project 365/29 Let there be Hope!

Thursday was my (Hubby's) day as my birthday falls on the 29th of the month (although not this month in case anyone wanted to send cards or money :).

My theme for the day was Hope:

• Hope for Sunday when my Steelers (notice the stocking cap) take on the AZ Cardinals in the SUPER BOWL!!! Go STEELERS!
• Hope for the country now that we've got the right man in charge. Last election, for the 1st time in my life, I voted for a Democrat for the most important office in the land. Moe and I did some volunteering for his campaign and even contributed a little money by buying a t-shirt or two (yes, I love my sweatshirt). Things will likely get worse before they get better, but, have HOPE, they will get better.
• Last, but certainly not least, just a general bit of Hope / optimism about the rest of our lives. Moe and I were blessed with two kids early in our marriage and crazy enough to have a couple more later on. As with everything else in life, things just always seem to work out the way they should, if not necessarily the way we initially thought they would. CJ came along at just the right time for us. She came into our lives right before a time of loss, and it was her shiny disposition that helped me to get through each day. When you're lucky enough to come home to a family like we have each day, you can't help but have a lot of Hope.

Let there be HOPE!

project 365/28 Zen?

Wednesday's photo is of JD. He was trying to balance on the ball, he had the ball against the closet doors so I don't know how much balance was involved but it was a good picture for the day.

Zen?

Project 365/27 Happy Drooler

Yesterday's photo was taken by Hubby. MJ was keeping an eye on the girls while I watch a Paper Clipping Live show. She had them in her room with her and was playing with them. When Hubby got home from Biggest Loser he saw Syd sitting in a basket with this hat on, just as happy as can be. She was drooling and smiling, that's our Syd.

Happy drooler

Project 365/26 I love you, too & Biggest loser update

Yesterday's photo is of my hubby giving me a big smooch. We will be married 14 years this year and I love him more each day. Thank you, babe, you are the best.

I love you, too.

Hubby has completed his first week of Biggest Loser and he lost 7 lbs! He has been doing great with the eating and calorie counting, I'm proud of him.
I have not been able to return to exercise yet since my surgery but I have still managed to lose a few pounds, I'm down to 137 the last time I weighed myself. I still hope to get to 135 and be able to maintain that weight plus tone some area that have been traumatized by have 4 kids. Here's to wishful thinking:)

Have a wonderful night
Moe

Project 365/24 & 25 Grandma Weekend

This weekend we spent time at both of the grandparents houses so naturally they are the pictures of the weekend.

Saturday we were at Hubby's mom's house for a short visit and I caught her and Syd talking to each other. A very special moment indeed. We were trying to get CJ to come join in for a posed picture but she wanted nothing to do with it, so I just snapped a few while we were waiting and got this little moment between Grandma and Syd. Look how well little Miss Syd is sitting up now.

ya don't say.

Sunday we celebrated my mom's birthday (her birthday was on Saturday but we all could not get together until Sunday) Happy Birthday mom! After lunch we were all hanging out in the living room and I caught CJ and Grandma cuddling. Very cute! It is more challenging to get shots of CJ, anymore she doesn't stop longing enough for the camera to catch her, she is usually a blur.

Happy birthday Grandma!

Project 365/23 caught you mom

Friday's photo was of the MJ and her friend at the ice rink. The kids have been spending there allowance at open skate at our local hockey rink. I was trying to be sneaky and get a few shots of them skating around but they caught me and hammed it up for the camera. JD wanted nothing to do with getting in the shot with the girls though. His loss.

Caught you mom.

Project 365/22 One and only

Yesterday's photo was taken last night and is of our lab, alone sleeping on the love seat, the place that just a few night ago she shared with Cally. She just looked sad. She is our one and only dog for now.

One and only.

Project 365/21 Never ending

Yesterday's photo is the result of having a family of 6, never ending laundry. This is just 1 basket of laundry, we usually wash at least 1 load a day and sometimes it actually gets folded the same day, but it rarely gets put away the same day. There is just too many things to keep up with to do all three in the same day:)

Never ending.

Our sad day

March 1995 - January 20, 2009

Yesterday we made a very tough decision to put our dog down. Cally was 14 years old. Hubby and I got her the year we got married, she was with us from the start, our first baby. She was the first dog for our older children. For a Golden Retriever mix she lived a very long life. Our lab is a little lost without her, it was rough on all of us to do this but it was the best decision for Cally.

We can not thank our vet, Dr. Janet Sherwood, enough for the kindness she has given our family through out this process.

Moe

Project 365/20 The change has begun

Yesterday's photo, like many 365ers this year. was a shot of my TV while President Obama was taking his oath.

The change has begun

Project 365/19 Almost home

Monday's picture is an idea that was on Becky Higgin's blog, to get me in front of the camera more this year.
It was Martin Luther King day and the kids were off from school, we needed to run a few errands. We waited until the late afternoon in hopes that the temperature would rise a bit, but as you can see (at the center, top of the photo) it was still only 19 degrees at 4:30 pm. We are just about home and I decided to try this shot while creeping slowly down our road.

Almost home.

Project 365/18 Sharing a couch

Sunday's picture was taken by Hubby and is of our 2 dogs taking their Sunday naps together on the couch.

Sharing a couch..

Project 365/17 Like Wii skiing

Saturday's was the 17th and that make that MJ's day for a picture. She is standing on top of the big snow hill that Grandpa made by plowing our driveway. She was pretending that she was downhill skiing on the Wii. Can you tell we love our Wii!

Like Wii skiing.

Project 365/16 Caught!

Yesterday's photo is of CJ. She is not supposed to be sitting on the arm of the couch with her feet on the stand but she just learned that she can climb onto to just about everything in the house and this looked like to place to be for the moment. She has even been caught sitting on the dining room table, all happy to be there and proud of the accomplishment. She keeps me hopping.
Notice what she is wearing also, that sweater is her younger sister's Syd and the the skirt is the hoop to a dress-up outfit that she loves to wear all over her frog PJ's. She kept these on nearly all day.

Caught!

Speaking of Cj wearing other people's clothing, Tuesday she was wearing her older sister's sweater. She looked so sute.

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY HEATHER

I'm a bad SIL. I'm sorry. I really did not completely forget, I just remembered way to late to call:(
I hope you had a wonderful day.
Love
Moe

Project 365/15 I feel whole again

Yesterday's picture is of my laptop. It is only 9 months old now and it had to have a new motherboard! I spit and sputtered, yelled and screamed, was completely frustrated by this machine and it's problems. After many calls to HP (Hubby's doing, he is much better with this stuff than I am) they sent me a box (I called it a coffin) to FedEx it back to them, my beloved pc. That was Jan 5th, they received it Jan 7th and I got it back in perfect working condition yesterday, the 15th. I'm very pleased to say the least.

I have been using MJ's laptop and my trusty Seagate hard drive to get through each day. I no just have to load all my software and goodies and I'll be back up and running in no time.

I feel whole again.

I think I will be looking into an extended warranty for this pc.

Project 365/14 Wednesdays hangout

Yesterday's photo is of the sign for the place where my kids spend their Wednesdays this year, Gail Wildfong School of Dance. This is MJ's 5th year and JD's 4th year in dance (JD would want me to let you know that he is in Hip Hop dance not ballet) This year is the first at the new location.

Wednsdays Hangout

Digitl Kit Color Contest

Yeah! My color suggestion is one of 13 the finalists (#6) for the free digital kit design. Summer, over at Summertime Designs, designs awesome FREE digital kits and she asked for color ideas and she picked mine for a finalist! I used an outfit Syd received as a gift that had just wonderful colors in it for inspiration.


Please go vote!! (Leave a comment on her blog on which you like best) Mine is #6, but pick the one that you like best.

Thank you
Moe

Project 365/13 Sleeping Beauty

Yesterday's photo is are promised of Syd and she is not drooling, but only because she is sound asleep:) You can't tell from this shot but her shirt is wet from drooling through the bib I had on her moments before. I took the bib off and was going to get her a dry shirt, when I returned she had fallen asleep so I tilted the highchair back and took pictures. This is happens daily, the drooling and clothes changing, I have never seen a child drool so much. I expect a full mouth of teeth to pop through any day now.

Sleeping Beauty!

Syd PT update

Syd is doing so well, that next week we have another eval. and it might be our last appointment! She is reaching for things with her left hand, turning to left, and rolling to left, all without hesitation. Yesterday she fell asleep in her highchair with her head turned completely to the left! She has improved rapidly. We are very happy.

Today she turned 7 months old. She will be the picture for today, I just have to catch her doing something besides drooling.

Have a wonderful day!
Moe

Project 365/12 It is a double picture day

Yesterday's picture turned into two, let me explain.

At 2 pm the UPS man was surprised when he was reaching to ring my door bell, when my two babies were sleeping, I might add, I opened the door very quickly and he jumped near a foot and said very loudly "UPS delivery Mam!", thrust the box at me and high tailed back down my driveway. I couldn't help but to laugh at this. But the best news is what was in the box! My Project 365 kit came! So I just knew this had to be the picture of the day, until........

"UPS delivery, Mam"

After school, MJ was determined to get a perfect score on Wii's soccer heading advanced and she played and played until she achieved her goal. Just after hubby came home she did it. She scored a perfect 655! It was very cute to watch her play, every game she would chant 655, 655, 655 over and over. So this picture was more important to our life, as she was so determined, so this shot will take the official slot in the album as picture #12. Way to go MJ!

Goal achieved

Project 365/11 Glimpse into the future?

Yesterday's picture is of CJ and Syd, I had placed Syd under her jungle gym to let her get some tummy time while dad watched the football game. A few minutes later Hubby calls me in to see what CJ was up to. She, as usual, crawled in next to Syd to chat. It was just to cute not too be the picture of the day.

Glimpse into the future?

Project 365/10 Looks like a natural

Yesterday's picture is of JD snowboarding at Caberfea Peaks in Cadillac, MI. We went with my Brother and his family. This was only the second time JD has been snowboarding (today he complains his butt hurts), but we all had a good time.

Looks like a natural.

They were running a $9 lift ticket and $9 rental from 4-close. The picture was taken in the dark by Hubby, I was in the lodge with the little girls staying warm:)

Thanks again to my brother and his family for the invite and the time spent with the kids. I could not have picked and better person to be my brother than you.

Project 365/9 What $237.87 got me

Friday's photo was the result of shopping. My mom and I had an appointment in Midland and we did a little shopping before and after the appointment. We stopped at Walmart, Meijer's, and Staples. For a whopping $237.87 it didn't even fill my table! I purchased 2 boxes diapers, toilet tissue, napkins, paper plates, Kleenex, clearance clothing for the little girls, clearance Christmas items for .25 ea (can't beat that), a book for MJ, spagetti sauce (I love Meijer brand), 2 different types of peanut butter (one healthier that the other), Turbo Tax (it is that thime of year again), Mavis Beacon typing (9.99 w/ tax software purchase), a singing Birthday card for my SIL and other misc stuff. And Hubby just shakes his head.

What $237.87 got me.

Maybe one day I'll look back fondly on this picture and remember how much cheaper things were.

A perfect score 555.

MJ has become quite the Soccer ball header of our house. My thin little 10 year old daughter has got a perfect score on Wii fits soccer heading game. This is the beginner version. She hit ever ball and missed every shoe and panda head! That is 555 points! Way to go MJ. She is said that she was going to play until she got it perfect and JD told that he didn't think it was possible, that egged her on even more to get it perfect.

Last night she got 387 in the advanced version and tonight she beat that with a 395. She will play that one until she gets it perfect too.

She is my determined girl.

Project 365/8 Peek-a-boo I see you

Yesterday's photo of the day is of CJ peeking through the slats in the dining room chairs. I was on my PC at the bar counter and she was directly behind me and she would say "mama" and I would turn to look at her and she would just peek at me and giggle. This age is so fun!Peek-a-boo I see you

Project 365/7 The Fridge door

Today's picture is of our fridge door at the moment. Right now it has photos that we received in our Christmas cards from friends and family, CJ and Syd's birth announcements, a leftover gift want, (Franklin Covey Tucker Reusable Bags Set of three, red, green and blue, but they are no longer available:( A variety of magnets from places we have been, a gym membership discount, and best of all goodies, my before shot for biggest loser, right by the handle so I see it every time I open the door.
I have thought before that I would like it clean but every time I clear it off it doesn't look like home to me.

The fridge door.

what goes on while I was blogging

While I was posting the last post this is what happened; CJ was just on the other side of the couch playing quietly, I thought she was playing so good with toys until I looked over the couch to find that she emptied the cabinet of all its toys so she could play in it. We had way to many toys! This should have been the photo for today.

I need to get off now and pick up those toys:)

Moe

Project 365/6 The wonders of a carseat.

Today's picture is of Syd sleeping soundly. She had PT at 11 am and fell asleep on the way home and slept until 2:30 pm. I'm always amazed at how this car seat always has got the girls to sleep so well and for so long. Too bad they don't make these for adults:)

The wonders of a carseat.

Check out her very cute sweater that she HATES! She cries every time we put it on her, Hubby hates putting her in it. It is Michigan, for goodness sakes, she needs a warm sweater to go out of the house. I think she looks way too cute in the darn thing and we get compliments everywhere we go. I told her today that I was going to save and give it to her daughter It was a gift from Grandma (Thanks Mom).

Project 365/5 This is what sound asleep looks like

Today's photo is of CJ sound asleep for her nap. I have wanted to get a shot of this for a long time. When she is sound asleep this is what it looks like. Whenever any of us get the task of checking to see if she is asleep yet and we find this, we say "she's butt up" and we all know what that means and now you do to:)

This is what sound asleep looks like.

I'm sure she will love seeing this photo on her graduation board and included in the DVD played at her wedding. Aren't her monkey jammies cute.

Project 365/4 Do you think it will come back in style?

Today's picture is of MJ and her crimped hair. I didn't even know they made crimpers anymore. My SIL bought it online. The older kids spent the night at their aunt and uncles house and this is what she came home with plus scrapbook paper, medicine for her ear jebbies and memories of a great time. I hope they realize how special their relationship is with my brother and his wife. Thanks guys for for treating my kids so well.

Do you think it will come back in style?

Project 365/3 Comfort food

Saturday's picture of the day: Hubby is gearing up for start Biggest Loser and he had a chocolate craving, so I offered to bake cookies. I got undisturbed 45 minutes or so alone in my kitchen mixing and listen to my Ipod, I finished my latest book, Sam's letters to Jennifer, while I sampled the goods. Not a bad way to spend 45 minutes.

Comfort food

I was one of the few!

I am thrilled to be one of the lucky ones that got to purchase the Creating Keepsakes Kit of the Month (Project 356) yesterday at 11 am EST. There was not a lot of happy scrappers, the kit sold out in a few hours and their site crashed. They will be getting more soon. Everybody who wants one will eventually get one, I'm just glad I will be in the first shipment!

This is why I have started taking pictures everyday and this is how I'm going to scrapbook them. I saw the kit in action, so to speak, in the January issue of Creating Keepsakes. I also downloaded a template by Jessica Sprague and created this collage using Photo Shop Elements 6. The digital papers were a free download, Sun Porch by Amy Teets

Isn't CJ so cute as a bee?

I just love these tutorials, I have been learning so much. Maybe I might become a hybrid scrapbooker yet!

This has made me want to get scrapbooking so I better jump on this feeling before it disappears.

Have a great weekend.
Moe

Project 365/2 Finally gone, but not forgotten.

Today's picture will not have much detail given. Hubby took this shot on his phone at my Dr. appointment today.

Finally gone, but not forgotten.

Project 365/1 Kicked back and surfing.

Today's picture is of JD surfing on his laptop, he was looking up cheats for Mario Kart, this is a slice of life for sure, check out his chair full of laundry (is it clean or dirty, how can you tell?)

Kicked back and surfing.

Five minutes after this shot was taken JD called me into his room to check out the $1000 gift card from Walmart that he just won! He got a lecture from dad about internet phishing. These site can be so tempting if you don't understand what they up to. Lets hope he learned from this experience.