Something I'm Really Excited About and A Request for Help

Some of you know how much I adore scrapbooking. I was a traditional paper scrapbooker for many, many years. But, as we had more kids and the pressure of being in school built, I slowly gave up scrapping entirely. I really, really missed it, but I just didn't know how to fit it into my life at the time.

My sister-in-law, with whom I used to "crop", made the transition to digital scrapbooking in 2008. She kept encouraging me to make the transition to digi scrapping. I finally took the plunge and completed my first digital scrapbook page in March of 2011.

Fast forward two years and a few hundred layouts later and I am a devoted digi scrapper. I'll choose digi scrapping over watching TV and several other hobbies that used to claim my time. Don't get me wrong, I still love playing with paper. However, I'm much more likely to save my paper crafting for cards and other projects and leave my scrapbooking pages digital. It's always fun to combine them and create "hybrid" projects that combine digital and traditional supplies.

The whole point of me telling you all of this is share something I'm really excited about. After digi scrapping for a couple of years now, I finally built up my skills and confidence enough to apply for Mye de Leon's creative team. Mye is a brilliant digital scrapbooking kit designer. I really, really love her kits.

Here's the exciting part: I was accepted to Mye's 2013 creative team! For the next year I get the privilege of showing everyone how awesome Mye's digi kits are work with. I'm thrilled. So, instead of creating pages that I only share with my family and those who hang out at the same digi website I do, I'll be much bolder about sharing them with everyone.

Now, here's the request part...

Just after I received the exciting news that I had been accepted to Mye's CT, Mye gave birth to a baby boy.  December 27, 2012 was supposed to be an exciting and happy day for Mye and her family. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a day of shocking news. Mye's son, Alphonse, was born with a heart defect that will require open heart surgery to repair. Without the surgery, he will die. Unfortunately, they are without insurance and will have to raise the $12,500 needed for the surgery on their own. You can read the full details on Mye's blog. The post is called An Innocent Heart.

The digital scrapbooking community has rallied around Mye and her family. They are doing everything they can to help Mye and her family raise the funds they need to save baby Alphonse's life. Over 100 designers have joined together to create a HUGE collaboration digital scrapbooking kit called An Innocent Heart.  It is for sale at my digital scrapbooking home Pixels & Company. All the proceeds from the sales of this kit will go directly to Mye and her family to help them pay for the surgery. If you digital scrapbook at all or have ever considered learning...please buy this kit. JennCK, another digital designer, has also offered all the proceeds from her retiring kits to Mye's son. You can read about that here.

Now, I know there are some of you out there saying, "But, I don't digi scrap!" Never fear, you can still help. Please, please, please consider making a direct contribution at Help Alphonse Get His Surgery. Mye is one of the sweetest people I've gotten to know through digital scrapbooking. Baby Alphonse needs our help.

Thanks for reading my epic post! (Now I just need to update this place...The Baby Boy over there to the left is now two and looks a lot different!)

Good things:
--Digital scrapbooking!!
--New babies.
--The generosity of strangers.

Sweet

I shouldn't have bought them. In the first place, they are most definitely NOT on my sugar-free diet. Secondly, they were expensive, and I didn't know where they fit into our new budget. But, as I looked at that bag of Jordan Almonds, I thought of my dad. So, I bought them, because in that brief moment they made me feel closer to him.

When all the kids were settled back into the van, I handed out the gummy worms they had begged for. Then, I handed each child a Jordan Almond, explaining that they were my dad's favorite. (At least, I think they were. I remember that whenever we bought candy at movies, they are what he would choose.) Then we were off for our next stop, the grocery store.

After we had finished at the grocery store and were all buckling up to head home, I got a big surprise. 'Lashes asked, "Can I have another candy almond?" Immediately, all the kids wanted more. Bob said, "Since I'm named after him [my father], I think they are my favorite, too!" Sunshine Boy added, "After you suck on them for a little bit you can bite them and the candy coat just melts around the almond making it so delicious!"

I was almost speechless. I hadn't expected the kids to like the Jordan Almonds; they just don't seem like "kid candy" to me. And yet, not only had my kids liked the almonds, they had really liked the almonds. And, for may be the first time ever, I knew that my kids had made a connection to their grandpa in a real, tangible way.

I will forever remember this moment in my life as --SWEET. 

Good things:

--Jordan Almonds

--Remembering the good things.

--Princess Bug playing with my camera to help me get the "perfect" picture of the Jordan Almonds.

What I Learned This Easter

I want to share a music video with you. I've watched it multiple times in the last few days to the point that, in my quieter moments, I can hear it playing in the back of my mind. The first time I watched it (ok, the first several times I watched it) I found tears rolling down my cheeks. Its message was just so amazingly beautiful. It was such an incredible testimony of Christ's atonement and resurrection. I was blown away.

As I've pondered this video and discussed it with Renaissance Man, I've come to realize just why it moved me so very profoundly. I want to share what I have learned this Easter with you. It's going to take me a bit of explanation to get to the point, so please be patient while I get there.

Christ's earthy mission was two-fold: to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man (Moses 1:39). Christ's triumph over the grave completed the first part of that mission. We too will be resurrected, reunited with our physical bodies, and live forever. The atonement of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross accomplished the second part of His mission. The atonement is what allows us to enjoy eternal life, which is exaltation and eternal progression.

I've understood intellectually and felt in my heart for years that Christ's atonement, His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross, were personal. He paid the price for MY sins, he accepted the weight of MY griefs and heartaches. I know that He is there for ME. He would have been willing to make that sacrifice even if I had been the only one in the world. His atonement was for ME. I know that I can repent and I know that I can hand my burdens to Him and that He will carry them for me.

My understanding of Christ's resurrection has been a bit different.

As a child, no matter how often you are taught about the true meaning of Easter, I think it's very difficult to grasp the significance of Christ's sacrifice. At least, that's the way it was for me. Even after I no longer believed in fuzzy bunnies delivering eggs, Easter was still about the goodies in the basket.

My first real experience with death was devastating. My dad died when I was just fourteen. It wasn't until after he was gone that I began to understand the beautiful promise contained in the resurrection of Christ. Because He died, my dad will live again. As I've gotten older, more of my loved ones, including grandparents, friends, mentors, an uncle, and even a precious still born daughter, have passed through the veil. It's very strange to think that there will come a day in my life when there are as many of my loved ones waiting for me on the other side as there are with me in mortality. Each Easter I have thought of these loved ones and rejoiced that one day they would be resurrected and that we would be reunited. I have been comforted by this testimony time and time again. But, something shifted for me this year. I've realized something on a deeply personal level that somehow I've missed in previous years.

Perhaps it's because it's because I'm getting old enough to be gaining a sense of my own mortality. (At my current age, my dad only had five more years to live.) Or, maybe it's because I'm old enough to recognize that my body doesn't work in exactly the same way it did when I was younger. But, when I heard the lyrics of this song, I wept. I wept because for the first time in my life I understood that not only is Christ's atonement personal, so is His resurrection. Because of Christ's triumph over the grave I will live again. I will rise from the grave, not just the loved ones who have gone before me. I will have a glorious perfected body and I will be reunited with the loved ones that I will leave behind when it's my turn to pass through the veil.

This Easter I learned that I Will Rise.




This video comes from Alex Boye, if you aren't familiar with his music, you should be.

I'll be back to update our pictures soon. :D

Good Things:

--I know that my Redeemer Lives!

--Music that touches my spirit.

--Blogging again, finally.

Just so you all know...

I am really and truly working on that huge update post. It's saved in my drafts folder right now and I'm working on it as I can.

In the meantime, do you like my new decor? I did it all by myself. :) I know, I know, it's the small things.

A Must Share Recipe

I went to book group at my mom's house today. We discussed The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom by Slavomir Rawicz. I'll post a review if anyone is interested. Apparently, it's being made into a movie, The Way Back.

Anyway, the lady who brought our treat brought these...and they were AMAZING.

Blueberry Citrus Bars
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
2-1/4 cups unsifted flour
½ cup finely chopped pecans
4 eggs
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup ReaLemon* Lemon juice from Concentrate
1 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 cups fresh or thawed frozen blueberries (I used about 2 cups fresh)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter in medium sized bowl with mixer until fluffy. Add powdered sugar; beat until combined. Beat in 2 cups of the flour. Stir in 1/4 cup of the pecans. Press on bottom of greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Bake 20 minutes or until golden.
2. Meanwhile, for filling, combine eggs, granulated sugar, ReaLemon, baking powder and remaining 1/4 cup flour in large bowl. Beat with mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. (Filling is quite runny.)
3. Sprinkle berries over prepared and partially baked crust. Top with filling and remaining 1/4 cup pecans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes longer or until set and top is lightly golden. Cool.
4. Sift additional powdered sugar over top. Cut into bars. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.
Makes 24 to 36 bars.

Good things:
-Blueberry Citrus Bars
-The Long Walk
-Book Group with my Mom & Aunt

An Inside Joke...

Sorry to those of you who may not get this, but it's much too good an opportunity to pass up.

ADULT CONTENT!!!

You may now return to your normal lives. ;)

Oh, and I neglected to add good thing to the end of the last epic length post late last night. I remembered and fixed the oversight. So, even if you've read the whole long post, you may want to go read the bottom of it again.

Good things:

-Friends with whom I can share inside jokes.
-Social networking that allows me to chat with people with whom I would be out of touch without it.
-Audio books.

Finally, a Favorite Photo Friday

I'm way overdue to post one of these. We were cleaning our room yesterday and I found this one. LOVE IT! It's from our trip to Lagoon this past August.

I know many of you are eager for an update and our school/work situation. I have been working on an epic update post for the last couple of days. I'll post it as soon as I get it finished.

Good things:
-Cramming six bodies (one of which is extremely pregnant) into a photo booth.
-A working printer/scanner!! (I've got to post that story here.)
-Christmas pants that are becoming too loose.

Introducing The Baby Boy

As many of you know, we have a new addition to our family. He arrived on September 10, 2010 at 6:44 am. He was 7lbs and 20" long. Here are the pictures that were taken just before we left the hospital. Enjoy. :)

Perfectionism Paralysis

So...I know that I'm woefully behind in my blogging, even after my last brief check in. It seems that I have been waiting for the "right time" to jump back in and get going. See, there has been so much going on in our lives, much of it with significant importance, that I feel obligated to "catch up" and document the lot here on the blog. Some part of me has pictured an epic post (or two, or twelve) with lots of pictures and lengthy journaling. Some part of me wants the epic posts.

But, I'm beginning to feel that if I don't just start right back up as if I have never missed anything at all, that this little blog of mine is just going to fade away into nothingness. That would make me very sad. I really like blogging and the opportunity it gives me to share my thoughts, the events of our lives, and those little cool things I discover along the way. I also love reading your blogs and sharing your triumphs, tears, and laughter. I've been missing that too. So, I'm gonna just jump in with both feet and see if I can add those "important live event" entries somewhere along the way.

With all this in mind, check out this really cool entry from Shannon Hale's blog: Morals and values and lessons, oh my! I find it fascinating, especially since I have aspirations of being a writer someday when I grow up. I'd love to hear what you think.

Hello to all those in blog land...

I've been terribly remiss in my blog writing and reading. I miss it. I shall endeavor to get it together and get posting/reading again. So, don't be too shocked if you find your inbox filled up with comments from me.

One reason I've been rather AWOL is my effort to reclaim my house. I've gotten increasingly stressed over the state of Chez Nous and I'm desperately trying to get us cleaned up and dejunked before the little one arrives. (I don't know it counts as nesting just yet, I'm only 16 weeks, but maybe. Mostly it's an effort to have a place to put said child.) I'm also trying to get my kids more involved in the process. I simply can't do it all by myself. I've also decided that it's really hard to train the kids and myself at the same time. :P

We tried to finish a basement bathroom over RM's Spring Break. We didn't make it. :( So, we'll continue to work on it a bit at a time. Right now I'd rather have RM graduate on time (Summer semester) than have a finished bathroom. We've survived this long, we'll survive a bit longer, even if it does mean we've got traffic jams from time to time.

We are down to the wire for finishing the MS degree. The drop dead date for having everything turned in will be June 21. RM will defend about a week before that. So, for the next couple of months things will be uber crazy. But, I have faith we can do it!!

I promise I'll do better at checking in with bits and pieces of information and hopefully a few pictures from time to time. :D

Details :)

I've edited the previous post to add some details for those of you with inquiring minds. :D

Favorite Photo Friday -- Special Edition

Ok, ok...I know. It's been over a week since I posted anything new on my blog. Plus, I forgot to post a picture for last Friday's Favorite Photo Friday. If I post a special favorite photo today, will you forgive me??



















So, am I forgiven for my scatter-brainedness now?


Edit to add details :D :

Thanks! :D

I saw my doctor on Thursday and we got this little sneak peek. I'm ten weeks today (Saturday) and due Sept. 18.

We're about 95% sure this is our caboose...and if it's a girl about 99% sure. PrincessBug has been asking for a sister for years (and we've kind of had a feeling that there is supposed to be another girl coming). We've joked for a long time that we'd give her one more chance to come and if she didn't then she'd have to figure out how to get here on her own because we'd be done. :) So, think pink!! (Though healty is our #1 wish. We'll happily take another blue, though I'd wonder where the pink vibes we've felt have been coming from.)

I've been feeling pretty well. I can tell you though that having a baby at 35 is a lot different than having a baby at 32. I've been really, really tired. I never get really throw up sick, but I have had a perpetual stomach ache between the nausea of needing to eat and the indigestion and heartburn of having eaten. I'm kinda looking forward to that part ending. :) So, other than that and the occasional muscle cramp or round ligament twang, we're doing well. (And, developing a baby bump remarkably fast with this one.)

I Believe in Miracles

Almost two weeks ago I had a friend of mine over at my house. She had been here for around and hour when she looked at me with fear and tears in her eyes and confided in me that her husband was being screened for cancer that day. Furthermore, while searching for a cause for some numbness he's had in his extremities, they thought they had seen a brain tumor. She just couldn't bear to keep the news to herself any longer, she had to share with someone.

Wow.

What do you say at a time like that? We discussed Priesthood blessings. I reassured her that we would be praying for them and that I would keep the confidence she had shared with me. She promised she would keep me updated as they found out more information.

After she left, I felt tied in knots. I had promised that I wouldn't tell anyone. (She didn't care if more people knew, but he didn't want to say anything until there was something to say.) Yet, I desperately felt that they needed more people praying for them. I struggled with what to do. Then I had the thought to call my mother-in-law.

My mother-in-law is truly a saint. She is one of the most generous, kind, and loving women I know. She will go out of her way to help people and she genuinely strives to be like our Savior. I told her about my friend's situation. I asked if I should keep the confidence or if I should tell our bishop so that someone else could be praying for them. She gave me the most simple and beautiful of third options.

She reminded me that in the temple that there are hundreds of patrons in dozens of sessions praying for those whose names are on the temple prayer rolls. By placing my friend and her husband on the temple prayer roll, there would be thousands of prayers offered for them over the course of the two weeks they remain on the list. By placing their names on the prayer roll, not only could I keep my promise not to tell anyone in the ward what was going on, but I could also radically increase the number of prayers on their behalf. The answer was so clear and so RIGHT.

I called every temple from Bountiful to Mount Timpanogos (Salt Lake was closed for cleaning) and put their names on the prayer roll. Then I waited and prayed.

Three days after she confided in me, my friend called me to say that the cancer screening had turned out negative. Hallelujah! One major bridge crossed. A brain tumor is still very scary stuff, but at least we knew there was no cancer in the location we had feared. Now just to wait for the results of the other test.

More prayers and waiting.

My friend called me late this afternoon. The screening for the brain tumor came back clear. Either they thought they saw a tumor and they were mistaken or the tumor has disappeared. There is no brain tumor!!!

The moment I got off the phone with my friend, I called my mother-in-law to tell her the good news.

I'm not sure what would have happened if my mother-in-law had not so sagely advised me to put their names in the temple. I do feel that her inspired counsel played a huge, positive part in the miracle that has happened for my friend and her husband.

They still don't have a cause for the symptoms my friend's husband is experiencing, which is frustrating. But, for now, there is definitely cause to rejoice. There was a strong possibility of two very serious, very scary diagnoses, and by a miracle neither of them came to pass.

I am so humbled and grateful for my Heavenly Father's love for me and my friends and for the influence of such a righteous woman in my life. I am grateful for miracles.

I've Added a New Widget

I've seen these cool "You Might Also Like" boxes on a few different blogs. They've usually been high traffic blogs with lots of posts. It never occurred to me that I could install such a feature on my own blog, until I saw it on my sister-in-law's blog. Very cool!! I've thought about it for about a week and I've decided to give it a go. My greatest concern is that I simply don't have enough blog entries to make this a worthwhile thing for anyone. So, if the recommended posts are just too repetitive or annoying, let me know and I'll take it off for a bit. ;)

A Little Dream Interpretation, Anyone?

I should preface this post by saying that RM has gone sugar-free. He stopped eating sugar in early July and has done really well with it. He is very strict. We will eat my homemade pancakes even though they have a little bit of sugar in the mix, but he doesn't eat jam or honey or syrup. He doesn't even eat peanut butter because it has too much sugar in it. Things like sweet & sour chicken are out too. He even stopped eating my home bottled fruit because they were canned with sugar, so this year I canned everything in juice instead.

He did allow himself some pie on Thanksgiving, some treats Christmas eve and day, and some fun stuff on New Year's eve and New Year's day. He also paid for his indulgences with killer headaches that lasted for a couple of days.

He has lost at least 11 pounds (I don't know when he weighed last to know if it's more yet) and several inches. He desperately needs to take his suit in to be taken in. It only stays on his body by the grace of his suspenders. Without them, he'd walk clean out of them in two steps. I keep encouraging him to keep going with it, because I can see a difference in how he feels and his health in general.

He has been encouraging me to join him for months.

Well, I finally decided to take the plunge, sort of. I knew my sweet tooth was out of control and I really needed to get my casual sugar snacking problem fixed. But, I wasn't ready to give up sugar entirely. So, starting after New Year, I decided to go sugar-free M-F, with permission to eat sugar with moderation on weekends and holidays. I'm not as strict as he is. I will drink juice without diluting it with water. I might have a PB sandwich now and again, etc. But, I am not randomly walking through my house snarfing sugar all day.

It's been a real challenge. I was actually quite resentful at first, but I've gotten over that. (At least most of the time. ;) ) I spend most of my week fantasizing about exactly what treats I'm going to eat when the weekend comes, though most of the time by the time the weekend has arrived I've lost the mania for what I wanted so badly. I've been really, really good. I'm trying really hard to keep the commitment, though I really doubt RM would give me too much grief if I strayed. However, some days are much harder than others.

Which brings me to the point of this post...

What does it mean if I dreamt that I ate a large bowl of ice cream for breakfast...and then felt hugely guilty when I realized it was Friday morning and not Saturday? :P

Pondering on the fragility of life...

I received word this morning that a friend who used to live in our ward passed away yesterday. (You can read about the circumstances here.) My heart is breaking for her family.

My heart is also breaking for the people of Haiti. Whenever wide scale disasters like this happen, my head and heart just reel thinking about how many people are just "gone".

I'm grateful for my testimony of the Plan of Salvation. I'm grateful that I know that our Heavenly Father loves us, knows each one of us personally, and is there for us in our needs. I'm grateful for my Savior and for the hope that comes with the promise of the resurrection. And, I pray for the comfort of the Holy Ghost for those in need of His comfort at this time.

You May Have Noticed...

A decided lack of new blog posts from me. I've got a few running around in my head, they just haven't managed to make it to cyberspace.

One of the reasons for this is that I have been reading blogs instead. I've missed getting all those little glimpses into your lives. However, some of you are so prolific in your posting that I don't think I'll be able to get "caught up" with all your posts. It makes me a bit sad, but that's just life I guess. Hopefully I'll make my way through my "Blogs I Try to Follow" list soon. So, if you suddenly find your inbox stuffed with notifications that I've been commenting on months old posts, you'll know what's going on. :P

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!

I meant to do this a long, long time ago, but I got so busy I just didn't get around to it. So, please forgive the post-dated entry and enjoy our family Christmas photo & letter. :D



The Our Family Update 2009

Renaissance Man has been crazy busy in 2009, juggling the responsibilities that come with being a full-time grad student, part-time network admin, head TA for the U of U ‘s Mechatronics course, ward financial clerk, husband and father. In his spare time he enjoys eating and sleeping. :) If everything goes as planned, he should graduate with his Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering in May. Ultimately he’d like to get a PhD and teach at a university, but unless circumstances change we’ll be taking a break and working for a bit before jumping back in.

MamaBug thought she was a busy person last spring when she volunteered to take over the position as Box Tops Coordinator at the kids’ school. That job turned into the additional responsibility of PTA Vice President for the upcoming school year. Shortly after she committed to PTA, she was called as Second Counselor in the Relief Society Presidency. In the last few months she has been in charge of a “low energy cooking methods” night (which had a bigger turn out than some of our ward parties), Super Craft Saturday, and the school’s Reflections contest. She has collected and counted thousands of Box Tops and soup labels and volunteered at the school eye clinic and in the kids’ classes. She also managed to can/dehydrate at least 15 different food products to add to our food storage. Now she is certain that she is a busy person. So, if this Christmas note arrives a bit late, she humbly begs your understanding and forgiveness. :)

Princess Bug, who turned 10 in October, has had a great year. In February she placed second place in the 3rd grade science fair with a project studying how best to remove fingernail polish from carpeting. (Anyone want to guess the inspiration for that project?) In early summer, Grandpa sold Princess Bug a digital camera and gave her photography lessons. Those lessons paid off with a first place finish in this year’s Reflections contest. Her entry has moved on to compete at the council level and we are all excited to find out how well she does. She loves to read and has a great sense of humor. She’s also becoming a great helper, especially with her baby brother, 'Lashes.

Sunshine Boy is wishing for his two front teeth for Christmas! He is 7 years old and eagerly awaiting his birthday in April so that he can be baptized. So far this school year he has been asked to be a peer mentor (to model good behavior & kindness for a classmate with issues) and placed 3rd in Visual Art in the Reflection’s contest. He has a talent and passion for building with Legos and designs some really cool ships! Renaissance Man says that he has “The Knack” just like his daddy. (If you aren’t familiar with the term, google “Dilbert The Knack”. It’s worth it. :) ) He has a tender heart and is very mellow and happy.

Bob is our busy, fun, big boy, 4 year old pre-schooler. The pre-school held parent teacher conferences for the first time this year. We were unsurprised to discover that at his start of year evaluation he has already passed end of year goals in his verbal and motor skills. Now we just have to work on his alphabet recognition. He is cheerful and outgoing, charming nearly everyone he meets. He loves playing with his big brother and sister and can’t wait for them to come home from school each day. He also helps keep an eye on 'Lashes. We suspect that in the near future, they will make a fearful (and wonderful) duo.

'Lashes will be 2 in February and is absolutely packed full of personality. He is trying out new words daily. He shocked us all a week or so ago when he followed the example of his big sister and brothers and told us all a knock knock joke. He has outrageously long eyelashes which he will bat at you with an infectious grin. He is the first of the kids to start out with dark hair and keep it. He knows how to move and climb our bar stools as well as how to unscrew lids and turn doorknobs, all of which he is employing regularly, much to MamaBug’s chagrin. He is sweet and cuddly most of the time, but he knows how to throw and impressive tantrum. He loves to tease and explore.

As a family, we joined MamaBug’s mom & aunt on a family vacation in June to Yellowstone National Park, Mount Rushmore and some LDS Church history sights. We loved hiking around and seeing all the cool natural features in Yellowstone. We thought Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse monuments were awesome. The only down side to it all was taking turns running a fever. We loved the whole vacation (the kids have already said they want to do it all over again, without being sick of course) and wished that we had had more time in each place. In July, we joined Renaissance Man’s brother, and his family on a camping trip to Posey Lake. Princess Bug renewed her love for fishing and Sunshine Boy caught his first fish (and a desire to go fishing more often). We all enjoyed paddling around the lake and taking a side trip to Devil’s Garden.

On the whole, we have had a very blessed, happy, and busy year. We send our love and prayers to all of you and wish you a very Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year.

Word Count & A Forgotten Favorite Photo Friday

Some of you may have noticed that my word count ticker for NaNoWriMo hasn't moved for several weeks. Truthfully, I wish I had done better than I have. However, I'm not feeling sorry for myself in the least. There were several factors that conspired against me. I let them and I'm okay with that. By participating in even a very limited way this year, I have already learned a TON that will prepare me for actually finishing the next time I attempt this. (Which I may very soon. Who cares if it isn't actually in November if I knock out 50,000 words in one month.)

I do want to share one little point of victory. I may not have been writing in a novel everyday this month, but I have made at least a small blog entry every day in November so far. It has been pretty fulfilling and a ton of fun. I just spent a few minutes doing a bit of tallying. Prior to the start of this entry, I have blogged approximately 6497 words between this blog and my private blog. If you add that to what I did on my novel and you'll get about 7225 words.

Not too bad. Definitely more than I've written in any given month for YEARS. It's good practice and I'm grateful for it.

I also realized today that in the hubbub of Black Friday shopping, I neglected to post a favorite photo for Favorite Photo Friday, so here it is now. I can't look at this one without breaking into a fit of giggles.



This one is SO BOB!! It was taken 3/07, just as Bob was approaching his 2nd birthday. Here he is in all his messy faced glory, riding the toy horse that Princess Bug brought home from the circus. Oh, he makes me laugh! This was before our kitchen/front room remodel and you can see the old icky brown cabinets, the big hole in the linoleum, and the horrible dark brown carpet. Nice. Yup, I don't miss those at all. :D

P.S. I'm giving you all fair warning that I'll be fiddling around with my backgrounds for a bit. Last time I did that, I was driving my sister-in-law all sorts of crazy and she had to come back later. :P

Black Friday

I'm not a crazy, rabid Black Friday shopper. I've never gotten up at 4am to go stand in lines to get that thing that everyone just has to have. I do, however, make my way around to a few stores to get things that I want after the main crush of crazy is over. I'm stoked to say that I managed to knock off a big chunk of my shopping today. :D There are still a few things we need to find, but we've gotten a lot finished.

So, do you get up at the crack of dawn to track down the perfect deal?