the only thing missing...

supplies: Overlay: Paislee Press, Viewfinder Overlays; patterned paper: Paislee Press, Philosophie Kit; heart: Paislee Press, Love + Notes; border: Paislee Press, Falling for Retro; fonts: Courier New and Helvetica

torrey is reading to herself on the floor and emma is reading "mummies in the morning" out loud to me. the tree is aglow and the house is decked out for christmas. there is wet sleety snow falling outside, the countdown is on... t minus 4 days until the big day, and the only thing that seems to be missing is stan. it's definitely not our first christmas apart, and i'm quite sure it won't be our last. it is what is, but it doesn't make me miss him any less. absence seems to bring out the million plus things i love about him, and for that i'll always be grateful for that little gift from the deployments. in the normal business of living life i don't always think of those little things. so today, amidst the calm winter evening's routine... i'm thanking God for those little things.

sunday we went to the christmas service at church. the girls were thrilled to finally wear the christmas dresses we bought months ago. we had enough time to snap a few shots before we left... and we weren't even late! stan would be so proud. there are a few more pics of the morning sweetness here.

my baby brother, jason, flew into town friday morning. the girls are eating up the uncle time like nobody's business. shopping, talking, wrestling and lots of snuggling. he even made it in time to catch torrey's choir performance for the local senior center.

my other brother, dave, and his wife will be arriving in town from japan tomorrow. we were trying to figure how many years it's been since our whole family has been home for christmas. jason and i figured it's been eight years. it's truly a blessing to have family all home for christmas this year, and it's been a welcome blessing/distraction for the girls and me.

on thursday evening we had our friend sam over. it was a sort of birthday present for him. he's the youngest of three from a family of dear friends. so for an extra special treat he came over (just him) for the evening. we made christmas crafts for the girls' classes and for sam to give to his family. we ordered pizza and set up a full picnic on the kitchen floor, and the kids all danced goofy dances they made up to christmas music. and the real present was that we got to spend a fabulous evening with one sweet little man who we are blessed to have as a friend.

getting down to the home stretch

project 365 is getting down there. i mean i'm 15 days from finishing out the year. wowza! frankly i'm quite surprised that i haven't missed a day (yet). but i am quite thankful for it. awhile ago stan asked if i got a prize or something for finishing out the year without missing a day. i love the goal-oriented man! hee hee. i told him the 365 pictures were my prize, and we sat in the living room scrolling through all of the p365 pictures to date... remembering each little moment, and watching the girls grow before our eyes. each picture has its story, some more interesting than others. but it has definitely portrayed the journey of our life through the year. i already love looking back on it.

i had a new experience today. my sweet little emma, who can tend to be a roller coaster of emotions, did NOT want to do her reading homework tonight. and when i say she did not want to do it, i mean there were tears and sobs and the whole 9 yards. she finally calmed down, and had gotten about half way through her reading time when it started all over again. i stopped the timer while she cried, she said she missed daddy. (she always misses daddy when she's sad. not that i blame her, i do too. but then, you still gotta get your reading homework done!) anyway, she retreated to her room for a bit, came out... cried some more... then finally settled down, and finished her reading in a very pleasant mood.

she helped straighten up a few things around the house with me afterward, then shyly came up to me and said, "mom, i'm really sorry. i was just so angry and had a hard time controlling myself. when i was upset about my reading, i cut you out of that picture you gave me of you and me and daddy. i'm so so sorry. will you forgive me?" i had a hard time keeping a straight face. and while the whole moment conjures up a lot of new and mixed emotions, at the moment it struck me as funny. i did my best to keep a straight face, then talked about anger, forgiveness and a few other heart to heart type things. i asked her to bring me the picture. she brought back a snip of part of my head. i've gotta find somewhere special to put that snippet {lol} of a moment.

i've been thinking of all the different pieces of that moment. how young she is to be cutting my pictures up. how exactly she chose to carry out her fleeting moment of anger. how she wasn't afraid to tell me, and to ask for forgiveness for something i didn't know she had done. how quickly and painlessly the moment changed back to everyday life. how only moments later she asked if she could be the picture of the day... being a mom isn't always pretty. it's filled with it's moments of blissful joy and it's moments of being cut out of a family picture. it can be beautiful and it can be ugly, but it is a life i wouldn't trade for any other.

i guess i got a little long winded there, so i'll try to be a little more speedy with the rest of the pictures. tuesday the girls had their christmas music program at school. emma wore her christmas dress and torrey wanted to wear her "special white dress" because it reminded her of dad. (she wore it to his pinning ceremony in september.) i even figured out a way to stream video from my iphone to the internet so stan could watch them sing. it was a bit like the blair witch project of a video, but he got to see it anyway!

monday morning we woke up to just enough snow to cancel school for the day. the girls ran around, sledded down the 'big hill' and build snowmen outside for hours. i was inside most of the day working on projects, and finishing up writing my latest review for the scrap review on provo craft's gypsy. you can check it out here.

sunday i got another chance (you'll see the first attempt two pictures down) to play with my super cool christmas/birthday present from my amazing husband. a new studio lighting kit! it's a whole new world, and i really know almost nothing about it. but i'll mess around and figure it out fumbling as i go. it's all set up in my living room right now, so i'm sure i'll have to figure out where in the world to keep it all eventually!  but that's a pretty darn great problem to have, i think!

saturday we headed out to the lights of christmas at warm beach camp to take pictures and check out the million plus lights! we've been every year (but one) that they've been open. i'm pretty sure we'll be back a few more times before the season is out.

so this was my first attempt at using my super cool new lighting get up. i know it's sort of an odd picture, but i watched this scott kelby training video on this start to finish picture with lights. since i hadn't used them yet, i figured it was a good start. and my very gracious model was willing to test it out for a bit when she got home from school. thank you torrey!

we had a super cold (for us) stretch here for about a week. the girls checked out our pond after school to find it frozen solid! what fun. so in her warmest winter get up (i.e. a lightweight jacket and sockless-shoed feet) emma slid and "skated" across the pont. we checked out the cool gas bubbles that were trying to make their way out into the world, and the scavenged duck decoys frozen into the water... nothing like a cold day surprise in your own backyard!

wednesday was just a quick shot of torrey in front of the christmas tree. i know i'll probably end up with 100 of those from having our tree up since mid october, but i somehow never tire of it. it's that deep love of christmas and all that it stands for... that sweet baby so long ago who came to save us.

monday and tuesday were after school shots by one of our leafless trees on our frosted lawn. staying outside just long enough not to freeze our little fingers off.

saturday i spent the day with my brother, jason, (who flew out from colorado) and my sister wine tasting at the saint nicholas day wine tasting at some of the many amazing washington wineries in woodenville. a perfect early birthday surprise from my brother.

have i ever mentioned how lucky i am to have my mom live so close to me? she's only just over a mile away, and i talk to her almost every day. she puts on her headset, and i put my phone on speaker, and we wander about our morning routines chatting about mostly nothing and sometimes something. i can't think of another soul so patient as to listen and share daily ramblings the way my mom does. this particular friday morning we met up for breakfast at the restaurant just down the street before heading out on a few errands together. it wasn't a planned date, just a "hey what-cha doin'? wanna hang out and run errands with me?"  i love that. i don't tell her enough how much i appreciate these little daily moments, and how much i missed them when she was out of town a few weeks ago. i have the best mom ever. i love you mommy!

Winner, winner chicken dinner!

Sorry this has taken me until today to get posted... but we have a winner in the drawing for the free copy of Ella Publishing's Vintage Hip Christmas Gifts eBook! And the winner is.... Crystal!

Crystal said...
I'd love to update now that we have a brand new hardwood floor and I think I'd find just what my house needs in this little gem! Thanks for sharing :)

December 8, 2009 7:52 PM

Congratulations Crystal! Email me and I'll get you hooked up with your free copy of this fab eBook!

But wait, there's more...
You still have until the end of today to use the 25% off coupon and get your hands on a copy of this wonderful book! Use the coupon code CRAFTY09 for 25% off Vintage Hip Christmas Crafts through 12/13.

taking time to stop

 Supplies:  Patterned Paper: Joyce Paul, Familiy Ties Kit, oscraps.com; embellishments: Fei Fei’s Stuff, Familie Ties Kit, oscraps.com; fonts: Nasty,  Lombardic, Courier New

i was in the mood to do a little digi work by the fire the other day. the whole scene seemed so peaceful... my fuzzy lamb slippers and sweats lounging by the fire. time to go hunting through pictures to find one that would match the quiet peacefulness of the the late night. so here it is. the end result of a mellow winter night. a summer photo that seemed to fit the mood somehow just perfectly.

i took a little time to read the first installment of stephanie nielson's story as told by an arizona reporter who reconstructed the story of the plane crash. i cried. i was thankful, and parts of me don't know what to think. i cannot image all that she and her family have been through. but she is a beautiful person. her blog inspires me and reminds me of just how precious a gift each day really is. we are all so very blessed.


**don't forget to post your comments here for a chance to win a copy of vintage hip christmas crafts before friday!**

WIN some Vintage Hip sweetness

Vintage Hip Christmas Crafts: 9 step-by-step tutorials for layouts, decor, gifts, and more by Margie Romney-Aslett and daughters Megan and Brooke.

 

So it's getting darn close to Christmas, and I'm guessing there are a million (plus or minus) things left on your list. With cash a little tighter these days, crafty projects are not only fun, they're smart. Whether you're trying to get crafty between batches of cookies or you've got a whole weekend to revel in your creativity... this is chock Christmas projects just for you! Crafting rockstar Margie Romney-Aslett and her daughters, Brooke and Megan, have pulled together nine totally glitter-tastic ideas in Ella Publishing Co.'s latest eBook, Vintage Hip Cristmas Crafts: 9 step-by-step layouts, gifts, decor and more. Crank up the Christmas tunes, brew up a mug of peppermint cocoa and pick your crafting poison!

But wait, you say, I thought I heard something about winning something. You're right! Win a copy just for you, or as a gift for that special crafty someone. Get up to 3 chances to win. 

1. Tell me why you'd love a copy of this fab book by leaving a comment on this post. 

2. Join Ella's email list with fab ideas and coupons, and leave another comment saying so on this post.

3. Twitter or Facebook linking to the Vintage Hip Christmas Crafts book on Ella and leave another comment saying so on this post. (http://www.ellapublishing.com/catalog/ebooks/vintage-hip-christmas-crafts)

 

I'll draw a winner this Friday, December 11th. Can't wait till Friday? Well you're in luck! I've got a coupon for you, too. Use the coupon code CRAFTY09 for 25% off Vintage Hip Christmas Crafts now through 12/13. (Then, if you're the winner, you'll have a great gift for that fabulous crafty minx in your life!)

teetering on the edge

Supplies: patterned paper: Paislee Press Photogenic kit (lined & brown- as overlay) & In Good Comany kit (green), Taylor Made Indefinitely Kit (pink) oscraps.com; overlay: Paislee Press; negative frame: Rhonna Farrer House of 3; word art: Taylor Made Composure kit (oscraps.com); flower: Paislee Press In Good Comapny Kit (oscraps.com); heart: Taylor Made Indefinitely Kit (oscraps.com); font: Arial

oh wow! how did i get so far behind again? i love, love, love social networking and networks. but sometimes i'm not always the best about getting all of them updated at the same time! so here i am, getting this baby up to date... at least until the morning when it falls behind again. lol. but that's the nature of the beast i guess. keeps me out of trouble anyway!

last wednesday i took some family pictures for some friends from church. i love, love, love this family! they're funny, they're generous, they're sweet, they're thoughtful, they're the best. i am so thankful to count them as friends. anyhow, this little fella is the cutest ever. the more fun he's having, the more serious he gets. it's so darn cute. couldn't you just get lost in those big brown eyes?

we spent thanksgiving with my family, at my sister's house. very low key, and perfect. we ate, of course, and simply had a nice time together. i only fell apart once missing stan. it seems like it's the little things that set me off missing him... trying to carry a heavy table up the stairs by yourself. then your wonderful children, who mean well, try to help. my wall still stands, relatively unscathed from the incident. but the experience (silly as it seems) left my heart a little heavy. just a jabbing little reminder. so when i arrived at my sister's and my dad asked how i was... well, you know how it goes when someone asks you how you are and really means it... {sigh} i got it out, and had a really nice day with my family. i have so much to be grateful for.

my sweet niece came home with us from thanksgiving to spend the night. i told her she could come as long as she helped us clean (our project for that friday) and man did she ever! she is a cleaning machine! she helped the girls with their rooms and with our laundry. i think i may have her come over every weekend! lol. after the cleaning was done they got some play time in, jumping around. there are a few more pictures here.

on saturday the girls and i stopped by schuh farms. we've gone nearly every year to pick out christmas ornaments for the girls. it's a little farmers market in town. at christmas time she has bunches of trees each with different themed ornaments. the girls roam around until they find the one that they love more than all of the others. it's fun to see what they love each year, and how it changes over the years. we've had brides, frogs, guitars, coffee mugs, ballerinas and snowflakes, but this year we came home with an ice cream cone and a santa in a dome.

then came a few days worth of pictures just because. nothing in particular noteworthy of the day... but still a picture to walk away with. something to look back at from the beginning of the year to now.

tuesday my sister and i took my grandma out for a day of antiquing and shopping in a cute little local town. we never quite get out as often as we'd like... especially the three of us together. but it worked out rather magically and at the last minute. (that's just how we roll!) to my very special grammy... happy birthday! i love you!

i swear my girls have clothes other than this red coat! it's been so chilly outside, it seems it's made an appearance in a lot of pictures lately! guess that's how it goes this time of year.

today we were feeling motivated to get some hairdo's done. emma's was a repeat, but torrey's we made up this morning. she said all of the kids at school thought it was a peace sign. maybe next time we can really try for making it into a full peace sign with the circle and all.

Supplies: patterned paper: Family Ties Kit, Fei Fei’s Stuff (white) and Berry + Charcoal Kit, Paislee Press (red); notebook paper: Photogenic Kit, Audacious Designs; acrylic frame: Family Ties Kit, Fei Fei’s Stuff; brush and staples: Paislee Press, Chasing the Sun, Photogenic Kits; grid: Family Ties Kit, Joyce Paul Designs; heart: Adobe Photoshop; fonts: Lainy Day and Courier New

and i thought i'd give a little sneak of a project i have in december's issue of scrapbook ellaments. the article and project are here. (but promise not to tell my new sister-in-law, because it's for her!) and while you're visiting ella, be sure to sign up for their email list. you'll get a monthly link to their free eZine along with coupons and info on their latest books. but wait, there's more! i'm going to have a giveaway coming up, and signing up for the email list will give you an extra chance to win! :)