Picture the Holidays~ December 2nd

Since taking off to French Lick this weekend I have some major catching up to do. So bear with me and we'll get there.

This is the Picture the Holidays Post~ Day 2

Today's prompt was :

Beginning December in a calm state of mind might seem easy (now). But, the frenzy of the holiday season can get the best of us and sometimes can come on with very little warning. There will be good days and bad but the gist is to look at this holiday season a little differently. This season, we aren't only going to 'hope' to enjoy it (amidst the chaos) we will enjoy it! It only takes a little reframing.

As a symbol of looking at things a little differently, today you'll be using a literal frame for your image. You get to decide what goes in your frame today and how you choose to capture it!

Note: Have as much creative fun with this one as you want. Use the frame with an image already in it or take the glass out and use it in a totally new way. Your point of view is what matters here. Show us what you see, framed!

This is my take on this.

I took this while shopping at Hobby Lobby and it is taken with my cell phone. This frame and design caught my eye. Everything this color is catching my eye this year. And beings that tomorrow is our 16th wedding anniversary I thought it fit well with everything happening right now.

Snips & Snails Designs Kits

I've got two kits to post by Stephanne at Snips & Snails Designs. You can get them at Divine Digital.

The first is Buckaroo Holiday. While I don't live in the west or do cowboy type stuff, I could still make this kit work for some of my photos. Check out these two layouts:

 Then we have Snowflakes & Sugar Cookies Kit. A very cute kit and since I have all of 2009 photos scrapped, I was able to go back and use some of these for Josie's first winter. (2008) Here they are:

I think they are both gorgeous kits and she has done a great job. Go check them out!

Just a few rambles and some photo catchup

Last night, Josie & I watched Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer together for the first time. I bet she talked for the first 30 minutes. Asking me what and who everyone was. It was suppose to be bed time but she didn't go to sleep as planned. But that was part of the fun of this time of year, wasn't it? Being able to stay up and watch Rudolph and Frosty. Well she got too!

Then tonight we watched a little of the Grinch Stole Christmas. She wasn't quite sure on that one, but she kept watching it. She kept saying the Grinch was mean. I tried to tell her the Grinch wasn't mean he was just grumpy about Christmas. Then proceeded to tell her that Daddy was a Grinch cause he didn't like Christmas. She got downright made at me and told me he was not a "Ginch!" :-)

Now let's get caught up on some photos.

Josie and her tattoo. She is so proud of it.

 Amy is suppose to be dipping these Smores but she dropped one in the chocolate so she got to eat it! Likely story Amy.

 Cindy, Aunt Susie & Mom's family minus Nathan Garrett & Austin.

 Josie told me on this morning that the snowman was crying. I asked her why and she said he wanted out of his box. So Daddy put him up that night when he got home. She was a little timid with it at first but then figured out he was just pretend. Now she has to blow him up every night and watch him grow out the window.

Just a few of my decorations.

Josie & her kitty! I just set my shutter button down and let it keep going. This was the only one I got that was half way decent. I even have one with Blue's mouth turned back towards her and open, like she was trying to bite something.

Blue likes to get under the tree and eat the branches.

Josie's first Advent Calendar. We explained the whole concept to her but we'll see how much arguing we get every night wanting more candy.

Reverb #10~ December 2nd Post

So today's Reverb #10 is a little tricky to me. I've never thought myself much of a "writer". So I will try to do my best with this prompt. Here's the prompt:
December 2 Prompt



Author: Leo Babauta
focusmanifesto.com
@zen_habits

Prompt: Writing. What do you do each day that doesn't contribute to your writing -- and can you eliminate it?

Well I'm going to go out there on this one! I'm sure this is not the answers that this question is looking for but the first thing that comes to mind is smoking. It most definitely doesn't contribute to anything at all other than my bad habit. I have tried several times to eliminate it and I just keep going right back. On one hand I want to quit completely because I hate the smell, the taste, what it does to me and I hate that I smell like smoke. I also really hate that now when I go outside to do it, Josie will ask me when I come in, "you done smoking?" That really tears at my heart strings, to know that I am exposing her to that.  I don't want her to think it is okay to smoke.
Then on the other hand, that is my break, that is my candy bar, doughnuts, ice cream. If I don't have that to do then I eat. But yet if I am to stay busy then I don't need it. I guess I need to keep busier?!



Reverb10.com

December Daily~ December 1st

I wanted to do this last year but didn't. So this year I am going to try and do the December Daily with Ali Edwards. I think this is a fantastic idea. So here goes!

We woke this morning to snow. Josie has seen it before but of course she was too young to remember let alone know what it actually is. I was in the shower and Josie was in the bathroom with me. Mike came running in and told her to Hurry and come look outside. Honestly the way he was acting I thought there was a deer or something. I never thought of the deck being covered in snow. She asked Daddy when she saw it How it got there? Then ran into the bathroom yelling Mommy and telling me it snowed outside. She was so excited. When we left this morning the Jeep was still covered in it and when I opened the door it hit her in the face. She busted out laughing and says "It get me in the face, Mom!" Once we got to Michelle's she was walking upto the steps and I was behind her. We get to the first step and she stops, turns around to me, and asks "Mommy, how I walk on the steps?" It was too cute.
These are the days I have looked forward to for so many years. The pure excitement and joy at the simplest things makes you remember, Life ain't all that bad.

Picture The Holidays~ December 1, 2010

Okay, so today is the first email prompt for Picture the Holidays. Today's prompt is Holding Onto Gratitude. The email prompt was as follows:

"With the giving of thanks still fresh in our hearts and minds, let's start off our month from the best place possible: a place of gratitude.

Take a few minutes to focus on all the things you have to be grateful for today and then, choose a perspective in which to capture at least one of those things in a photograph."

Today and everyday I am Thankful for the two little feet that bless and enrich our lives in so many ways.

Reverb 10- Dec 1st Post

In searching sites for all of this December Daily juiciness, I found a site suggested from Tracey Clark called Reverb 10. I guess it is going to give me a daily prompt to help tell our story. So here we go:


The Prompts



December 1 One Word.

Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?
(Author: Gwen Bell)

For 2010 I'm choosing "Stressful."
I'm choosing this word because the balance between family, work and housekeeping is hard to maintain.
As Josie gets older it is getting a little easier in the housekeeping department. She will now let me clean the house and when asked to do so and sometimes threatened she will help with the clean up of her toys.
Work itself isn't stressful, but finding where Josie is going daily while I am at work is.
Family is stressful and I think it will contine to be as Mike & I find a balance between our "me" time, family as a whole time, and Couple Time. We have had it so easy for 13 years of not having a child. He did what he wanted and I did what I wanted, but now that Josie is in the mix, he still does what he wants and I can but I have Josie to take along with me. (I wouldn't change it for the world though and I would do it all over again, if we could afford it.) But I do hold a grudge towards him for having this freedom that I don't have anymore. And this stresses me out that he doesn't understand that.
And these are why I choose stressful!

My word I would hope for 2011 would be: Happiness
I hope to have an easier 2011 in my own life. I would like to simplify things. I would like to be able to get myself to let the house go. I need to get over the organization factor when it comes to Josie's toys. She is Two and that is not going to happen. Even though it drives me bonkers when she asks for something and had she put it back where I had it, I would know where it is to find it for her.
In my work area, I would like to have a set schedule for Josie's daycare. I have a plan in my head but wether it will work out or not, we'll see.
As far as Family, I need to get over the fact of Mike doing what he wants to do when he wants to do it. I need to accept the fact that I have Josie, I am her Mother and that is what Mother's do. They always have their children.

After reading back over this post, the wording in this doesn't sound right. So for future Josie, I love you and wouldn't change a thing in the world about having you. You were wanted for a long time and you are a huge blessing in our lives. Don't ever doubt that. But reading some other posts of Mom's, I feel that my feelings now will benefit you when you have your own child and you can read this post and see that, Yes, even your Mom felt this way at times. I would really like to know how my Mom dealt with the three of us at her young age and staying home all day long by ourselves. I've asked her about some things since having you and her response is always the same, "It's been so long, I don't remember." Well if I don't remember, you will have this blog to come back to.
I love you both! Josie & Mike- You are my world!!!