2011 is over?

How does this happen!?!? It goes so quickly. I'm going through facebook and twitter. Everyone giving New Years greetings, etc....makes me want to reflect on 2011. So, here I am...reflecting! ;)

2011 Top Eleven list:
11. Seeing my sweet friend Syl at another friend's wedding! I hadn't seen her in a couple of years. She went to med school with Heath and is truly an amazing friend!
10. Italy: I was so fortunate to go to Italy this year with my mother in law and sister in law. I got to meet some AMAZING people who I consider my friends! There is something about a group of scrappers...when you have something in common like memory keeping, you have an instant special connection! Thank you Jim West and Ali Edwards for making this trip possible!
9.  Spending several days with a dear friend doing my best to take care of her and give her moral support during a difficult time....just us. (and her husband) I truly treasured this special time.
8. "Family Ranger Nights" as Madysen named them. We watched the Texas Rangers a lot this year...mostly in TV since we live out of state but we able to go to two games at the Ballpark! We had a fun time watching them make it to the World Series! Go Rangers!
7. Disney Cruise! How fun it was...it was one of our all time favorite family vacations!
6. Kanakuk: I was elated to pick Hunter up from Kamp this year! He got the "Starburst" award for being the encourager of his cabin.
5. Hosting my family at Thanksgiving. Living out of state away from our families means we go home more than they come to my house. It was fabulous having my sister, brother in law, mom and dad at my house for Thanksgiving. It seems that most  of the time we have to travel if we want to see our families during the holidays so it was a special time to host people at my house and not have to travel to see my family at the holidays.
4. Being in Waco when my sweet nephew Avery was born! Heath made it possible for me to come home when Robyn had him. We were all here together. Such an amazing time when a new baby is welcomed into the family
3. Baylor...I've grown up loving Baylor. My dad graduated from there in 1969 (I did in 1998). I was raised going to homecoming and maybe even another game during a football season. Then, we moved to Waco when I was 10. My dad and I went to nearly every game...football and basketball, and later baseball. I LOVE Baylor. Love. Anyway, it has been a magical year for Baylor athletics. We started the year off hosting a Baylor alumni watch party for the BU/TCU game in Albuquerque. We celebrated BIG was when Robert Griffin III won the Heisman trophy and cheered them on to a 10 win season which concluded at the Alamo Bowl this weekend. Now our men's and women's basketball are both in the top 10...about to both be in the top 5! So fun and amazing to be a Bear! Sic 'em!
2.One Little Word: I adopted my OWL this year as "Create." I've been challenged to take a couple of creative risks and look at things a little differently. I've loved this experience, and can't wait to get started on my OLW for 2012! What I've done with Create: started a Photography business, started back with paper scrapping, continuing digital scrap design, done my best with creating some new experiences and memories with my family, learning to create a website right now! LOL
1. 15 years...yes, this was Heath and my 15 year anniversary! I can't believe it, but I have to say, this was the highlight of my year...it helps that it was just a few days ago! LOL I LOVE YOU HEATH!


Happy New Year! (and don't forget to eat your Black Eyed Peas!)

December Daily: Catch up till Dec 16...

I'm still going, just having issues getting them here!

Dec 12: Started wrapping presents!

Dec 13: Made some Texas Trash!

Dec14: Snowing outside...beautiful behind the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree!

Dec15: Madysen wanted a new Christmas shirt for her party at school. We found one at Target.

Dec16: Hunter took cookies to his school party. Madysen performed her Reader's Theatre at her party! (In her new shirt!)

December Daily: Catch up till Dec 11...

I'm behind on blogging. I was behind on putting my pages together, but at least I had the photos...or at least all but one day! Here are the catch up photos.

Dec 7:

 Dec 8:

 Dec 9:

 Dec 10:

 Dec 11:

December Daily: Dec 5 and 6

I'm keeping up so far...and it's been a week. That's very exciting to me! I just hope I can keep it up!

Dec 5: SNOW DAY for the kids-no school! We decided on popcorn and movies all day! We had tortilla soup for lunch. It was a great day to relax in front of the fire!





















Dec 6: Today I went with Hunter and his 5th grade class to the Little Theatre to see "A Christmas Story." It was a great play and got both of us excited to watch the movie on Christmas Day like always!

December Daily: Dec 3 and 4

I got both of my pages done already today! I'm on my way to a party and don't have time to sum up the journaling, but at least they are finished in my album!

December Daily: Dec 2

Here is yesterday's page!
Journaling:
Today was a day full of work and trying to keep warm! We also spent the day waiting for it to snow! While at dinner with the Ashcrafts, it FINALLY began to snow!

December Daily: Dec 1

So, here is my page for Day1!!! I'm going to do my best to keep up with posting these here!
Inside cover with our tree and stockings...which is the first sign of Christmas at our house every year.

Dec 1:
{journaling} The Elf on the Shelf made his appearance today. He is new to us, so the kids got to name him! "Scout" even surprised M by changing positions while she was at school! She can wait to look for him tomorrow!

(I've decided to take pictures of each day's spread with my "hipstamatic" app on my phone. Then I THINK I might make a digi page of all the pictures!)

December Daily!

I have given in...I'm doing December Daily! Ali Edwards does this every year. I tried last year and made it about 10 days in...but with no pre-made album. It didn't work for me. I've been debating this for a month and REALLY wanting to for the past week. I've talked myself out of it every day b/c I'm too busy...until today. Ali totally gave me some awesome encouragement, and I was avoiding work. So, I took about 2 hours to make my album!

I used 7gypsies 6x6 book board and cosmo crickets' christmas paper...I had a 6x6 pad of paper! I also used some page protectors cut up for the photos. Here is what I have so far!

Cover

Inside Cover

Day 1

Bathroom Remodel!

I'm slow on blogging in general, but the bathroom remodel is finished!!! YAY!!!

Here are a couple of awful photos before the remodel! I have some others from when we moved in, but I think they were lost when my EHD crashed last year.

And the before of the walls in my bedroom!

How much do you just love that black and pink swirled granite tiles! I didn't realize how DARK this made the bathroom...oh and how lovely is the carpet in the bathroom!

So, we kept the exact same layout as before to save money and because the layout was good and worked for us. (We did have a budget b/c of the insurance pay out.)

Here is what we did do.....hope you like!

The new vanity area...we replaced the vanity, sinks, etc. Everything but the mirror is new! 

And the new cabinet in the wc...

New tub area...we replaced the tub, all the faucets and tile.

And the shower...we replaced tile and put in a niche for our shampoo, etc. Also replaced the faucents...Heath loves his new sprayers. I went a bit more simple!

Look how cool our tile is! So much better than that carpet!

And finally, my favorite thing we did...the DOOR!!! Remember when I talked about it here. Well, I STILL love it, probably always will. I will say, Emma (our black lab) has learned how to open the door with her nose so she can drink out of the toilet...yes, she totally does that! Doesn't your dog?

See that outlet that isn't finished on the wall? We had a niche there, but had it filled in and am currently looking for a cool sconce to go in the space over my picture.  You can't tell here, but we had our bedroom painted too. This boring color is one shade darker than the bath...it's not nearly as pink as the original color. (Plus our back wall was this sponge painted burgundy color...not my style at all!)

Well, that's it! I'm so excited that it's finally finished and I LOVE it!

European Escapades: San Gimignano and the winery!

Seriously, San Gimignano is my favorite Tuscan city....it was when I went with Heath and it still is. It's beautiful! The views...OMG!!! Here is what it looked like when we got there...a bit foggy! Still so cool tho!

Wait a few pictures to see how it looked at the end of our visit!

Here is Holly, Molly, and Ali as we got off the bus.

And the COOL wall that surrounds the city.

And a picture that Poalo (Ali's travel buddy) took of us at the wall.

Once inside...we were the last of the group. (this is no surprise today, as we were in Lucca also. One man stopped us and asked if we were part of a photography tour...b/c there are too many big lenses us there!)  We stopped almost as soon as we entered the city walls b/c I spotted a cool little alcove with stairs...I wanted to stop and play with the self-timer on my camera. Here is the fun result!

Now, my favorite thing (or one of them) in SG is the World Champion Gelato place. I LOVE this one...starts with a Z and is some sort of wine gelato...(it's not Zinfandel), but way more Italian in name! LOL

My first 2 scoops...

And my last 3...YES, it was a FIVE scoop day!!! Seriously, it's SO GOOD!!!! (with 2 Z scoops and 1 pistaccio aka pistachio)

And, just a few of my other favorite pictures of the day...

a sidewalk cafe

my change and receipt for gelato

a cool little side street

my lunch (artichoke and tomato pizza)

an amazing view...with laundry!

another cool side street

 a fun set of doors

a cool archway near that door

me eating my lunch (don't ask me why this is out of order, but I can't get it back in order!)

me taking a picture of a side street...holding my painting under my arm! 

Oh, i just L.O.V.E. this little Tuscan city!! I want to go back and stay near here or HERE with my family...maybe one day...

And, here is the beautiful view ...from almost the same spot as when we got there. Now, the fog has lifted.

After SG, we traveled just a few miles to a winery--San Donato.

walking up to the winery

the group learning about the winery!

 wine...this way....I'm just sure that's what is says!

The bird next to the W.C. I used.

How cool are these wine bottles! 

the table

the food

Jim West, Molly, and I (this is his normal picture face, seriously.)

After 4 attempts, he finally smiled!

cheers with Birute, Heather, and Jamie

Statue posing...I'm the dog if you can't tell

Molly posing

Holly...the sleeping Lion

Molly...the roaring Lion!

Holly taking pictures

the big oak barrels of wine

The Canadians in the bathtub!  Love you ladies! You are so much fun!

Us, in the bathtub! (can you tell who'd had more to drink?!?!?!)

 

Looking out the bathroom window!

It was a good day! (that ended with a nap!)