Good Riddance!

Go away 2009!

What a year: lots of family and friends lost their jobs, lost some family members, and financially it has been a screwed up year for everyone.

I'm looking forward to 2010, it just has to be a better year. Going in with a positive attitude with new beginnings.

Love, Peace, and have a safe New Year's Eve.

Unexpected Christmas/Birthday surprise

Check out my beautiful new quilt runner!

My scrapbook buddy Michelle Johnston made it for me for my belated birthday gift. I just recently received it last week. It goes well with my couch table and other decorations.

Thanks Michelle!

A goal without a plan is just a wish

A goal without a plan is just a wish.....

That was today's homily (sermon) in church. The visiting deacon made the comment with each coming New Year everyone makes resolutions and never lives by them. Guilty! He said as followers of God we needed to become good Christians in our home and outside of our home. Beginning with our family, what can we do for each other? What can we do for our extended brothers and sisters in our community? The family needs to make resolutions together, those they can live by and have them written where they are seen everyday. Make commitments outside of our home to assist the needy, volunteer with special groups, or donate money if time does do not allow for you to volunteer.

I have given time to my church by volunteering to teach catechism on Wednesday nights. I would like to do something in 2010 that me and my family can do together. One of my goals and it will be written is to volunteer at the food bank or SPCA (although this can be dangerous for me - I'd come home with them all).

I see 2010 as a properous New Year for us all, but we have to share the wealth even if it is with time and commitment!

Christmas Countdown - Day Two & Three

I neglected to blog yesterday.

The girls had a great time baking. Check out their creations.

After a long night of giggling and gossiping the girls woke up ready to go again. I made them some breakfast before we started our day off.

Since Samantha has found a new love of ice skating, she wanted to go to the Memorial City Ice Rink with her friends. Since I don't feel comfortable in just dropping them off at the mall for hours, I took a book in tow: The Girl Who Stopped Swimming. Good book add it to your reading list. I actually finished it yesterday. Five hours later the girls decided they were pooped out. Their feet were killing them and we headed home.

Although, I did not skate I was just as tired as they were. Good thing the book kept my interest otherwise we would have left much earlier.

Day Three: The Christmas shopping is done and wrapped. I have lots of house work to do before the company arrives tomorrow evening for the Christmas Eve festivities. If time allows today, I may venture to go paint some pottery painting.

Christmas Countdown - Day One

Happy Monday! The countdown begins to Christmas.

Day One
Unfortunately, I had to come into work today. As of tomorrow I am on vacation until the end of the year. YEAH!!!!! In all my years working, I've never had off around the holidays. I'm looking forward to it.




This evening my daughter will be doing a gift exchange with some of her close friends. She and I planned a sleepover with the girls baking as I supervise. They will be baking sugar cookies and chocolate chip. I have cute chinese Christmas take-out boxes for them to put their goodies in. Tuesday we are supposed to spend the day at Discovery Green, but I think they would prefer to go to the Galleria. YUCK! That place is a zoo right now. We will see what tomorrow brings. Hopefully they stay up too late and they just want to sleep in - I will be totally alright with that.




This weekend was spent doing last minute Christmas shopping, wrapping presents, and sitting down planning Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas day lunch. Thank goodness all is done and now I can just sit back and enjoy my days off!

My Grandparents

This time of year is really a hard time for me because my grandparents are no longer with us to celebrate the holidays. I truly miss them. They were such a big part of my life and everyone in the family.

Whenever me and my cousins get together we talk about the wonderful days of our childhood and the great memories Grandpa Chris & Grandma Mary made for us. Of course life was sooooo much simpler and you did not have to spend a fortune to have a good time.

One of my fondest memories was New Years. My grandparent's siblings and their families would come to my grandparents house and we would eat and just have a great time enjoying each other's company. On New Years my grandfather would convert the garage into our own little party lounge. He and grandma would set up the stereo system, provide us a portable heater, and had a table with lots of goodies. Hmmm...come to think of it maybe it was their way of keeping us out from their own party inside! Actually the adults would come outside sometimes to move to the groovin' tunes that DJ Arcalee was spinning (who would of thought that I would have fell into radio). Watching them do the Soul Train line was hilarious, even grandpa and grandma moved on down the Soulllllllllllll Train line.

I'm so blessed for the wonderful memories they left me and my family with.

Ornament Swap

Above is an ornament I created for one of my scrapbook pals. Another tradition we have done for the last couple of years in our group is to swap an ornament out with one of the girls. We draw names virtually and it remains anonymous until the recipient receives it.

This year I gave them the challenge to create something handmade, to include their name and the year. Nichole if your reading this you get a sneak peek of what is coming your way.

I wish I had created more of these and given them out as gifts. I like the way it turned out and they were easy to make. The ornament I picked up at Hobby Lobby painted the raw wood and the snowman. I then added snowflake rub-ons and then decoupaged it.

The Photographer Who Forgot

Haven't you heard of the analogy the carpenter who has his house in need of repair, the accoutant that can't keep their own finances in order, and the hairdresser who is in need of a haircut. Well I'm adding myself to the mix: the photographer who never gets the chance to get her own pictures done!

Last year I ran out of time and we did not get our family pictures done. I was determined this year to get them done early. With my schedule the way it's been these last few months, I just did not have the time to fit it in. Then the dreadful days of overcast and rain came that made it even harder to fit in. Finally, there was a break this past Sunday and I asked my neice Bianca to please take our pictures. I was not going to let another year go by without a family picture. This year we included our four legged children - Lilli and Oreo, which added to the mix of chaos. I told Bianca to say treat when she took the picture and they would look at her and it worked.

The only thing I do not like about taking pictures is the fact that I do not know if we are positioned right. Am I smiling right or is Hector smiling (he hates to smile). Sometimes I just need to step away from the lens and let some one else control the shutter! Below are some of our family photos, the best will be going out in our family Christmas card.

Keeping Up

I mentioned in yesterday's post that I have been a slacker in my blog postings. Well I hope to redeem myself by having a post everyday until the end of the year. So, come back tomorrow there will be something new to read.

Below are some of the projects that I have been working on with my scrapbooking group. I started a tradition about four years ago to do a holiday recipe swap (trading recipes). I come up with creative ideas to present our recipes, besides the traditional 3x5 recipe card. One year we attached 4x4 recipes to a wooden spoon and embellished the spoon, another year we presented the recipes in a chinese take out boxes, last year we did a 6x6 book of recipes based on seasonal favorites. I sent the recipes back with matching kitchen mitts.
2008 recipe swap

This year I came up with the idea of altering a drink holder from Chick-Fil-A and added recipes on one side and baking items on the other. Each girl that participated sent in one recipe and one baking item. Some of the items were: cookie cutters, spatula, oven mitts, measuring spoons, etc. The project turned out really cute. Take a look below. The recipes are awesome too!



Next year is going to be a challenge! I better start brainstorming ideas.

What a slacker!

I've been a slacker on my post this year. Not sure why, because there is plenty going on, maybe time has a lot to do with it.

I've spent the last month and a half trying to get my teaching certificate. I have one more make up class and I'm done! Now to study for the test. I'm not a very good test taker either. Which worries me. I freeze! I don't know why, because I know the material, but it just all disappears when I see that flashing monitor. I guess I am going to have to go in with all of my lucky charms attached to me.

I want to teach high school. I know what your thinking she is crazy, but I want to teach an elective...journalism, photojournalism, or yearbook. In most schools it's usually one teacher that teaches all those subject, but I'm ready for the challenge.

I've really have enjoyed my classes, I've had some great teachers that are former and present principles and admiminstators. I've also learned alot about the students, which helps me in understanding my own daughter. Kids are like adults they have their problems and teachers have to treat them as they would an adult. Stop, listen, and try to understand where they are coming from. Especially junior and high schoolers. Life for them is a lot tougher when I was their age and it will only become more difficult as time progresses. As parents and teachers we have to be there to guide them, hopefully in the right direction, but first we must listen to what they have to say.