Dream, Pray, Love Anyway

Do you try to send a family photo with your Christmas cards?

I do!  I try to make to send in our immediate family cards for sure.  One year we did the Wal-Mart picture card, but generally I set up a photo shoot - and by set up I mean throw a blanket or sheet over the back of the recliner and bribe my child to smile.  Last year Haley was very good at sitting in front of the tree and after, oh I don't know, 50 shots or so I got the just right one.  You know the one, not looking at the camera, barely smiling cause she's trying to say cheese, half playing with the stuff around her.  The perfect one:) 

Haley has no interest what so ever in dressing up in front of the tree.  Her daycare pictures turned out great, but I didn't buy near enough wallets for the cards.  I'll send what I have and once they are gone, they are gone:)  I might attempt one more time this weekend then the cards have got to get out the door.  I made all of them using kits and I was so proud of myself for getting them done the week after Thanksgiving that I have now procrastinated on the actually making out the envelopes.  Good plan for this weekend, it's supposed to be nothing but rain with a nice chance of ice.  Yummy.  Sounds like good weather to watch Hairspray at least, I don't know, 5 times:)

Scrapbooking Goal for 2008...2 Peas Blog Challenge

Hmmmm.  I really hadn't thought about it.  I guess my goal should be - and my family will concur - is to actually clean out our breezeway (which is where my scrapbook space is currently) and actually scrap out there - not on the kitchen table:)  I haven't worked at my scrap desk in over a year.  Monthly kits come in the door, they get put on my table, I scrap, put pages in their books, throw things in the general direction of the scrap space, AND start all over again when the next kit comes in.

Truth be told, I have about 6 months worth of kits in the chair at my kitchen table - some in a Cropper Hopper paper holder, others still in their packaging.  I have a basket on top of the table with odds and ends from past kits I haven't used yet.  A stack next to the basket of magazines, Ali's KOTM from June/July - partially completed, another paper holder with cardstock and my 4 pages of my Christmas Journal waiting the arrival of the album I'm using, then 3 other stacks - my husbands magazines, my daughters papers from daycare then get thrown out once dad looks at them (I keep some projects which is another stack waiting to be put in her book), and another pile of my own magazines.  My Tim Holtz Junk bag with all my tools.  Haley's ornaments are on the table - these are a work in progress, I roll paper as I walk by, Haley will sit and roll about 5 pieces, Jason has sat and rolled some paper.  Probably only take 30 min to complete if Haley and I would just sit down and do it. 

Where do we eat - you might ask?  Not at the kitchen table.  In the living room, Haley has a tray, I sit on the couch, Jason sits in his chair when he's home.  My goal is to revamp the Breezeway - to look something like the picture below - and actually clean off the kitchen table for good!  (my sisters just fainted - give them a few minutes, they'll be alright) 

Well, maybe not exactly this room, but there is one within this book - I do want the shelving unit you see in the picture - but the blue room within this book rocks.  I even want the table - which I found at IKEA and not too bad of a price either.

5 Things on my desk Right Now...

On my desk at work:

My Sylvester stapler remover - rec'd that for Christmas YEARS ago

Calculator

Dale Jr mouse pad

Picture of Haley (there are 3 more on the shelf next to me and 9 more in a collage frame on the wall beside me)

Breakfast - Diet Coke and a Banana

On my desk at home:

Budget folder packed full of receipts from November

Dream notebook packed full of brochures of places I dream to go...someday

Dale Jr mouse pad - every desk needs one;)

Camera still attached from uploading photos yesterday

Pink polish - painted Haley's fingers and toes yesterday, the bottle was put on my desk

Let the Season begin!

Very productive weekend for us!  Jason worked Saturday so Haley and I lounged as we do every Saturday.  Friday night we went to Michaels for our supplies.  Saturday morning I created a Christmas Planner from ideas I got from planners on 2 Peas.  After 'nap' time, there really was never an actual nap Saturday, Haley and I sat and rolled paper for our ornaments.  Jason even sat and help Haley a bit tonight.  Perfect picture opportunity but of coarse as I got my camera ready they were out of paper and needed me to cut more.  Later that night I finished making our Christmas cards as Jason watched the MU game.  Great weekend - Jason stayed home from hunting Sunday. Haley and Jason never left their pajamas all day - we forced Jason to watch Hairspray (Haley and I watch parts of it everyday - she can now sing along) - I even watched a hunting program - Getting Close w/ Lee & Tiffany.  I'm sad to say it's probably a show I wouldn't mind watching more regularly - picture me shivering right here.

Here is the cover of the planner - I have a calendar page, pocket for receipts, a section for gifts - Haley and Jasons are actually tags I can remove, and a page for each kid with specifics like clothing size, gift ideas, ect.

And this is a peak at the ornaments Haley and I (and Jason) have been working on.  Again, another great idea from 2 Peas Gallery.  When we are all done with filling them, I'll add ribbon and some Christmas rub-ons later.

22 days and counting...

Define Goodness - 2 Peas Blog Challenge

GOODNESS is my parents barely knowing someone and delivering groceries to their house when their husband passed.

GOODNESS is my nephew sharing his pack of donuts at 3 yrs old because his friends dad didn't know to bring his breakfast to daycare.

GOODNESS is my daughter telling me I'm her best friend at the exact moment I needed it.  (she's 4 and it happened twice at very crucial emotional moments that just made me smile)

GOODNESS is my niece Sara - it just oozes out of her.

GOODNESS is giving when you need it yourself - an extra dollar at the checkout for the selected charity, a few dollars to a radio call in for the local hospital, the guy on the street corner you're not quite sure what he's going to spend it on, the lady in front of you at the grocery store whose a few dollars short and just need milk for her family.

GOODNESS is all around us - we just have to open our hearts and our minds to recognize it.  It's a blessing from God that we are able to put others before ourselves and reach out at the times they need us even if it is just a donut.