Today was creativity day..yeah!!!

Well I had a to do list for some creative things I wanted to accomplish today....

I got my Project Life title page completed...

I have 1.5 cards done:)  and I signed up for Ali Edwards  One Little Word at Big Picture Scrapbooking!!  I have listened to the podcast and have my handout printed out and some ideas written down for my January assignment.

The sunshine today was gorgeous and hoping the rain holds off until later in the day tomorrow...looking forward to seeing the ladies for coffee in the morning.  On Friday I have plans for lunch with my Mom and dinner with Keri...yeah lucky me.

Word of the Year

It's funny...I know I'm driving my hubby nuts:)  I have been contemplating my word of the year for awhile now. My word for last year was  embrace and even though I fell off the monthly assignments I did really try to live my word.  Whenever a situation came up I would just say to myself "embrace" and move forward.  No judging...no second guessing...just embrace.  I made a point to embrace and spend time with those who matter and mean the most to me.  I would embrace the more difficult times, the questions...look to where I knew hope would lie.   I will continue to use my embrace tactics as I continue in this new year...I want to accomplish a lot.

I kicked around words such as finish, plan,  hope, trust, fulfill, grace and thought it was create because that sounds good:)  But really the word picked me....as I searched dictionary.com and looked up quotes...there it was   accomplish

I know Virg listened to me and he said create....he knows me so well, I know he wanted me to have him say that...because I DO love the word!!!

But we've been talking about things we want to complete around the house, in our lives, with our kids...and really this word is to encompass my whole life not just the fun, happy things, right?

 If you are to accomplish all that one demands of you, you must overestimate your own worth.
                                                                  
Our wishes are presentiments of the abilities that lie in us, harbingers of what we will be able to accomplish.                                        
                                                                                     Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

I have done page layouts and canvas with my OLW in previous years...not sure how I will visualize accomplish for this year.

Part of my plans include having the kids plan and prepare one dinner a week, one day a week for creating, actually setting up an etsy site, finishing renovations in the house...number 1 the stairway:), and Virg has been kicking the idea around of a half marathon...now this one...I'm not sure I can do that.  Guess I should look at the first quote :)

Tomorrow is the day to take down and put away Christmas decor...this holiday went by SO quickly.

Christmas of 2012

Here's some of our photos....our holidays were filled with fun times together baking, opening gifts, being together with family and friends, enjoying a real Christmas tree and real SNOW for Christmas!!!  After the tragedy in Connecticut,  this season really became focused on enjoying the moments....SO many times I felt myself thinking about those families and I have prayed for strength and love to be sent their way. SO many things to be grateful for this year...really happy that no one was ill.  It seemed in the weeks leading up to Christmas there were so many around who were sick and I had my fingers crossed:)  also had vitamin C ready in the cupboard as well.

Looking forward to some more days spent with the kids and time at the cottage and the beginning of a new year...here's to a year filled with more moments of joy.

Christmas is coming....

December has flown by...today is my Dad's 70th birthday!!  Wishing him the bestest of days XOXO

Today is the shortest day of the year and finally we have SNOW:)  Now it finally feels a little more like Christmas.

I have my December Daily set up and have been journalling daily...have yet to put pictures in it yet...

I did get Christmas cards made and sent, gifts are wrapped except for 2/3, stocking stuffers are bought, turkey and food for Christmas day is bought.....still to do is watch It's A Wonderful Life...my favourite of all time and just such a part of my Christmas celebrations.

LOVE our real tree this year!!

Not many more days left..hoping the snow sticks around:)

Right Now....

I enjoy reading and being inspired by others through their blogs.....I read (almost) daily ALi Edwards blog and she recently spoke about blogging your right now.  I really would like to use my blog more often as a journalling spot for myself.

praying:  for a friend Danielle, whose Mom is needing triple bypass surgery after suffering a recent heart attack.  She is struggling to help her Dad who is quite helpless as she has done everything around the home and balancing that with her family including 2 little boys.

listening:   as my daughter completes her homework...sometimes singing and other times asking for my help with French

purging:  continuing to go through possessions and divide them into keep or giveaway piles...still much work to be done in the basement:)

wearing:  new skinny jeans in a fall burgundy colour and a necklace I made many years ago

planning:  a weekend getaway with hubby to celebrate our recent 20 year anniversary

counting:  getting back into the daily routine of counting steps taken and need to log daily food again

trying:  to not give in to the bad habit of snacking in the evening before bed..usually I'm tired and I should just drink a bit of water and just go to sleep

and my OLW for 2012...

embracing: the change of season, conversations with my kids, coffee chats with my hubby, phone conversations with my Mum, the challenges of some conversations, the difficult situations, people with challenging attitudes....the fact that I am not in control and giving that up to HIM

photo taken by Victoria at the cottage a few weekends ago....

Weekend Lens

These are a couple of pictures taken by Victoria and then I took one of her as she was talking to me:)  We went for a short walk to Ojibway this past Sunday as the boys were out at hockey.  It was a nice time....just enjoying the sunshine and cooler temperatures.  We made a stop first for coffee for myself and fries and a drink for Victoria.  Our weekend was spent quietly enough at home...cleaning, a sleepover with Lily here Friday night and a slow cooker meal of pulled pork for dinner Sunday.  That was kind of the highlights...LOL  It feels like the kids are just growing so quickly now.  I'm thinking we won't have many times left with just the 4 of us...just need to say thank you and enjoy the present gifts.  

Hello Blog:)

Good Tuesday Morning....I am dripping in sweat..and I love it?!!  Oh what is going on?  I am so happy with the results I have gotten this time around with Weight Watchers..I mean this time I really get it:)  I want to continue feeling good, having energy and fitting into cute clothes.  Yesterday I turned 45 and I think this is the healthiest I have been since my twenties...I had a goal in my mind that because this year is my 20th wedding anniversary and after a health scare of a bit last year, now is the time. I had given myself the whole year to lose 20 pounds...I only needed 5 months.  I have been working hard at it and there are still many days I have conversations in my head to get myself moving, thinking about what I really would like to eat and just enjoying real food.

I'm looking forward to continued success and my hubby got me a Silhouette for my birthday (very lucky me!!)  So today is the day I get to order it...so excited!  I know I'm a geeky girl:)  This cake my Mom and Dad brought out to the cottage yesterday..it was SO good!!