My Monthly Cramping

OK so a few years ago I had a uterine ablation in hopes to help cure me of the Gol Awful heavy Cycles. While some have no return of their periods. Some have lighter periods and some it don't work at all. My cycle when from uber Heavy and clotting to 1 day with no clotting. I was OK with that. As the year went on it went from 1 day to 2 days and again I am OK with that. The cramping though is insane. I have to take pain pills (600-800mg of Advil) and keep on it before it wears off. I am like this for a day - day and a half. It is awful. this last time the Advil only took the edge off. So before our insurance changes (for the worse) I wanted to get a lay off why I am cramping. My bleeding has also gone to one day flow, dry next day, one day flow to dry. Sometime there will be a pop and i know to run to the bathroom as I know a gush will happen. I am incapastitated those days I am broken. I did discuss my cramping with the OB who did my ablation and she told me nothing of the following. I wish I would have known this a year ago, I might have done this sooner and had more time to try other things. As it is now. I have 3 months. before our insurance changes for the worse. So here are my options. Option 1. try the NuvaRing. sometimes it helps with the bleeding and cramping. Sometimes it don't. But to know if it will work I will have to be on it for 3months. but if it don't work I am back to square one with a crappy insurance and I won't be able to do option 2. Option 2- Partial Hysterectomy. They will remove the offending uterus either vaginally, laparoscopicly or through my current c section scar. I am leaning for the first 2 as there is minimal recovery and with the last i will be restricted for 6 weeks. Though all 3 don't scare me as I have had three C sections. So it looks like I will be doing option 2. I am just kinda wishing she would have removed it during my last c/s. If i would have known all this a year ago when i talked to Dr. Ritter I would have tried the nuva ring FIRST and had more time to try things. :(

School and Job

My husband says to me today 'why don't you go back to school'. I asked "why" He said "don't you have any ambition to do anything." And I think "No" Does that make me weird? There is nothing really I want to do with my life. When I was in school, I never really thought of a career. I use to want to be a Vet, but not now. I don't do well with blood, guts and such. I was really good in accounting but yeah not so much. Those are the only 2 things I can think of that I thought about in High School. Just finding a job I am good at and like and getting paid that is all I care about. I am good at crafts. I would love to take photography classes but other than that, there is really nothing. I am almost 40 years old. I have spent the last 13 years being a mom to 3 kids and I still have 13 more years to go before all my kid are adults. I so far have applied at Target and Archiver's and have only heard back from Target and not for the good. I am going to fill out applications for Big Lots and Joann's but honestly who wants someone who has only worked for a year before getting pregnant and been out of work for 13 years. Also working will totally mess up my fitness regimen

Scrapfest 2011

This year I decided to attended Scrapfest at the Mall of America. I have lived up here since 2003 and never attended. Didn't know what to expect. It isn't like the expo's I have gone to before where there are make and takes at booths that sell the brand they are making and taking. They just had the make and takes and then if you wished to purchase that you had to go to the Archiver's store. (scrapfest is put on by Archiver's) There is also A LOT of standing while waiting in line. They had workshops but since it was my first year, I didn't attend any. Next year I am definatly going to try and get into Tim Holtz's class. One he is Tim Holtz and two I heard you get a lot of swag. His class was $65. He just has a lot of grand techniques that I just want to learn. The other class I was told was good that you get a lot of stuff was Fiskars.

I went with my 2 sister's and my cousin and it was fun even with all the waiting. Then we had plans to come home and scrapbook that night and the next day but we ended up going back Saturday. We did get a little scrapbooking done on Saturday. Next time we will get there at 8. Also next time i plan on having one of these totes. Bag with attached Chair

There are a couple of tools that I used this weekend worth mentioning. First one is by Prima. it is called the Prima Distressing Tool. It is AWESOME. It has what is like a dry skin remover for your heel on one side, it has razor blades on another, and a metal brush hidden on the end. this tool is the Bomb. it will definately be added to my arsenal


The next is the Cinch by We R Memory Keepers. It is similar to the Bind it all. I have never used the Bind it all so i don't know what the difference is. But basically it allows you to make your own ring binders. So if you wanted to make a calendar for family you can, cookbooks as gifts. it was fun fun fun



Another fun thing we used was ink pads that had a heart shape to them and they had these grips. so if you do a lot of edge inking these are wonderful. I don't remember the name of them though. I will have to get back to you on that one.

Smash Books--now I saw these before and just didn't think it would be for me but after seeing a book in my hand and talking with my sisters, I am thinking I may give it a go. Basically a smash book is how scrapbooking was. it is a book with everything, you go out to eat, put the napkin from the resturant in there, you go to the movies, ticket stubs. one page in the sample had a straw taped in it. the book ends up not laying flat and that is OK. Just things you want to remember but really don't want to scrapbook. it comes with a double pen, with one side pen and one side glue. Here is a video on SMASH BOOKING

OK now on to the make and takes. We didn't do all of them but there were 31 make and takes. well really 29 because 1 person didn't show due to flooding and Smash book really wasn't a make and take. Here are the pictures of what I did...

7 Gypsies - We did Tissue flowers and covered a book board circle with tissue. it has a pink Ribbon to hang, I chose the number 5 for my 5 members in my family.



American Craft - We made a Coupon book using a new paper cutter that has a blade housing where you can choose cut, score and perforated with a flick of the switch. we also used a 12inch stapler (awesome)


Authentique - Here we used the new Free Bird line. there is some GORGOUS Paper. and when I say NEW, it is new, the guy said the paper just came in that Wednesday.



Basic Grey- We used some of their paper and I learned how to stamp and image and you add water to give it the water color effect though i think i need more water for it. i wish the instructor would have told us that is the reason for the spritzing. i thought we were just re moistening the stamp. Also used this awesome silver leaf type stuff. I have to find that.


Bazzill - We used their new embossed paper with the white core, took some sandpaper and sanded it off. Nice 12x12 layout


BoBunny - We went to this one cuz we wanted the flower they were giving away with the layout. I guess it is the trend to get a flower every year as we saw some with quite of few different ones. if we had time i would have gone back to do another page to get a double layout. Next year


Graphic 45- this is my cousins favorite line. I am so so on it. The paper is Wizard of Oz. I am not sure what I am going to do with this tag.


Prima - this is my all time favorite. It is Gorgous. I am thinking of putting in a glassless 8x8 frame (the page is 6x6) and putting it on my daughter's wall. or it might be a gift for someone.


We R Memory Keepers- This is the project we used the Cinche on. made a cute little book. It was suppose to be Halloween but we don't celebrate that so I made a generic type book. I am not to keen on the bottom folded paper. I may replace that with some ribbon.



Smash Book - this is the mini smash book we got at the Smash book booth.


Well that is it. Scrapfest 2011 is a wrap. Next year we know what we should and shouldn't do. Even if my sister's can't make it. I will definatly be going back while the kids are in school. Gotta get another BoBunny flower for my bag. The price wasn't too bad for what we got ($22) Would have been nice to get more make and takes done but I feel we did the best of them. There was one that has a 2 HOUR wait. That is Crazy. I also wish we would have done Reminisce the first day. We planned to go back and do it Saturday but they changed the make and take and it went from a Fall layout to a Christmas one :( Some of the booths do that, BoBunny did but we never got time to do that one.

I hope this was helpful to you if you are on the fence on going to Scrapfest by Archivers.

Dancer

Ah my girl. She is 12.5 years old. I notice she is slowing down some. Sure she has bouts of energy where she seems like a young dog but then there are times where she just don't want to move. She also isn't eating a lot. She eats it but it seems like such a chore for her. Yesterday my husband had to coax her up the stairs. She didn't follow me up when I went up for bed like she usually does. I am back to giving her pain meds for her aches. Part of me is gearing up for the worse. I just have a feeling that she won't be with us at the end of the year. She is a good dog. The best we had. Australian Shepherds are an awesome breed. And if we ever find ourselves down to one dog again, I think another aussie will be in the cards. But who knows she may prove me wrong and live another year or 2. The oldest Aussie on record lived to 16yrs.