'm crying or why I can't see to get things together). I was so lucky that I met, fell head over heels in love with, and married Cory. (And I owe a great deal to Wilma Shepherd and Paige for pushing him in the right direction again!) I am thankful that he honors his priesthood and in my moments of greatest need that he can give me a blessing of comfort and peace. I wouldn't trade that for anything.

I am also so glad that Jeffrey came into our lives. He has got such personality and excitement for life that it has taken me from the edge of tears or frustration to laughter in seconds. I know that he was sent to me first so that he could be there for me when Cory couldn't be. He has been my battle buddy several times and he's exactly what I need.

I am so happy that we are a family and that we're going to be a family forever. You can't imagine the joy in Jeffrey's eyes when Cory rings the doorbell for him to answer after work. He can't get enough of being daddy's best friend.

So while I may not have planned to have the problems that I do have, I have the best support team in the world to help me through and I know that the Gardener is in control. That he knows what kind of currant bush I should be and that he can help me reach my full potential.

And Thanks Po for sharing the Currant bush story with me when I was in your Sunday School class. It's stuck with me all these years!

Beware of Cynic

So in a relationship it's good if the couple balances each other out right? Well Cory is a fairly trusting person and doesn't like to think someone might be taking advantage of you. I however grew up in a house with the master cynic (and his apprentice) and so I'm a little more wary when it comes to trusting people. When Jeffrey dipped the camera (canon G10) in the dog's water bowl earlier this year I almost lost my mind. But I called a few photo places and they recommended Forster's in Salt Lake. So it took it in and asked them to make the repairs to the lens (there were water spots on the lens and I wanted them gone, camera was functioning fine when I took it in, just had the water spots).

A Month later they called to tell me the whole lens would have to be replaced. Parts and Labor $200. (at this point she told me it might just be cheaper to buy a new camera and they would be happy to "dispose" of my camera free of charge, read=fix it and sell it for twice as much as they would have charged me.)

An additional month later they called to say that the flash was "totally corroded" and would also have to be replaced. Parts and Labor $280. (again I was reminded it might be cheaper to buy a new camera and they would "dispose" of mine free of charge)

An additional month later they called to say that neither part worked, that the entire main board needed to be replaced and they would have to send it to Canon for repairs. Labor $85.00 to them plus whatever Canon charged.

So my cynical side stepped in and said, "Hmmm...something doesn't add up, Jeffrey only dipped the lens in the water...why don't I believe them?" I sent Po in to pick it up which he did (Thanks Po!), Cory then called Canon and asked if they could take a look at it which they did. End of story, Canon did the repair for half the price and in 1/3 of the time. Will I call Forster's again? Nope!

I Love to See the Temple

On Saturday morning Tricia and I attended a session at the Denver Temple. We had a wonderful experience together. Our motivation to attend and make a goal of regular attendance came from a talk by Elder Scott from last year’s General Conference which we listened to as we traveled from Germany to Colorado. When we first arrived we saw what looked to be a field trip for a primary. Groups of children and a few adults were gathered together and seemed to be traveling from station to station as temple workers spoke to each group about some aspect of the temple and its purpose.

When we picked Jeffrey up from the Waite home he had been running and playing all day and was visibly tired. Tricia had purchased a box of rolls of which Jeffrey wanted one, but he was so tired that he fell asleep on the chair before we could get it to him on a napkin.

After he awoke we finished the Alice In Wonderland movie we had begun the night before. I had fallen asleep and needed to see the end again. When we returned the movie to King Supers we allowed Jeffrey to ride the penny horse. He shouted ye haw at the top of his lungs and Tricia could hear him in the back of the store. Several men paying for their items at a near check out joined in with his yells and whoops.

Memorial Day Activity

I spent the morning of Memorial day with my friend Ed. He met me at the house to go out with me and Jeffrey for a morning of geo cache searching. Ed filled me in on a few things I had missed out on when I left Afghanistan as part of the ADVON. Poppy eradication had just kicked off when I left and he fill me in on what happened to the Afghan Army during that time. I was also filled in on what 101 was doing in our old area.

I went to dance with Tricia to watch Jeffrey. It gave Tricia and I a good time to talk in the car on the hour drive to and from dance. I used to try and read a book or do homework while I watched Jeffrey, but he takes so much attention to ensure he is not getting into things he should not I decided it was better just to give him my full attention and enjoy some time with him. We played for a few minutes inside with the toys at the studio and spent the remainder of the night outside running between the bushes, climbing on rocks and playing in the car. It was a wonderful evening to spend with Jeffrey watching him play. I started to think about how my life, priorities and goals have changed since 6 September of last year when I was injured in Afghanistan. Everything has been better since that night. I am more focused than ever on what I really want, and that is my family. Many good changes have come out of that incident. I had a lot of time to think while at the WTU in Texas. That time to think is paying off now.

Imagination and Paper

So I didn't have the energy or time to devote to stamping like I wanted to while Cory was gone. But now he's back and I've got my energy and creativity back. Visit my Stampin' blog and check out the new projects I made as well as the last chance lists from Stampin' Up! You only have until June 30th to order!

And Check out the contest I'm holding this month! It's great! Don't you hate it when a good thing has to come to an end? It's that time in the Stampin' Up! calendar when we have to say goodbye to some of the old stamp sets and colors to make room for the exciting new products in July. So I'll post the list so you can see what you need to get before it's gone. Remember that in July Stampin' Up is updating their color families and if there's one color you just can't live without, you'd better get it quick!

Why should you order now? Well, I'm going to enter everyone who places an order in June into a drawing, the first place winner gets a $15 gift certificate towards a future order, the second and third place winners will get to choose a stamp set from my stash of new unused stamp sets.