Planning ahead to 2014...grateful for a wonderful 2013

2013 is almost finished.  2014 is about to begin.  What are you doing and thinking as this year ends?

I am excited to sit down for dinner or lunch if schedules are hectic and go through our memory jar.  I told the boys (and I know) they will be amazed at the things we did and I wrote about for us.  Really looking forward to this before our oldest DS heads back to college and we all go back to school on Monday.

I am thinking about my One Word for 2014.  If you have not heard of this check out Ali Edwards blog...it's where I think I first heard of it...or from someone else who follows her.  I really need to sit down and figure out what my words in the past have been....I have them written down in my scrap area but finding them, well that area is a 'resolution' for 2014.

Resolutions...do you do them?  I kind of do but rarely follow through (except the memory jar :) ).  I would like to do several things this year connected to my One Word though so maybe this is the year for me.

No pressure....that is one gift I am giving myself.  After a busy week of Christmas prep and celebrating, a trip to the Belk Bowl, and now a couple of celebrations for the New Year....I am wanting to relax and plan 2014....not going to put pressure on myself to get the decorations down or do the returns/exchanges before back to work.  There is time next week and weekend for those things, right?

I am truly appreciating the blessings that are in my life....family, friends, and so much more.  I am terrible about the end of a year usually, but I am trying to focus on the blessings and gifts of my life and look forward instead of feeling like I didn't do enough.  It is so easy to feel guilt....I'm going to try and feel joy instead.  Sounds like a wonderful way to start a New Year! :)

How about you?  If you see my blog please leave me a comment and let me know how you send off a good year and welcome a new year.

Wishing you a wonderful last few days and hours of 2013.

Rhonda

What have you been up to this year?

Well, I think I said I would post more when I posted right after the New Year....and now here it is November and not a post.  Oh well...I have kept up with the jar of memories from this year.  I am super excited to go through those at the end of the year with my family.  I am actually thinking of turning this into a cool yearly activity, and adding our special memories to a book that we keep year-to-year. :)

Here is a pic of ours:

This is a shelf in our kitchen wall cabinets...I keep an extra supply of small papers behind it, and there is a pen close by.  I don't write something everyday.  I do include big events, but I think the small events are what make us appreciate each other even more.  For example, DH worked in his workshop today, I helped host a baby shower with my Mom, DS1 is home this weekend from college, DS2 has an indoor soccer game tonight, and DS3 finished his novel project.  Those are things that tell a lot about us and are part of our everyday happiness. :)

BTW, that shelf is NEVER that clean...just took down Halloween decorations so it looks very tidy....for now. ;)

If you are reading my blog...thanks!  Hope your everyday is filled with happiness.

Rhonda :)

2013

A new year...a fresh start...filled with so much opportunity and promise!

So excited for the new year.  Still deciding on some goals here at our house. 

One idea I have ready to go is from Pinterest (silent cheer...love P).  We have an empty, glass container in the kitchen and a stack of cute, pre-cut scrapbook paper right beside it.  The idea is to write down neat things that happen throughout the year...then on New Year's Eve 2013 we can read through them and remember so many great times. 

Here is the Pinterest pic.  I will try to add ours later.

 

 



I am also looking for a 'word' for the year.  I have picked one many times in the past.  The original idea came from Ali Edwards scrapbooking/life blog.  I have had peace, compassion, strength...and a few more.  I have also not had a word, like last year.  I find it fun and motivating to do so, and so I am thinking of my word.

SOAR has come to mind in many places lately, starting with Stephanie Howell's blog (which I love too...she is another neat person to follow).  Then I saw it on a float in the Rose Bowl parade.  I rarely watch the entire parade, but since my mother-in-law always asks I decided to watch this year and it really was cool to see and only was an hour, which suprised me.  Anyway she didn't ask this year...hahaha...figures, right?   But that is okay, because it was a nice way to start my day. :)

So, I have so many things I want to share....scrapbooking, mom-ing, teaching, etc, but I never seem to keep up with "post-ing".  Here's hoping in the New Year I do better and I grow my followers.  I so appreciate all of you with the patience of a saint who have been followers for a while. :)  Hope you all will want to come along and see how it goes.

Wishing everyone a wonderful 2013 filled with love and laughter!

Rhonda :)

New Year's Eve 2012

I hope you had a wonderful 2012...and I am wishing everyone a blessed 2013 filled with love and laughter. :)

Silence for Sandy Hook Elementary

Sunday, December 15, 2012, a day of silence by teachers to honor and remember the children, teachers and faculty....the entire community of Newtown, Connecticut.

Summer Sweet Summer

We are having an amazing summer around our house. Although time is flying by as usual, it's easy to sit and think about how wonderful it has been already. No big vacations this year or activities, just the usual things and a lot of relaxing. Last week was our church festival, which DH has co-chaired with his friend for 8 years. It is a huge undertaking, and it takes time all year, everyday that week and of course the whole weekend. It requires not only DH, but our whole family works so hard with him. With great relief it is over and this was their last year to be in charge. It is time for another group to step up and take over, and for us to let that responsibilty go. Such relief that it seems to have gone well...numbers will tell in a month or so....and that we are finished with it is such a lift off our shoulders. DH has been grateful to all who help each year, and we continue to pray that others will step up with the new team. If a few members of the church and school can do what we did, just imagine what could be accomplished with everyone helping out!

School has been out since May 18th....I attended a great Smart Board conference last week, and have read a little here and there for school while watching t.v. or by the pool. Mostly I have given myself permission to NOT do any school stuff for a while. Loving teaching as much as I do it is so easy to work on school things everyday and lose hours or days in it, but instead I am making myself wait and actually step away from it a little. If I don't, summer break will be over before I know it and I won't have given myself that physical, mental and even emotional break that I really need to give myself from a job I love but takes so much from me and my family all year.

Our house is always slightly cluttered, and you can find a hairball or dust of course....but we live here and I'm actually really pleased with how together the house is this summer overall. I took the first few weeks of break and decluttered some major areas that nag at me all year, and even cleaned up most of the flower beds...major undertaking. There is always more to do, but overall it's just a comfortable lived-in look. ;) I can sit on the porch with a good book and not feel guilty, and that is priceless.

Plans for the next few weeks include a camping trip (major relaxation), a conference in Indy (taking the boys), and in July starting to work on school again. For now, I'm going to go refill my coffee and relax.

I hope anyone who actually reads my blog is enjoying summer in their own way too...and that you are finding time to do the things you love with those you love. :)

Ahhh, summer sweet summer. R.

June!

Sorry about that Christmas card holder/April Fool's Day post that came up on June 1st. I had prepared it way in advance and dated it for later...well guess what...so busy it is now later! Anyway, it didn't make sense...but thanks Missy for commenting on the card holder. I will post it again later. So busy catching up at home and this is our 3rd week off school. I will say I am getting a lot accomplished that always seems to fall to the side during the school year...so that is good. :) Hope you are relaxing and enjoying your summer! R.

National Scrapbook Day!

Super fun day for me today...scrapping all day! I did a few challenges, missed one deadline but at least ended up with a cute card, and visited my favorite scrap sites. Still going, but thought I'd stop for a moment and share some creations. Hope you enjoy and find some inspiration for your own scrapping goodness. :) This first project is for Missy's challenge at Quick Chick Designs (click on her button on the right side of my blog to visit her too). This challenge is part of the My Pink Stamper blog hop. She asked us to use the theme "Get Moving". I took it to use the pics of DS2 as he was moving across a waterpark course all day...and I took pics of one of his successes! He had so much fun and I've always wanted to turn these pics into that flipbook. Thanks to Missy and NSD I can now share this idea with everyone. :)

I tried to upload a quick video to show you how the flip book works but I couldn't get the video to load, so here are a couple of pics from the book to give you an idea of how it works. Super simple project, but DS2 is thinking it is very cool of him...and so maybe I'm cool too? ;)

More scrap goodness from NSD!

I absolutely *LOVE* the Home lo. Love it, love it, love it! :) The card got icky with the letters...they were so small and glue was everywhere...definitely need to work on attaching individual small letters to my projects. I usually use my Xyron machines for this stuff, but these were so small I thought they might fall through my small machine so I used liquid glue..Zots maybe? Anyway, someone (me) needs to do that better next time. DS1 said he would use the card to give to me for Mother's Day...lol. Off to scrap more! I'll post more if I can. Have a great NSD! Rhonda :)

"REST" one little word that has lost its meaning today :)

Hello! :) It's been a very busy time for us...every weekend has been filled with great major events. Today I actually had to write on my personal calendar "REST" just so I would do it when the day came. Of course, REST now includes helping DS3 complete a project presentation for tomorrow, and placing orders for my classroom next year which are due tomorrow. We have had the Bridal Shower, DS1's Prom and After Prom, and a Retirement party for a teacher at school who has been there for 40 years! Still working on another end-of-the year retirement gift we are giving her the last day of school, so of course that is being worked on during my day of REST. lol Oh yeah, and I will REST over laundry too. I will add some pictures soon of the toys we made at the Humane Center last weekend when I brought in the 6-12 year old kids for an activity day...all were made with recycled products and the kids really enjoyed doing their part for the animals. At school this week we made fish which are hanging in our Kindergarten classroom. We started our Ocean theme last week and will continue for part of next week too. I hope your day truly is RESTful, and your week is fantastic! Rhonda :)

Promises

So I kind of promised to share more Easter crafts this week..but with a four-day school week packed with learning and an Easter egg hunt, Stations of the Cross, and myself and my DS3 having dentist appointments that required me to leave school a little early two days this short week...well, that promise just didn't happen.

So, let me take you on a walk through my week and Easter weekend....

I Promise never to forget to stop and see my childrens' shadows...they grow and grow and they are always there for me to see (mine too sitting by him taking pictures, lol).


I Promise to always stop and enjoy the beautiful scent from these lilac bushes. My Grandmother would have been 105 on March 31st...she lived to be 101 and we still miss her so, but we appreciate the fact that she truly had a long and beautiful life. She loved these bushes and when DH commented on them the other day I knew just how much the simple smell of those beautiful flowers brings joy to so many and I promise not to forget it.



I Promise to laugh at the male people in my household that are happy over things that are hilarious to me...like a new big screen t.v. A total splurge for a wonderful man who works so hard to take such great care of us...I promise to laugh at these guys when they confuse me but also appreciate them tremendously.


I Promise to enjoy sunsets...at the beach...on our porch...and along a road.


I Promise to always make a shower or party more personal by doing more than buying everything...using my creative abilities for my cousin has been a joy. It's going to be so beautiful and she will love it! Here are the pom-poms we made for decorations. Totally a Pinterest find...love them!


I Promise to enjoy Easter dinner on the good china with three boys in the household...

I Promise to be so grateful for those same boys helping me plant a ton of Hostas from my Mom, which is a lot of work, but add such beauty to our home...

and....I Promise to always Thank God every day and night for this family that I am blessed to be a part of each day.



I wish you all a Happy Easter and a blessed Spring!

Rhonda :)