Happy Birthday to ME, Happy Birthday to ME...!

Yup. The big FOUR-OH. That's today, June 12. It's been a good celebration so far, with getting pedicures with four wonderful girlfriends Sunday, and getting presents from friends who are also customers Monday night. :)

This card sample is from my 10/10/10 class Monday night, too! Thanks to Melissa, my downline and one of my awesome girlfriends, for the oval punches - this is using the large oval, and the 1-1/4: circle punch. The "happy" is from Polka Dots & Paisley. Colors of card stock are Garden Green, YoYo Yellow, and Creamy Caramel. We dragged the YoYo Yellow through a Summer Sun ink pad, and the Creamy Caramel through a Close to Cocoa ink pad, after we'd wadded each punch up and straightened it out again. I just think this is too cute - and hardly any stamping, although the little stamping IS embossed with the orange EP from the Brights EP Stack.

I am SOOOOOOOOOO looking forward to the new Idea Book & Catalog!!! We keep getting small hints of what will be in the accessories section - like a new scallop circle punch, and dyable flowers - that make me SURE the best are yet to be shown. AUGH!!!!!!!! They're such TEASES at Stampin' Up! :D

Well, I'll post on Wednesday what we did for my birthday. Ken's already told me the food plan, and I must say, it's a good one. :D Don't forget, you can still email me a file of a birthday card you've stamped until MIDNIGHT CENTRAL TIME JUNE 12!!!! Email it to me at poohisstampin@aol.com, OK? I'd LOVE for you to win my contest!!!

Talk to you Wednesday. :) Have a wonderful day!

Welcome to the family, Michaela!

Isn't she BEAUTIFUL? I'm so proud to introduce my darling new niece, Michaela Shalom Kappler, to the world! :)

Michaela was born on Tuesday, May 22, at approximately 9:20 pm. She weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces - my sister's smallest baby yet! - and measured 22 inches long.

Her four sisters have fallen head-over-heels in love, from what I'm told - but brother Dane still wants a baby brother sometime. :D

I just HAD to share. What a miracle a baby is! Thanks to my sister and brother-in-law for letting me show her off! :)

Have a wonderful day! Take time to count your blessings!

It's our last full day at the beach.

And it is a BEAUTIFUL, AWESOME, GLORIOUS day here in Depoe Bay, Oregon. The water is a beautiful shade of Bordering Blue, the wind is blowing the sweet air inland, and I am so grateful for the rest we've been able to get!

Ken has gone to Newport again, to try and get a few more photos of the tall ships going out to sea. We purchased some fresh crab for dinner; it's record-breaking prices this year, but weve been very frugal all week so we could do this one thing. Dungeoness crab is one of the sweetest crabs I've ever eaten, and I'm looking forward to our feast tonight. :)

I'm going to have to start packing soon, and that always makes me sad - but we've had a wonderful time here. If you ever get to the Oregon coast, I HIGHLY recommend the Surfrider Resort in Depoe Bay. Tell them I sent you! :)

Please pray for Sean again; he went back to the hospital Friday. It's not as bad as first feared; they took him off an antibiotic a bit prematurely, from what Dad told Ken. But he still needs our prayers for healing! THANK YOU!

We had a funny thing happen last night. We realized that we aren't leaving until TUESDAY morning! :D So we get an extra day in Portland, to get those shots we didn't get. I'm glad; we're going to kind of rush to get out of here in the morning, to get to Vancouver to meet with the kids for lunch, and now we can take our time the NEXT morning, instead of rushing to get to the airport - and hurry up and wait again. :D We are so blessed!!!!!!!!

A beautiful day on the beach!

It's in the mid-50s and sunny this afternoon on the central Oregon coast. This is Yaquina Head Lighthouse, in Newport. It was a little overcast this morning, but the sun broke thru late in the morning and it's absolutely glorious now.

We spent yesterday watching whales right off our deck. It was so much fun!

I have GREAT news to share with you today! Sean, the little boy I wrote about yesterday, went HOME this morning!!!!!! He still needs prayer, because his lung is getting more damage with each attack, but I KNOW his family is thrilled to have him home! Please keep praying for them, and support their project.

My mom called today to tell me my stamping area's redo is going well! I can't wait to get home and get organized - and start stamping again! I've gotten a sneak peak at the sneak peak brochure from Stampin' Up!; there are some really fun things, and I can't WAIT for the new Idea Book & Catalog to come out in July!!!!!!!! I also am looking forward to stamping when I get home. :) I just wish home were the Oregon beach....

Isn't she LOVELY?

This is my beautiful stepdaughter, Kaisa, who is getting married May 13. We can't WAIT to see her - she doesn't fly, so we only get to see her when we go out to visit. :) Her fiance', Jeff, is a sweet young man. We had the privilege of meeting him last September, and it was fun to watch the two of them together.

Please pray for them as they begin their life together. Marriage seems like the easy way when you first begin - do you remember? :D It takes hard work and commitment, even when things are going well! :D

I'm having a hard time believing I'm going to be a mother-in-law. I wish we lived where we could visit for SURE once a year. Who knows what God has in mind?

Thanks for sharing today's joy with me. :) I'm so proud of this young lady, for all she is and how beautiful she is, inside and out.