My scrappy friend Stacey is hosting an informal blog hop of sorts at her blog, Oh Schwiet Scrap. Her idea was to list your 10 favorite layouts/projects you did in 2012. So since it has been a year since last blogging I guess I will jump in and reflect back on my top favorite layouts of 2012. I didn't have a lot to choose from as it was a slow (or busy depending on how you look at it) year for me. I normally scrap close to 300 pages and this year didn't even hit 125! But here they are in no particular order:
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Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Friday, January 13, 2012
One Little Word
So this morning as I was getting ready for work I was thinking about the events of the past couple of days! I have been sick for several weeks and just started feeling human again! I was feeling more energy than I had in weeks and set out to catch up on all the household chores I kind of let slide! It has felt so good to get back on track and I always feel better at the end of the day when I feel I’ve gotten a lot accomplished. This doesn't always happen though! I am very laid-back person and a horrible procrastinator. Growing up, school was pretty easy and as long as I got A’s and B’s I was happy. I could have probably had a 4.0 grade average had I put forth any effort but I have always been completely happy just getting by! I'm just not a highly motivated person. You know some people have a drive to work but I’m more about play! I never had the drive to be super successful or make a lot of money! I'm completely happy doing what I do and living a simple life with my family! So I decided my one little word for the year will be productive! I want to be more productive in life! Life is short and I don’t want to feel like I’ve let it pass me by! I want to feel like I’ve lived every day to the fullest! I need to stop saying I’ll get to it tomorrow and start living today! This applies to all aspects of my life! I don’t want this to be another year I say I’m going to lose a few pounds, I’m going to declutter our home, or I’m going to get all those photos under control. I want to look back on the year and feel like I’ve been productive and accomplished those things I set out to do! Of course that means I'll have to let go of the excuses and try to keep my laziness and distractions in check! I will need to learn to manage my time better and not let the increasing technology get the best of me! It will take some prioritizing and commitment. Here's to a productive 2012!
Sunday, December 18, 2011
It's the Holiday Season
I absolutely love this time of the year! I have actually been in the Christmas spirit since November! We normally put up our tree Thanksgiving weekend but I couldn't wait and it went up a few weeks early! You would think having a head start I'd feel a little less busy but December has been a crazy month. Gabi is now in the third grade and the third graders are responsible for the Christmas Program at the Elementary School each year. Gabi has been singing songs every day from the program. She was super excited for the day to arrive so when it did and I found her in tears I was quite surprised. She finally confided in me that she was nervous to perform in front of the school but when she came home that afternoon she was ready to go back and perform it again for the parents and she made the cutest elf.
Spanish Club raised money again this year for the Adopt a Family Program and we rasied over $200. I had so much fun shopping for our 4 year old boy and he is going to have one very special Christmas. We were able to buy him a winter coat, boots, snow pants, gloves, hat, pajamas, clothes, books, and big Thomas the Train Play Set. It is always a joy to deliver the gifts to the Community Help Center and see their faces light up!
The Santa Train returned this year and although we had to wait two hours out in the cold it was well worth the wait. I love walking through the cars and seeing all of the beautiful decorations. Gabi has said she is too old to set on Santa's lap and said she would just stand next to him but Santa wouldn't allow it so she sat on his lap! Several of her friends no longer Believe but Gabi is still a believer! Her little face lit up when she got her annual email from Santa! She was a little nervous to hear if she had made the naughty or nice list but of course she made the nice list! So Christmas is just around the corner and we are looking forward to Christmas Break and spending time with family and friends!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Butterflies
Gabi and I were hanging out in the pool this afternoon and noticed a lot more butterflies than usual! We had thrown our watermelon rind out by the garden and they were attracted to its juicy sweetness! Gabi picked off a piece of watermelon and was able to lure them into her hand! I ended up taking over 50 pictures! These are a few of my favorites!
Monday, June 13, 2011
Photography
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Summer is Here
Monday, January 3, 2011
One Little Word
I've been inspired by Ali Edwards to think about what my one word will be for the new year! Of course with the end of 2010 I am always thinking about goals I want to accomplish in the new year. Last year's resolution was to spend 15 minutes a day organizing my massive collection of photos. Like any new year's resolution it wasn't a routine I fully latched onto. I also always wish in the back of my mind that each new year will be the year that I finally get into shape and lose those extra unwanted pounds. Once again it hasn't been a change that I've fully made. So as I was reflecting over my goals for 2011 the word perseverance popped into my head. Perseverance is defined as a steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement. So this year I will persevere! I will continue on my weight loss journey and finally finish what I've started. I know that along the way there will be obstacles and difficulties but I hope my one little word will remind me to persevere!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Christmas Eve
Today has been a magical day! We woke up this morning to a blanket of fresh, white snow and we couldn't wait to play in it. We had to first do some last minute shopping and get some groceries which didn't excite Gabi but we did stop and have lunch out. Rick and I have been talking about hitting the New Year's sales and shopping for some furniture so since we were in the area we swung by our favorite furniture store to see what they had on display. We found a new sofa and loveseat we both liked and if you know my husband you know he is not an impulse shopper. So imagine my surprise when he told them we'd take it and wished me a Merry Christmas! It was so uncharacteristic of him! Gabi was anxious to get home and play so when we made it home we hit the woods! We had a fun little photo shoot and then built a snowman and went sledding. We finally gave in to the cold and came in and warmed up with hot chocolate! Gabi is now snuggled in bed ready for Santa! She has been so excited this year! The last 2 days she's been wishing away her vacation in hopes that Christmas Day would arrive quickly. Yesterday her plan was to help me clean and stay busy to make the day pass quickly and today's plan was to go to bed early because of course when you are sleeping you don't realize how much time has gone by! Santa is on his way so I guess i better get to bed so he doesn't pass by our house. I'll leave you with a few of my favorite photos from the day! Merry Christmas!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
A Christmas Miracle
Well, my dad has been in the nursing home since August and has been waiting on an opening in the Veteran's Home. The nursing home was a necessity but very expensive and it only took a few short months to eat through his entire life savings. Well, Monday we received a call that there was an opening and he would be transferred to the VA Home on Wednesday. It is a Christmas miracle! We moved him in yesterday morning and went back to see him last night. He is happy with the move and impressed with the facilities. There are many young men living there and although he has the help he needs he also has more independence here too! They take lots of trips and have many activities so I'm hoping that Dad is happy here! He also qualifies for assistance and he will no longer have to worry about money. It has been a relief for all of us! I took this picture of him a few weeks ago when my sister and her kids were in town and went and had it enlarged and framed for his new room!
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Holiday Crafting
My sister and her family finally made it in town for a visit! She has three kids and always seems overwhelmed which I don't quite understand. To me being a stay at home mom seems like the perfect job! When they are here I get so much done during naptime and I have a blast with the kids! After attending Gabi's basketball game early Saturday morning and visiting with Dad we headed home for lunch. After lunch Sally laid down and took a nap with the youngest and I decided to do a little crafting with Gabi and the twins. I whipped up some salt dough and divided it equally among the three kids. They kneaded it and had fun cutting their shapes. We baked them and they couldn't wait to paint them. After dinner I raided my scrapbooking stash and got out the acrylic paint, stickles, glimmer mist, and sequins. The paint went on well but unfortunately the stickles and glimmer mist just turned watery and ran off making a mess. So we decided that the paint was good enough! I tied a little ribbon loop on each one and bagged them up for each kid. They were so excited but secretly I had just as much fun as they did! I think I missed my calling. I should have been an art teacher!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Weekly Goals
At the end of July I started on a journey to lose weight and get in better shape! With my father-in-law just having quadruple bypass surgery it has reinforced the importance of eating right and exercising! I want to live a long and healthy life and I know that my eating habits can be much improved upon! Since July 26 I have lost a total of 22.5 pounds which is an average of 1.3 pounds per week! I know this isn't stellar but I have managed to keep those Thanksgiving pounds away! I have noticed some of my old habits kicking in again so it is time to set some goals and kick it back into gear. The year is almost over and I'd like to lose another 8 pounds by January 1. So this week my goals are:
- to log my food
- workout for at least 30 minutes 5 times this week
- log at least 10,000 steps daily on my fitbit (which I haven't worn in over a week)
Update on Father-in-law
Well, Monday my father-in-law went in for quadruple bypass surgery. He took a long time to come out of sedation and become cognizant of what was going on. On Tuesday Rick called me at work to let me know that he was still very confused and they thought he had suffered a stroke. A CT scan confirmed that he had some bleeding in the back of the brain in the area that affects motor skills and memory. Wednesday was difficult as his memory loss became more apparent and he was completely unable to feed himself! We stopped by to see him Thursday and we were so encouraged by his improvement! He was eating well, feeding himself and carrying on a conversation. Even the doctor was surprised by the rapid improvement! Gabi and I took him a photo album filled with family photos and took some checkers to play with him yesterday! He thinks it is October of 2000 and he keeps asking what lead up to him being in the hospital. He thinks he has lost a lot of time and missed a lot. Yet his total memory is not gone! He knows who everyone is. Rick's sister was talking to him about a dentist's office their company was building and Gene remembered that they were building it on an old salvage yard and joked that he had dibs on any old cars they found while digging the foundation! He is improving everyday and will move to the rehabilitation wing on Monday! Hopefully he will continue to improve daily and get to be home in time for Christmas! So please pray for a speedy and full recovery!
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Proud Mom
I was such a proud mom today! Gabi has played basketball in the YMCA youth league the last three years. She loves going to practice but didn't quite get the game. She is not aggressive at all and she could go an entire game without touching the ball once! Well, Saturday she played the best game ever! Her team worked together and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time! Gabi was right there guarding the other team and actually reached out and hit the ball and tried knocking it out of their hands! She was going after the ball and rebounding! She even stole the ball twice, took off down the court and scored 2 baskets! Way to go Gabi!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
I Am Stronger
I was recently asked to think about a challenge that has made me stronger. Well, teaching high school students can be a constant challenge but when you lack a strong administration and leadership in your school that challenge is even greater. We went through a period of time in our district where we lacked a strong administration. There was no discipline or support and the students ran the school! We lost many teachers at semester which is almost unheard of in education and our students would brag that they were trying to see how many teachers they could drive away. I am normally laid back and quiet but I did not agree with the way many things were being handled. I stood up for what I thought was right even if that meant going against my administrator and received disciplinary action. It was a very difficult year. Not only did it make me stronger but during this difficult time I received so many calls of support from my colleagues. We stuck together and fought for our school and the following year the superintendent finally stepped in and admitted the problems, released our principal from his contract, and brought in an interim principal. Two years later and the joy of teaching is back! I work with truly caring teachers under a supportive administration and like they say what doesn't kill us makes us stronger!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Rick had to work but Gabi and I are thankful for his wonderful family and getting to spend time with them. I wanted to share the adorable little turkey that Gabi and I made this year! I can't take credit for the idea. Where do I find my inspiration? Well, no other place but scrapbook.com! I saw a pic of this as I was browsing the gallery and Gabi and I knew it would be the perfect appetizer to take to dinner! Gabi put in all the toothpicks and I arranged them on the body. We had so much fun with this and it was quite the Thanksgiving hit.
Thanksgiving was extra special this year as we had a new addition to the family! My niece Casey had a beautiful baby boy in October and we got to meet him Thanksgiving Day. Gabi is no longer the youngest of the family! We had 5 generations at dinner and it was so nice to see Papaw with his great-great grandson! We were also even more thankful this year to have the time to spend with family as Rick's dad underwent quadruple bypass surgery this morning! He was still in recovery tonight and sleeping but the surgery went well. We treasure every moment as you never know what life will bring!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
God Works in Mysterious Ways!
Being the month of Thanksgiving we have lots to be thankful for! Rick's dad was going to go in last week for surgery on his elbow. While the surgeon was doing her routine checkup the day before the surgery she stopped as she listened to his heart and said she didn't like what she heard. She said she was no longer comfortable performing the surgery, canceled it, and sent him to a heart specialist. The heart specialist agreed that he also heard the "clicking" and sent him for tests on Friday. They discovered he has 3 blocked arteries and needs a triple bypass surgery! We are so thankful that they caught this before he had a heart attack! Keep him in your prayers as he meets with the heart surgeon on Monday! We are hoping they will perform the surgery quickly and he will recover and be home for Thanksgiving!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
La Ofrenda
Did you know el DÃa de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a Mexican holiday that is celebrated November 1 and 2? If you are Catholic you may know that November 1 and 2 are All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. El DÃa de los Muertos is a mixture of these Catholic holidays with ancient Aztec traditions. Many people mistake el DÃa de los Muertos for Halloween but in fact it is more like our Memorial Day. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. I have a new colleague (partner in crime) that has been a fun addition to our foreign language department this year. In honor of el DÃa de los Muertos her Spanish IV class created this awesome ofrenda or altar in memory of John Lennon and we celebrated the day with a fiesta in our classes! This month has not been good on the diet! My students brought in all kinds of amazing, authentic dishes from around the world and of course I had to sample it all! One student brought in nopalitos and it was fun to watch the expressions and comments as each student tried a bit of cactus! It has been a great learning experience and has opened them up to new cultures and experiences! I am having a great year but I'm still ready for a break! I'm looking forward to my favorite holiday. . . Thanksgiving!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Tagged
Megan from Crop Chocolate Designs tagged me with some very interesting questions:
1. Do you use a paper planner (like FranklinCovey), paper calendar (like a desk or wall calendar), digital planner (like a cell phone, palm pilot, smart phone, digi calendar (like Google Calendar, iCal), or nothing to plan your day & track appointments? I keep a wall calendar and it hangs in the one place in my home that gets checked way too often: the fridge!
1. Do you use a paper planner (like FranklinCovey), paper calendar (like a desk or wall calendar), digital planner (like a cell phone, palm pilot, smart phone, digi calendar (like Google Calendar, iCal), or nothing to plan your day & track appointments? I keep a wall calendar and it hangs in the one place in my home that gets checked way too often: the fridge!
2. What was the name of the last school you attended? (can be high school, college, university, med school, etc.) I got my Master's Degree from William Woods University.
3. Do you like the TV show BONES (new episodes air on FOX, older on TNT)? I've never seen it!
4. You see a 55 yr old woman and a 24 year old young lady walk into a restaurant--what is their relationship? Mother and daughter and I feel a twinge of sadness as I lost my mom while I was in college.
5. What languages do you know (speak, read, or write)? I read, speak, and write both Spanish and English.
6. Do you recycle faithfully? My family has recycled faithfully since I was in high school and before being green was even coined a term. My dad worked for a local landfill and started a community recycling program in the early 90's. It is a lifestyle I grew up with!
7. If I said the word "Ugaritic" what would you tell me it means Well, my students are always asking me random Spanish words and if I don't happen to know one they question whether or not I really speak Spanish! I've tried to convince them that we do not know every word in the English language and it is impossible for me to know every Spanish word. So, if you asked me what Ugaritic means I would just simply reply, "Yet another word I do not know!" I visit dictionary.com on a daily basis.
8. Where do you spend the most money on a regular basis for scrappy supplies? It's a toss up between Hobby Lobby and Michaels.
Now, I am tagging these fun ladies! Go check out their blogs:
Jade
Sarah
Kelly
Sue
Here are your questions girls:
1. What video gaming system do you own (if any) and what is your favorite game?
2. If you could only eat one food for the next year what would it be?
3. What was the last movie you've seen?
4. If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go?
5. What does your last text message say?
6. What brand of shampoo do you use?
7. Who would you cast to play you in a movie?
8. What was your favorite sitcom growing up?
8. Where do you spend the most money on a regular basis for scrappy supplies? It's a toss up between Hobby Lobby and Michaels.
Now, I am tagging these fun ladies! Go check out their blogs:
Jade
Sarah
Kelly
Sue
Here are your questions girls:
1. What video gaming system do you own (if any) and what is your favorite game?
2. If you could only eat one food for the next year what would it be?
3. What was the last movie you've seen?
4. If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go?
5. What does your last text message say?
6. What brand of shampoo do you use?
7. Who would you cast to play you in a movie?
8. What was your favorite sitcom growing up?
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
First Milestone
Why is it we struggle with recognizing our own achievements? When my pants are loose I automatically assume they've stretched out. Yesterday while out walking I noticed how easy it felt. I also assumed it was because I must not be exerting much effort. Why is it so difficult to believe in ourselves? Well, I am going to change that and celebrate each step! My pants are loose because my body is changing! My walk is getting easier because I am in better shape and I am now down 20 lbs! I am on the right track and I am motivated to keep it up and kick it up a notch! I am 20 pounds closer to goal!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Cahokia Mounds
We have had a beautiful fall! It has been unseasonably warm and I love being able to spend time outdoors. We decided to take advantage of the weather and spend the weekend in St. Louis since there are so many great things to do. We decided to first pass through St. Louis into Illinois and explore the Cahokia Mounds. Who knew that this was the largest man-made earthen mound in the North American continent! The museum was fascinating! Gabi had to stop and read and look at each item. Our favorite display was the glassed in indian village you could walk through. It was very realistic and we were in awe when we were in the theater watching the movie about the history and at the end the screen raised and the village scene was on the other side! It was beautifully done! We sure got our exercise! We climbed the hundreds of stairs to the top of Monk's Mound. We agreed that it was the perfect time of year for this trip as we worked up a sweat walking to the top! After leaving the mounds we decided to stop at a local flea market! I felt like I was back in Guadalajara, Mexico! Lots of cool Mexican art, leather boots, soccer jerseys, and Spanish. I got to use my Spanish and chatted with one of the vendors and bought a soda. We then made a stop at the Mexican grocery store where they had pan y aguas frescas! It was awesome! We ended the day with a stop at the Mall for a little shopping and dinner at Olive Garden! What a great weekend!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
A Collection of School Portraits
Well, it is that time of year again! Gabi brought home her school pictures last week and I had to get them scrapped! I started this mini album when she was in kindergarten and I am enjoying looking back through the years and seeing how much she has grown! Here's the album!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Peach Tree Farm
Gabi and I took a trip to Peach Tree Farm today and had the best day! We got to enjoy the sunshine as we strolled through pumpkin patches and fields of sunflowers! It was gorgeous. We went for a hayride, got to play with bunnies, and feed the goats! The highlight of the day for Gabi was having her face painted for the first time and for me it was having a beautiful backdrop to take lots of photos! I'll leave you with a few of my favorites from the day!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies
I don't know what it is about fall but it puts me in the mood to bake! I have been craving my homemade chocolate chip cookies and apple pie. We were out of chocolate chips this weekend and Gabi has been so disappointed. After school today she asked if we could stop by Subway and pick up some cookies because if there was cookie that could compete with mine it would probably be Subway's! So instead I decided we'd come home and bake up some cookies together! That made her day! She was so excited! So I thought I'd offer up a plate of cookies to my cyber friends as well! Enjoy!
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