Near and dear...

...to my heart.

Her children arise up, and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praiseth her.

Provervs 31:28

(1965-ish)

No matter that she has gone to be with the Lord...she will always be a large part of our lives.

This past Sunday, April 18th, was her birthday.  In July 2004, she passed away from a brain aneurysm.  I miss her soooo much! I would love to be able to talk, hug, laugh, cry with her... just to be around her right now.  I am so thankful that we do have the photos, videos and amazing things that she created...and the wonderful memories.

(1966-ish)

Here are some N  words that describe her so well:

Nurturing- no matter who you were, she was able to provide a learning, loving environment.

Natural Beauty- inside and out, she was beautiful.

Neighborly- she welcomed anyone and made them feel like a part of the family.

Nice- barely even describes her sweet, thoughtful personality!

Noble- (one site describes Noble as: "possessing outstanding, high, or excellent character or qualities)

Nimble- definitely! One of the later memories I have is when we were visiting their home in the summer, guess who climbed up the top of a willow tree, trimming some branches? Yes! My Mom! 

So...there are Not eNough N  words to adequately describe all the amaziNg attributes for my mom, so I have some other ones here (these have N  in each :o):

loviNg & kiNd-  

this was just a part of who she was.

geNerous & giviNg- 

anyone who knew her, knows how this was her 100% (growing up, I remember being a selfish pre-teen and asking her, why she was giving "this or that" to someone...she would tell me, we have so much to share.) And not only physical things, but she was always willing to give of her time and talents.

eNergetic!  

~My mom had more energy than I could ever hope to have!  She was always doing something...Never idle!

TaleNted- 

musically, she had a gorgeous voice...
crafts and creating, she really was so gifted and everything she created was amazing!

She could sew(seriously, she had made 15 or more quilts in 4yrs, maybe even less time than that! while I still have so many unfinished quilt tops. for goodness sakes! haha  She blessed all of us with wonderful quilts - later, when it comes to the letter "Q", I'll share some of her quilts that we cherish and use).

Crochet (her needle would go a hundred miles/hour!)

She painted, did lapidary, basket weaving, made ornaments, wreaths,  tatting, embroidery, needle punch, ceramics, etc...and she would "try" a craft and do it so well!  She could look at something and create it.

Cook and bake! Ah...yet another thing that I wish I could pick up the phone and ask her about! She rarely followed a recipe.

Plants & Garden! She was born with a green thumb (actually the success at her plants & garden, more properly reflects someone that had to have had a totally green body!, cuz she would grow things that didnt seem possible!)

I am joining in with Jenny for
ALPHABE-THURSDAY "N"

&

with Alicia for 

FRIDAY PHOTO FLASHBACK. 

~~~~~~~~~~

(My Dad & Mom 1995)

My hubby and I will be driving up to visit my dad in Wisconsin.  My dad doesn't have internet connection, (and also because it takes me about a whole week to do a post!), I will not be joining in with the next Friday Photo Flashback nor Alphabe-Thursday "O"

... I really appreciate all your comments and will be sure to stop by and visit when we are back.

Here are some more drawing orders:

Thank you Jordan for thinking of this for a wedding gift! 

The following is feedback that Jordan left at my Etsy shop: 

"Thank you so much for the order. I sent her a custom idea for the bride and groom. She made it wonderful. Anything you can imagine can be done. Great work. Just need to wait on the gift to be order. I will not hesitate. I have order several time myself. Great price and fair shipping and quick."

This was a gift from a customer to her friend.

This was a thankyou gift.

& last of all... this drawing was done for another customer's mom named DONNA. I share this one with all the moms... Just in case, I don't get a post up by Mother's day

 ~ Happy Early Mother's Day!~

Blessings & Aloha!

~~~~~~~~~~

Me...and My...

...blog called Personalized Sketches and Sentiments...
It's about the artwork that I do and a bit about my family and friends that are dear to me...
& random things in our lives...


...I started this blog at the same time as my on-line Etsy shop, so that hopefully you can get a glimpse of who is behind the artwork. 


In past posts, I have done slideshows of my hubby, children and other family, so I thought this would be a good place for a slideshow of the photos I found of me when I was little. (I love how easy Roxio slideshows are to put together).

& With each post, I try to include a sample of the Personalized Sketch (aka drawings done with a name).

The timing for My post "Me...and My..." works out Magnificently :o)  And I'll explain why...                   

On Thursday, I am joining in with Jenny for

ALPHABE-THURSDAY "M"

&

on Friday, with Alicia for 

FRIDAY PHOTO FLASHBACK. 

I have been joining with another wonderful blogger Midday Escapades and meme Friday Follow, but I am having a hard time keeping up, so I thought I would just do these 3 this time. I really enjoy meeting new bloggers, as well as catch up on the amazing blogger friends that I have met since I started blogging.

This is Me... at about 7 months old...


& 
 a recent photo of me...today :o)

(I just took this "self-photo" this morning! Whew! if you only knew how many "self-photo" shots I had to delete! ...I look so tired!)

These original drawings, I draw entirely with a person's name. & have been doing them since 1985. 

You can read about that here. 

I've taken orders over the years at shows and through word of mouth, but was hesitant to jump into the world of computers and the internet.  Even though, over and over, customers have asked if I would, so that they could easily show others about the drawings, it has taken a very long time for me to be "brave" with doing things on the computer.

But here I am, and slowly I am feeling more computer savvy as time goes on! haha (but one thing you may notice is it is an accomplishment, if I can manage one post up a week!) 

So, that is why I said that this works out Magnificently...

...because I am able to do 3 wonderful memes at a time!

~~~~~~~~~~

I am joining in with 5 Minutes for Mom for the 2010 Ultimate BLOG PARTY! 
(I'm a wee bit slow in joining).

This party is for bloggers and non-bloggers alike. There are LOTS of prizes.
It's 100% FREE!!
Just write a party post of your own, provide the party URL on Mr. McLinky at 5MFM.
After you have provided your party link at 5MFM go PARTY!!
Start blog hopping, hanging out with new and old bloggers.
Especially try meeting new-to-you bloggers.
Last year there were over 2,000 bloggers participating.

A Little about Me:

(1) I am blessed with an awesome hubby for 28+ years (retired Army helicopter pilot), adorable~and grown~children (Girly~Twirly, graduates in May as a dentist; Girly~Whirly, second year of dental school; Heartbreaker, in his 2nd year of undergrad); amazing son-in-law (our older daughter's MR, graduates in May and begins his residency for Dermatology). ...They all love the Lord.  They encourage me, inspire me and support me...I love just being around them...laughing and sharing.

Our Family Christmas 2009 Photo

(2) I LOVE to blog, even though, it wasn't until our daughter - Girly~Twirly (aka theluckiestmrs.) - showed us hers last year, that I even really knew what a blog was! And this past summer, I decided to start a blog along with my Etsy shop, so that you can get to know a bit about me and my family behind the artwork shown here.

(3) I LOVE doing the artwork that I do!  It is always so much fun to hear what a person is interested in having drawn...for themselves or family or friends.  I have been showing and taking orders for these at local shows for over 25+years, ...but not being "computer-savvy", it was only last summer that I jumped into having an on-line shop.

(4) I LOVE that I grew up as a military child and then a military wife.  I would love to continue traveling, but also would like to live closer to where all our family are...  Especially when all the grandbabies start "a'comin".


(5) I tend to be word-y...but will stop here... So, I'd love for you to stop by any time and take a look around my blog... And if there is something that you would like drawn for any occasion...birthday, graduation, retirement...or a "just because" gift...please feel free to let me know.


And You can go here to read A Bit About Me...my very first post.


It is so fun meeting all of you bloggers!  I do go and visit all those who leave a comment. 


Prizes I would like: 
                                    U.S. Only Numbers
US95, US11,US107, US112,US8,US49, US52,US6


My greetings to you are Blessings & Aloha! 


(Blessings to you and your family! Aloha means many things...such as, hello, love, until we meet again...)

~~~~~~~~~
Ooops! I almost forgot to show some recent drawing orders.  
These were just completed and shipped out. 

(Thank you Brandy for this order 

and for the one of Tyler and his dog Sara.)

(Thank you Alicia for thinking of a monogram for a wedding gift.)

And this one was just received in the mail.

Thank you Amber for your email:

Maria,

I got the drawing today and it looks wonderful. Thank you so much! I know my father will love it!  I am passing your word around on my facebook and also to the FRG! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU~ Always going to keep you in mind for a wonderful unique gift! You do amazing work! Thank you, Amber

(*FRG stands for Family Readiness Group, a great support system for military spouses for the company that their spouses serve in.)

Please feel free to stay a while and look around...(oh and I really do love finding your comments, so if you would, please be sure to let me know what you think :o)


& I'd love for you to pick up my BUTTON and take it with you back to your place :o)
(The code is on my sidebar). ...and if you do, please let me know...











Whew! this is a really huge Blog Party! I'm so glad I was able to join in, but I heard about it too late to submit a giveaway.  However, when I eventually reach my 100th post, I will be doing a giveaway for a Personalized Sketch done in the winner's choice of name. (This is my 88th post...)

Life...Liberty...and...

the Pursuit of Happiness... this phrase is in the second sentence of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.

***In my attempt to not be so Late on Linking up this week...I am trying to make this Little post be a Little Less Long. (I'm trying to not be so "Long-winded", as I usually tend to be!***

This is actually about our sweet and Lovable Labrador-Lady Liberty.

(2004 ...in Georgia)

Mr. B has brought home a few puppies for our three kiddos, throughout their growing up years.  He had insisted that the last one would have been Abby (a sweet yellow lab, that we left with our friends in Alabama, when we moved to Kentucky in 1999. -Abby was brought home, after many months of clues and hints written and left in random places by the kids to their dad ..."please, please, please" ...etc...

Well, 3 years later... before having to be deployed to Kuwait and Iraq, Mr. B came home with the sweetest, roly-poly, chocolate Lab!  "Lady Liberty".

(I wanted to insert, here, some of the adorable photos of that day that Mr. B brought her home...but right now, I can't find those piles of photos.)

Here are a couple of when we were in Kentucky of Liberty that I did find.

(Oct 2002...in Kentucky

Liberty is about 6 months old)

One of our dear friends also had a chocolate lab named Cappy (Cappucino).  We would take the dogs for walks, take them to a large field on the post... and would crack up watching those two chasing each other and playing.

(2003...in Kentucky)

When we moved here to Georgia in 2004, both our girls stayed in Kentucky for college and so Heartbreaker and Liberty were even more of a pair.

(2004...in our Georgia rental, 

while our home was being built).

...our furniture was still in storage.

This next photo was taken shortly after Heartbreaker had a biopsy taken from his lymph nodes on the side of his neck and he was diagnosed(at 14 yrs old) with Burkitt's-like, B-cell Lymphoma.   He was to be admitted for his first chemo treatments.

(2005...in Georgia)

Liberty listening to Heartbreaker's music

With Heartbreaker in the hospital for days at a time, sometimes more than a week (in order to do the intense protocol that was scheduled), Liberty was at home all day by herself.  And during this time, whenever Heartbreaker would get a temp higher than 100, we would have to admit him for a hospital stay. Mr. B was working and I was in the middle of a semester, going to college.

Mr. B and I would take turns with getting home to feed and let Liberty out.  One of us would stay at the hospital with Heartbreaker.  The hospital was awesome about letting one of us or both of us sleep in the hospital room when he was there.

We noticed that Liberty seemed to have an upset stomach and would sometimes "spit up" frothy fluid.  Looking back, we all feel that she could sense what Heartbreaker was going through.

We were blessed to have so much support and our faith in the Lord was strong, but it was still stressful at times... & I think Liberty felt that stress.  It was a very hard decision, but after awhile Heartbreaker knew that leaving Liberty alone so much and how it was affecting her, and taking the stress of having Liberty off of Mr. B, Heartbreaker agreed that we should see if someone would take her into their family.

Our dear friends at West Point came to our minds.  After talking with them, they let us know that they would love to have Liberty as part of their family.  We flew Liberty up to their home...It was so sad, but she settled in so well. And they have sent us photos and videos of Cappy and Liberty together again.  Their two daughters love Liberty. And it is so awesome to know that she is being so well-cared for and loved!

(2005...New York)

Liberty & Cappy

(bed buddies!)

Cappy & Liberty

& we are very blessed and thankful that our son~ Hearbreaker ~ is strong, totally healed and is a wonderful testimony of the Lord's healing and grace.

..well...I tried to keep my post a little shorter...

I am joining in with Jenny for
ALPHABE-THURSDAY "L"
&
Alicia for 
FRIDAY PHOTO FLASHBACK.
&
Midday Escapades for
FRIDAY FOLLOW.
(Hop over and meet great bloggers at these sites).

This one was a drawing just completed this morning for a great customer.

This one is another for a gift. 
He was drawn with his dog's name "PORKCHOP" and 
Porkchop was drawn with his owner's name "TRAVIS".

And finally...thought I would share this drawing of our country's Lady Liberty.

This was drawn for a customer's brother who worked in the Statue of Liberty.

Blessings & Aloha!

Kissable Keikis & Karate Kid

Kissable Keiki(s) (Hawaiian for child...pronounced like "Kay-kee")
and Karate Kid...

Here are some photos of our Kissable Keikis...aren't all babies so sweet! And I love our chubby babies!

The first set of photos are from each of our three with their daddy at their 2 week well-baby check up appointments.  What a blessing to have him home, so when he wasn't deployed, he was right there with us.  At Heartbreaker's appointment, Mr. B has his flight suit on, so he must have been able to meet up with us after flying.

These were taken a few days after their appointments.
 Oh hey...here's another "K" word! Knit...
Girly~Twirly was "poured" into this little sleeper that I knitted.  I love to crochet, sew, etc, but I am amazed that I actually was able to knit this, since this was the first thing that I ever knitted! haha  and it literally fit her that one time...So, I was determined to get one picture at least of her wearing it.

These photos are our Keikis at 2 months old...all were pretty chubby kiddies!  They all looked like rubber bands were tied around their wrists and arms.  Girly~Twirly had the most rolls on her legs...8 on one leg and 9 on the other!

I wanted to add a few more photos of our Kissable Keikis.  
...and oh! ...listen to the song... it's about a Kookaburra :o)   

~~~~~~~~~~

Anyone remember the movie Karate Kid (released in 1984 with Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita (In another post, I had shown the bonzai tree drawn for Pat Morita's cousin, when we were in Hawaii)... & do you remember this quote: "Wax on Wax off")?
Karate Kid 2? Karate Kid 3? Karate Kid 4?

(ok, I wasn't sure if there were that many, but after I looked it up...there they were! Our family watched them all :o)

And...as I was looking for more info on the original Karate Kid...I found this movie trailer of the upcoming June 2010 remake release of The Karate Kid! (with Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan)

  ~~~~~~~~~~~

And last of all are these photos of our Karate Kid :o) Heartbreaker and dad started taking Jujika Jujutsu (this is actually a blend of several styles of martial arts) right before when Heartbreaker turned 12yrs old.

2 weeks after his 14th birthday, Heartbreaker tested for his black belt. Part of his test consisted of sparring against his instructors! They were huge, grown men!

Here are a few drawings...Karate kind...

...and some drawing orders that others have ordered of their kissable keikis...

And here is a famous keiki that was ordered for someone who collects everything to do with this childhood star :o)

I am joining in with Jenny for
ALPHABE-THURSDAY "K"
(well...I am once again tardy for class at Jenny's,
so am hoping & waiting to see if I can still join in the fun!)
&
Alicia for
FRIDAY PHOTO FLASHBACK.
&
Midday Escapades for
FRIDAY FOLLOW.
(Hop over and meet great bloggers at these sites).

(Thank you as always for stopping by!...I'm making my way to see ya!)

~~~~~~~~~~
Here's our "Keikis" Now :o)

Girly~Twirly (aka TheLuckiestMrs.) and her Mr.
on their summer Honeymoon

Girly~Whirly

in California

 

 Heartbreaker after a soccer game

Blessings & Aloha!


Oh! If you would want to read another "K" post I did, 
even before joining in with this fun Alphabe-Thrusday meme...
I did Kimono Kids, back in Feb...