Season of Thanks

Happy Monday, my crafty friends! This has been a crazy few weeks. For those who don’t know, my dad has been in and out of the hospital this past year. After a stroke in the spring of 2019, and then a heart attack last fall, he bounced back and was doing really well last December. But he ended up with a sepsis infection after a routine dental procedure and was back in the hospital. They put him on a low sodium diet due to heart issues, and a short while later, he was back because his sodium was very low. Needless to say, it’s been a roller coaster ride!

His last trip to the hospital lasted 10 days, and they didn’t want him to get out of bed lest he should fall. This was probably wise, but 10 days in bed took its toll on him. He was very weak, and the nurses and doctors said he probably had about two weeks left. Mom and I met with the hospice representative, and we moved him there in February. One night was enough for my dad. When Mom asked what he wanted, he said, “I just want to go home.” Done. The next day, they moved him home – still under hospice (and Mom’s) care. He has done very well for eight months! And hospice has been wonderful. He had Occupational and Physical Therapy, visits from the therapy dog who looked very like my parents’ beloved Golden Retriever, music therapists, and more. Plus, they had caregivers who helped take care of Dad and Mom and became part of our family.

Two weeks ago, my dad took a turn for the worse, and the hospice nurse said he had probably one to two days. It’s been two weeks, and, although he is the “Comeback Kid,” we are all fairly confident that he’s in his last days. 

While “Season of Thanks” seems like a weird sentiment right now, I am so thankful for my dad’s amazing life. He and my mom have been through some really bad times, but they’ve always remained true to their faith in God, and they’ve always been victorious over their circumstances. If you’ve read my blogs for a while, you know that I adore and admire my parents. And while I am sad to think about losing my dad, it’s been even more sad watching my strong, fiercely independent father become totally dependent on others for everything. Soon he’ll be free from these “earthly bonds,” and I know he’s looking forward to seeing the face of God.

So I am thankful – For Dad’s life and for the impact his life has made on so many people, and for his example of love, faith, and compassion for others. I will miss him terribly, but I’m planning to spend as much time with him as I can – until I can’t. And even then, he will be forever in my heart.

The Gather Together Stamp Set from Stampin’ Up!® was the perfect stamp set for this card. We had planned a game day at our house with the kids this afternoon to celebrate Adrianna’s (Jon’s fiancée) birthday. After a text from Mom, I decided to head to the farm, but told the kids to go ahead and celebrate without me. Both of my boys texted, “Why don’t we all just go to Grandma & Granddaddy’s?” Do I have awesome kids, or what? We headed out for pizza and games, and it was so good for both of my parents to have “life” in the house. We were all gathering together. 

I embossed the Pear Pizzazz 4″ x 5-1/4″ layer using the Ornate Floral 3D Embossing Folder. I stamped the leaf image from the Gather Together Stamp Set using Crushed Curry Classic Ink on Very Vanilla. I used the Stamparatus so I could add more color. After the first “stamping,” I colored the veins using Cajun Craze and Pumpkin Pie Stampin’ Write Markers. I die-cut the leaves using the Gathered Leaves Dies (and even though these were a discounted bundle last year, the discount is back this year. You can still save 10% by bundling the Gather Together Stamp Set and Gathered Leaves Dies!) After I die-cut the leaves, I filled in the blank spots with Mango Melody Stampin’ Blends. 

I stamped the pumpkins in Crumb Cake Classic Ink on Very Vanilla Cardstock, then die cut with the Gathered Leaves Dies. Then I colored the pumpkins with Pumpkin Pie Stampin’ Blends. 

Again on Very Vanilla Cardstock, I stamped the sentiment from the Gather Together Stamp Set using Old Olive Classic Ink. I die-cut the sentiment using the Stitched Rectangle Dies, then adhered the leaf with Stampin’ Seal on the Pear Pizzazz layer. Then I added the pumpkins and sentiment layers with Stampin’ Dimensionals. 

I hope you think about you life and the lives of your loved ones and are thankful. And do Gather Together with family whenever you can. When we first got married, Mike used to say, “Your family gets together just because it’s Sunday. Or Groundhog’s Day. Or any weird holiday.” Yes, we did – and we still do. And now we are both grateful for that, because we have amazing memories.

Thanks for stopping by Stamping with Buffy. Have an amazing day!

Gather Together Photopolymer Stamp Set

[150589]

$17.00

Gather Together Bundle

[153036]

$38.50

Crushed Curry Classic Stampin’ Pad

[147087]

$7.50

Crumb Cake Classic Stampin’ Pad

[147116]

$7.50

Old Olive Classic Stampin’ Pad

[147090]

$7.50

Regals Stampin’ Write Markers

[147155]

$30.00

Mango Melody Combo Pack Stampin’ Blends

[147945]

$9.00

Pumpkin Pie Stampin’ Blends Markers Combo Pack

[144599]

$9.00

Bronze & Ivory Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack

[154922]

$9.00

Pear Pizzazz 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock

[131201]

$8.75

Pumpkin Pie 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock

[105117]

$8.75

Very Vanilla 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock

[101650]

$9.75

Ornate Floral 3D Embossing Folder

[152725]

$9.00

Gathered Leaves Dies

[150662]

$26.00