Last Post of 2010

Happy New Year, everyone!  2010 was wonderful and I am anticipating that 2011 will be even better!

If you're reading this in a reader, you'll have to click to my blog to see the video.

Christmas Summary

This will be the shortest Christmas post in blogland because, quite frankly, I don't feel like dragging it out because I'm ready for 2011!   Year 2010 was wonderful, don't get me wrong, but it will be nice to have a fresh start.  Ya know what I mean, jelly bean?!

Anyhoo.....

My mom puts a little treat in the advent calendar for each of them to open everyday.

 

 Landon turned this Christmas paper wrapping paper tube into 1.) a sword 2.) a gun 3.) a telescope and 4.) a horse.

 Parker saying the blessing before Christmas Eve dinner.

We were supposed to do Christmas Eve with my side of the family at our house but one of us had been sick just the day before and we couldn't afford to give that nasty bug to one of my frail grandparents so we cancelled.

Cameron and Parker opening up presents on Christmas Eve.

My aunt and uncle were brave enough to quickly drop the kids' presents off.

Obviously I didn't take this one, Mom did.  We didn't get our picture taken on Thanksgiving like we usually do but I love this one of all of us in our Christmas clothes.

We felt like everyone was feeling well enough to go for a little while to Brian's parents' house for Christmas and we didn't stay very long and kept them away from his granny.   Brian's sister, Lisa, always comes over from London to visit.  Unfortunately, because we had been sick we didn't get to have a Scrabble Smackdown rematch.  I'm the reigning champ, from earlier this year, thanks to Brian suggesting I put down "lad" as my last move!

And the most fun of all was had the day after Christmas because we got snow in Atlanta on Christmas Day!

I've lived here in Georgia for 23 years and never had even snow flurries on Christmas so I felt like a kid again.

And the [pants] were all hung by the chimney with care...

in hopes of drying them out so we could go back outside and  play some more!

Go to Beth's blog for more Holiday Favorite photos.

 

Lone Survivor ... So Far

Captain's Log:

Stardate December 29th, 2010.

I will write about Christmas and post pictures from that happy day some day.

But right now there is only agony.  Vomit and agony and gloom and despair.

Since December 6th someone in my family has thrown up every other day - which is why I haven't blogged hardly at all in a month.   I have disinfected, washed, cleaned and taken at least one to the doctor (who said he thought we were probably done with it and offered the advice to treat their bellies like volatile volcanos) and nothing has helped.

I am the lone survivor.  Six out of seven of us have had this particular ailment at least once each and Anna and Landon have had it three times.

Every time someone asks, "How are you all doing?" or "Is everyone finally done throwing up?" then someone else throws up!  It's like this bug is lying in wait...lurking behind shadows...and when it hears its name mentioned...IT   POUNCES  on its next victim!!!!  I think its out to get me and it won't stop picking on everyone else until it has me in its calamitous clutches.

I think I hear it now...creeping around like Gollum...................*shudder*

The light at the end of my tunnel is fading fast...Is it hopeless?

Vomit and agony and gloom and despair.

Sunday Stuff

I'm about to take the afternoon "off".  I need a little break after being all cooped up in the house for the last 2 weeks with sick kids and they will all be in the house for the next 2 weeks for Christmas break.  And there will be talking.  Lots and lots of talking.  So I need to make a little quiet space in my brain so there will be room to fill it up.  Unfortunately, what I want, more than anything, is a nap.  Anyone know of a nice peaceful place to go take a nap?  Don't they have places like that in Japan?

But, before I get out of the house, I have a warning for you.

If you get your child a Kid's Meal at Wendy's and the "toy" inside comes in a package that looks like this:




Then it's going to come with instructions that look like this:

And it will come with 35 different paper pieces to fit together and will take you approximately an hour to put it together (assuming you don't have an engineering degree).

So, proceed with caution!  If you don't want to have to put this contraption together then I HIGHLY recommend slipping it out of the Kid's Meal bag BEFORE you hand it to your child.

 

Confidence Booster

Two months ago I discovered the greatest compliment given to me while browsing a blog that I follow.   Napangel has me listed in her blogroll under "Photography"  and I am in the company of some really incredible photographers there.  Included are Matt Armendariz, David DuChemin, Natalie Norton and Ree Drummond (a.k.a. Pioneer Woman).  And Ann is an amazing photographer!  I love her perspective!  And I was floored when I saw she thought enough of my images to include me in that list.  Thank you, Ann.  It made a HUGE impact in my confidence and it makes me want to be a better photographer.

Create your own free digital slideshow

You Capture - Outside

I took a couple of pretty boring outside shots earlier in the week.  But then Atlanta got covered in a sheet of slippery ice last night!  So, before breakfast, I got out this morning to take some of  these pictures before the ice melted.   

Taken on Monday when we got a tiny dusting of snow.

 

 Taken yesterday.

 I do love that in winter all the birdies' nests are revealed.

Taken today.

 

 

 

And I'm counting this in my "outside" assignment because it was made possible by perfect light from this tiny window in Anna's room.  No need to go outside if I can still get beautiful pictures like this from the comfort of the house.

Goodbye Grinchy Feelings

 It's been 11 days since my last post.  That's how long we've been at war with The Vomit Bug.  The Bug claimed victims #4 and #5 today from our family of seven.  Needless to say, blogging has not been high on my priority list.  Laundry and holding puke buckets and keeping people hydrated and comfortable have been my life for the last week and a half.

But I have managed to squeeze in some time during naps to take a few pictures of the house so I could link up today to The Nester's Christmas Tour of Homes.  

To be honest, I didn't feel much like decorating this year.   Let me rephrase that.  I didn't feel like decorating very much this year.  I wanted it to be simple.

I wanted to buy some white quilted stockings this year but the kids really wanted their own stockings up so of course that's what I did.  One day, a decade or two from now, their stockings will hang over their own fireplaces and then I can choose some different ones and I will still probably hang up the old ones anyhow. 

I didn't want to move any furniture out of the family room this year and the only other place for the tree was in the dining room.  But I had to move the table around and take out the leaf and hang the pictures on a different wall.  And I've decided I like this arrangement better.

There is a small tree in Anna's room and the boys each got a little tabletop tree for their rooms this year. 

Yesterday, God added his own little touch to the overall look.

I had been feeling kind of Bah-Humbuggish until we went to our church's Christmas program last night.  This year there were no dancing reindeer, no Christmas shoes, no carols and no glitz.  It was all about The Lamb and it restored my Christmas spirit.  Because He came for me.

And He came to live sinlessly and He came to die so that I might live.

 And He has given me wings and He has given me Peace.  And I couldn't ask for anything more. 

 

You Capture - Kindred

These were mostly taken this past weekend from my very first family photoshoots!  I'm ready to get this thing started. 

Not all of these images of kindred show blood-relations but in some way they are each connected to eachother.

More kindred captures at:

November 2010 Photo Hunt Challenge

This is my first time participating in a Photo Hunt Challenge.  

You Capture is more like a weekly assignment but in this one you get to actually vote for your favorites.

Home Sweet Home

Thankful

Family

I Ate This...

and I want more!

A Turkey...

in the most figurative sense and in the most affectionate way.
Little stinker!

Something Hand-Made

I'm so glad I finally took a picture of this quilt I made out of Anna's baby clothes!

I always remember to take pictures of the quilts I've made for other babies but I have neglected to do the same thing for the quilts I've made for my own babies.

Something Hot...

and oh so delicious!

There's nothing like a steamy bowl of gumbo to warm you up on a chilly afternoon!

Something Cold

Outside air temperature that day: 55 degrees.

I love the contrast of those crazy guys in the water and the people bundled up walking on the beach.

Something Orange

Anything Goes