Newest things.....

Here's another new necklace!

It took me four nights to make it - but it's worth it!

This is the newest member to my extended Family....

Stella...

She's a Puggle and she belongs to my neice Lindsey.

I haven't met her yet, but I LOVE her!!

My last trip to South Haven for the Summer...

I have to remember the feeling of sand between my toes all winter long!

My beautiful mama deer...

She is a daily visitor to my yard lately.
She actually let me get this close to take her photo and

I was talking to her the whole time!

8th Grade

How can it be? Time just goes too fast. Seems like yesterday Allison was starting preschool! Yesterday was the first day of 8th grade. She is the "big man on campus" this year. The last year before high school. She is so beautiful and smart and funny. I hope she has a wonderful 8th grade year! It was funny last night... before 8 p.m. she was sound asleep and slept all night! That was only a half day back to school! Wonder what tonight will hold!!

Don't Scare Me Like That....

Sunday night 10:40 p.m., just climbing into bed after beading for about an hour and the phone rings. Of course, Allison, my social butterfly is still up and answers. She runs upstairs telling me its a lady for me and sounds important. It is the apartment complex where my dad lives... the ambulance is taking him to the hospital -- it's his heart. Oh My God.... Greg and I quickly dress and I leave a note for Kaitlin. The three of us drive to the hospital, while I'm calling my brothers and sister. My brother Rick is at his cottage on Diamond Island. The ferry is done for the day and he is stuck there. Jeff is at a golf outing in Eastern Tennessee. Julie and Tom are home and in bed. Of course we got to the hosptial before the ambulance and I'm not very patient. The whole time I'm thinking "just don't let him suffer". I was sure this was IT. So, once they got him settled, they took me back. I walk in his emergency room and his is sitting up, smiling, pjs on, looks good. Whew. He was having horrible indigestion and it wouldn't go away with rolaids even after an hour. So, he got scared and used his button to call the front desk. She called 911 and there we were. Of course, someone who comes in with chest pain of any kind is treated seriously and they kept him overnight and ran some tests. All of which came back fine. The ER doc thinks he has acid reflux, which makes sense. I spent my Labor Day in the hosptial with dad watching tv about Alaska on the history channel waiting for him to be discharged (finally at 5 p.m.)!! But, we were together and he is ok. Thank God. This morning he has many phone calls to make to see the doctor and follow up on his tests. Then he can't wait to hit the golf course!! It was the first question he asked when the doctor released him... "can I play golf tomorrow"! Pretty good for someone who is 81 years young!! I love ya dad, but don't scare me like that again!!

My Crafty Side

I completed a few fun projects while on vacation and thought I'd share....



Some VERY fun jewelry that I made for myself and gifts!

And just a few of the scrapbook pages that I completed!
I asked my dear friend Patti to pick out some supplies
for my upcoming pages, since I didn't have the time to
shop for leaving for vacation! So, some of these pages
were my own personal challenge! To use something I
didn't pick out and make scrapbook pages with them.
I love them all and am very pleased with the results.
Maybe Patti needs to be my personal scrapbook shopper
always!!


Hard to see but the first one is a snow page and New Years
Eve from 2001 - both of Kaitlin.
The second pages are the Bon Jovi Concert in July!





Here is Fourth of July that I really love - hard to see with
the glare. The other one is my birthday, which also turned out
great. I bought this paper in Shipshewana. Still need to journal
all these pages....

And this is my "almost summer" page.
Just random shots of the yard etc.

I wish life was all play and no work!!! What fun I would have!

Diamond Lake

We enjoyed our vacation at Diamond Lake last week. The weather was wonderful, the kids were fairly happy - only a few moments of sisterly hate - and we had no major issues. I came back to work relaxed and refreshed and ready to go! Here are a few of our fun photos!

Thanks for looking!!

Pain, Progress and Projects

I am still on the road to recovery after my shoulder manipulation proceedure. It Hurts!! It will be a painful recovery. I am going to physical theraphy and trying very hard to not be "wimpy". I am doing my exercises, icing my shoulder, trying to ignore the pops and cracks I hear when I move and trying to improve my range of motion. I don't like pain, did I mention that? But, this is good progress and I will continue with theraphy and pushing through the pain. There, I don't sound too wimpy, do I?

I worked on a couple of beading projects over the weekend. I just love them both and had to share. I have never made a knotted necklace before. My friend Julie shared the idea with me and I just love the way it turned out! I made it long, and so now I want to play with some other colors and make a shorter one! The black and silver necklace is my copy cat version of an idea I saw in the Silpada catalog. That one will get lots of wear, I'm sure.

Well, this is a very busy week for us. We leave for vacation on Friday and I have lots of packing, baking, shopping and organizing to do. Unfortunately, I just don't feel up to it! So, it will get done when it gets done and we may not be out the door early Friday morning, but, hey, it's vacation. Why hurry!!! When I return I'll post some photos of us "having fun in the sun"!!

I Love My Family!

Last Saturday was a very nice evening with my family. My brother & sister-in-law were here from Tennessee and we were all together Saturday night. It seems to be a rare occassion when the "four Riggin kids" are all together with out spouses!


Greg and Me ------------------------------------------ My family

I Love My Daddy ---------------------------------- Vickie & Jeff

The Four Riggin Kids ----------------Us girls - Lindsey, Julie & Me