Another Year is Coming to a Close! Out wtih 2010 and in with 2011!

Yikes!

I have spent most of today trying to cram in the rest of my 2010 obligations, such as, bank deposits that need to be posted in 2010 (Oops.  The bank closed at 1pm!), and, are you ready for this???  I finally finished our Christmas Card for 2010 - just seconds ago!  It's actually now a 'highlights of 2010' card... oh well!

So, before we enter into 2011, I just want to say 'Thank You' to those of you, my friends and family members that visit my blog and take the time to leave a sweet comment!  You sure make me feel happy and not so 'alone' out here on the ranch!

I won't be doing a 'top ten cards' or 'top ten' layouts post. And, I am too darn lazy to share right now my top 10 events of 2010.  I mean, I would like to do these things, but I have a boatload of prep to get done before the New Year gets here!

I will say I am happy that I fullfilled my Project12 Resolution and look forward to doing the same thing in 2011!

I have a few things on my 2011 list that I will share tomorrow, but for now, I gotta get going to prep for Sami's big birthday event tomorrow!  Like, making the cake, and cleaning, and squeezing in some fun family time!

Woo Hoo!

Catch you all next year!
Smooches!

December Daily, Day 3 - A beautiful bright and sunny day! (Dec. 31 2010 posted)

Day 3 - Click to Enlarge. This is one of my Favorite!

 Hello blog friends!  Here is the hybrid layout from Day 3.  This is definately one of my favorites.  The SUN was out!  During the winter the sun is not out very often (snow, clouds, fog, inversion) and when it is my heart just sings!

Left Side Page: Photos: (from top left and going clockwise):  1. View of the Mountains and back fence to the yard, 2. view of the back of our house, 3. Sami's Ducks out in the 'free range chicken's pen before they got moved to their winter house, 4.  The new advent calendar blocks I made at  Stamp Camp (supplies are all Stampin' Up) and my Willow Tree Ornament - upstairs by my 'office'.  Left Side Supplies:  Ali Edwards templates, and Martha Stewart baker's twine.  

Right Side Page Supplies:  Basic Grey patterned papers! Yummy!  Right Side Journaling: 
December 3^rd, Friday.  Beautiful. Bright sunshine on snow, all day long!
Sourdough pancakes in the am.  This is usually Dick’s winter tradition – when someone remembers the night before to ‘feed’ the batter.  Sami is our sourdough pancake girl.  She was refusing to let me have a pancake – since she made them. Then I reminded her that I cook her breakfast most days!  I managed to get 2 pancakes out of the bargaining agreements.
About 10am I helped Sami get 'ready' to bring goats into the scale house... A friend about 30 miles away is renting Sami’s Billy Goat (his name is Billy) to breed her girls.  Good God..did I mention our big storm earlier in the week?  We had to do a lot of snow shoveling – and not ‘walkway’ stuff – but ranch stuff.  As in, getting the gates clear so a truck and trailer could drive through the headquarters, and all the gates to the corrals so the goats could be herded from one pen to the other. We also had to drive out on the quad to the Pratt field.. but we forgot the snow shovels, so we used our  feet and some heavy heaving on the gates to clear two sets out there.  All that and… the goats did not want to come in.  We did entice them through one field, Sami had grain and was leading them.  But, they spooked and ran back through the fence!   My back hurts from pushing gates in snow! 
We got home (2 miles from the headquarters) and shared our defeat.  Ramon, our hired hand got the job.  Dick called him.  Sami and I went back down to the headquarters about 2pm to help load up Billy. 
I put up all the outdoor Christmas decor!  Fa la la la la.  They look awesome with the snow! 
Sami made brownies at night.. little chef! 
Hmm.. I see Toy Story 3 is available on pay-per-view. Note to self:  We must watch it!

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And, following is my blog Diary Post that I saved in draft form: (most of this iwas captured above so I deleted it). 

Outdoor Christmas Decor all done! Fa la la la la.  Need photos.


Talked on the phone w/ Michele.  ODA F2S.. and Tia Upstream Public Health.. Love this job!!!


Sami made brownies at night.. little chef! 


Hmm.. I see Toy Story 3 is available on pay-per-view. Note to self:  We must watch it!

December Daily - Day 2 (published on Dec. 30, 2010)

Day 2 - Click to Enlarge

 My photos for Day 2 really show 'the snow' from our storm and  the events of Day1! Photos are of the kids catching the bus at the end of our drive; breakfast goodies; the llama and sheep, and my chores outfit!

Supplies: Page 1 & Page 2 are templates from Ali Edwards. Again, I used some of the Prima flocked alphas - they say 'daily' down there by the #2. Patterned paper is My Mind's Eye. I also used some October Afternoon stickers.  The journaling for my Daily routine on the page says: "4am:  Start the fire in the woodstove; clean and prep kitchen.  Breakfast? Today?  Delayed!  Snow Storm.  Egg Nog in Coffee.  Shoved snow.  Haul water to chickens.

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And, here is the diary/journal that I saved in my blog as a draft: 

. 
 Drove over the mountain to La Grande  to work.. snowing here, raining there!
We have about a foot of snow now.
Snowpacks.. my shoes for winter.
Trendsetter.


Took lots of photos this am:)


Headache.
It's pitch black at 5:23.pm  I want to record sunset and sunrise.....
More wood in the garage!  Yeah!  We were very low...


Jake:  He was real upset when he came home.  After some coaxing, and in private, he shared a story about a bully.  What is a mom to do?  A kid corners him in the locker room. Just the two of them.  The bully says sexually nasty things.  Things that a boy should not talk about if he is raised in a good home.  No witnesses... (Note:  After talking w/ Jake, I spoke the coach about this.  The coach said he would keep an eye out, try and walk through the locker room, and he talked to the entire team about being a team, and respecting each other, and looking out for each other.) The bully was recently transferred to our school, and is in Sami's grade - older than Jake.  The bullying occurs when the bus boys are done w/ basketball practice. The bully is also on the team, but never makes it to any games.   Jake and this other kid are the only ones who leave early from practice to catch the bus and that is when it happens.  I spoke to Jake, and he did not want to create a scene - he didn't want a 'meeting' with parents and kids, he did not want to stay late and have me pick him up to avoid the locker scenes, and he did not want to quit the team.  What a big boy.  I asked him if I could talk with the coach, since the coach is in charge of the safety of all the team at that time and it is creepy for a bully to be sneaky like this without witnesses.  It's not an attention thing, in my opinion, it could be signs of bad things happening to the boy at home.  And I told that to Jake.  He let me talk to the coach.  Each day I checked in with Jake after school to see how it was going.  The peak was during this time - early December, and then it died down.  I think between the coach, and my giving Jake the power to have choices and knowing an adult was backing him up, helped.  Scary stuff. 

December Daily - Day 1 & Tim Holtz 12 Tags

Day 1 (Click on Image to Enlarge!)

 Hello friends!
I am now going to share with you my December Daily Album!  Not sure if I will share one page a day, or several.  Today, I am just sharing one.
The photos on the left are of a gift 'a salt box' one of my sweet customers gave me for Christmas.  She got it in Bali, while away on a 2-year detail in Singapore.  She is one of my Boise Customers, Thank you, Elaine!.  On the right, you can barely see the title 'First Gift' - in white flocked alphas from Prima.  Yummmm!

And, these pages have absolutely nothing to do with the 'diary' post below!  But, I wanted to capture my first gift in the album:)

Enjoy!


Below are the actual blog notes I wrote on December 1st.

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December 1st -  Daily Diary
I'm just writing thoughts right now!  Capturing some ideas...

Approach to December Daily:  Ali Edwards - December Daily Dec. 1
Just one story a day!  Love it...

So.. which story????
Today is December first... And it came with a BANG!  At 6am we got the 'all call' phone call from school.  School is delayed for 2 hours due to last night's huge honking snow storm.  The kids were released early yesterday, but did not get home until late.  Bad roads.  I had breakfast ready at 5:45am. Oatmeal with raisins and cranberries, and sliced apples on the side.  The kids opted to sleep in an extra hour.

My morning?  Up at 4:00 am.  Started a fire in the woodstove, made coffee, cooked breakfast.  The usual.

Then caught Tim's 12 Tags of Christmas - Day 1!  Giddy... I just love sneaking up to the computer once all my indoor chores are done, with my first cup of coffee (today I put Eggnog in!) and seeing what Tim has to share!  (Note:  later I found out I was a winner from Tim's day 1 comments!)...

Fa la la la la!

Note: Tim's Tag: I want to put a scene behind the house windows... a peek at Christmas! 

Outdoor chores:  Phew.. boatloads of snow.  I sweated when hauling water to the chickens.  Shoveled snow out front.  Man, I am out of shape!

Lunch with Ann Louden - she is leaving for 6 weeks to take care of a friend who had a lung transplant. Ann is an Angel.  Talk about giving of one self.

today was 'Cut and color' day.  My hair.

Share the Magic - December 12th

Just thought I would share a sweet little thing I found in my blog reader this Sunday morning:)

Listen, Up, People! Santa's Coming Tomorrow!

( Be sure to click on the video to get the full effect!!!)

Do you know Santa, too?  I hope so!!!!!

I have always had a special spot in my heart for Santa! Hope you do too!

xo

December Blogging... Some Shares! Top 9 Favorite Inspirations

What have I been up to?  Fa la la la la!  

Fun stuff!!!!  

I've been blogging every single day... But, you have not seen the posts! 

What I do is journal about the day.  I capture the stories for my Dec. Daily album.

I take photos.  And work on the album - ever so slowly. 

Nothing has been posted 'here yet' - but I am working on it!  So many fun things going on!!!

So.. to hold you over.. I thought I would share some very favorite inspiring sites that I have been enjoying this month:  Now, don't get me wrong.. I have LOTS of favorites, but right now, today, these are getting me very very inspired! 

1.  Tim's 12 Days of Tags - Every Single Day.  More Ideas for my projects!

2.  Sues' version of the tags... Breathtaking.  This lady is one of my absolute favorite artists! 

3.  Louise's versions of the tags.  She is right up there with Sue!  Her post yesterday cracked me up!!!

4.  Ali Edwards December Daily Posts - and her entire blog.  Love what this gal does.

5.  Virginia's Wednesday Cookies and Cards... Today's is on this weekend's cooking list!!!!

6.  Nichol's December Daily Album and her blog.  She is super talented!  I love her scrapbook pages, classes, and this album captures 'her' style!

7.  Ellen Hutson's Classroom Take on Tims Tags - The Feminine Version.  I'm linking Becky's tag with the Hero Arts stamp House.. Oh I am a sucker for houses!!!! LOVE this tag!!!  Love Ellen's store and goodies!  She is one of the Hero Arts Stamps 'party hosts' this Friday!  Yippeee!

8.  The Hero Arts Blog - Inspiration Station.  Every week and every day new goodies to see.  Two challenges a month, very generious donations, and this Friday is the big catalog reveal and parties!!!

9.  This Sneak Peak at Paper Trey- Oh my gosh... Did I mention I have a 'thing' for houses???? I am wanting this already!  The designer is one of my all time favorite vintage meets shabby artists... Melissa Phillips.  Can't wait!

Catch you all later!  I have to go photograph some lights in my daughters bedroom... Christmas lights from yesterday's December Daily favorites!!!

Fa la la la la!