Ready for 2014!

Oh my goodness!  Another year has flashed by.... and in a hurry. 

 

I'm already planning for 2014 to be a great year!

 

This Little Cupcake will turn one in a few months!

 

 

 

 

 

I've no doubt she will be walking soon.  She stands all by herself, will take a couple steps before tumbling, and is showing of some very entertaining dance moves! Has 6 teeth already, and knows what food is!

 

I've picked my one little word of the year.  Focus.  It's going to be a big word this year!

I will hit the big 50 this year.  Not sure when that happened, but, I do know that I am still wearing capris, jeggings and leggings, and I'm not cutting my hair!  Matter of fact, I may put a blue streak in it next time!

This year may be the year I jump of the diving board.  I really do need to do that. hahaha I've only been saying this for what, 4 years now? I think I really only say it to give David hope that it will happen

Going to work more on my photography, because for the last 2 or 3 months, I've not been liking what I'm seeing come out of my camera.  Hmmmm, wonder if that means I should be a little less critical of what I'm snapping.

Seriously wanting  this little baby, but not sure I need it.

 

I plan to do lots of experimenting with cooking this year.  I'm going to learn to chop onions like a pro and flip items in the skillet just by using my wrist... AND, not get burned or cut any body parts off in the process!   Seriously though, I'm going to broaden my cooking skills! 

 

Mainly though, I'm going to find some kind of time to carve out for myself.  I seemed to have lost that this past year, with someone needing something from me on a pretty regular basis.  I had enough of that, and 2014, the year I turn 50, it's my year!   (and that starts next week, just as soon as I finish everything on my honey do/momma do list!)

 

 

and now, a few pictures from Christmas Eve.

 

she was thinking she was going to take her Santa hat off.  I was thinking she wasn't.  She won.

 

 

I really am so very proud of the daddy he is.  He is so in love with her.

    

                             They really are fun, and I think maybe big things are in store for them

                                    She seriously has her Aunt J wrapped around her little finger

 

                                                           Love her facial expressions

Now, let's make 2014 a most fabulous year!

Back to being right...

Think things are starting to calm down a little on the home front.  I sure hope so, because I've been totally zapped of all mojo!  Seriously, I've done nothing creative in about 6 weeks.  Good news is some ideas are starting to gather, and that makes me smile!  Thankfully, I've got several layouts that I've completed and not blogged, because for a few weeks there the mojo was flowing fast and furiously, and I wasn't about to stop it!  Something else I realized a couple of days ago, not only have I not done any playing with paper, but I've not touched my camera in at least that long too.  I'm ready for my world to get back to being right!

Here is a layout that somehow it didn't turn out on paper the way I had it pictured in my head.  I'm pretty sure that's because I got a little finger heavy with the mist!  I believe I'd like it better if there were less misting on the left side, but, I'm keeping it as it is.  Who knows, heavy misting might be all the rage in a year or two.

Besides, my main goal was to get this pictures of Jessica scrapped, and I did.  Honestly, when I look at this layout, I see her bright smiling face, and that's all that really matters.

The picture is dark, and I apologize for that, it was late when I took these.  The sun had already gone down, and I know better.  In the picture of the 4 of them standing, do you see how tiny she is compared to the other girls.  You'd think she was years younger, no, just months.  Matter of fact, she may not even be the youngest one there.

I've been wanting to get started on some of the kids pictures when they were babies/toddlers, and I finally took the plunge.  I may not be thrilled with the design of the layout, but I am thrilled to have these pictures down.  One down, forty-nine thousand to go! :)

Miss Zoey after she took a dip in the pool.  She is a one of a kind dog, there is no doubt about that!

Another layout for the house album.  These pictures were from the first day we got the keys to the house.  Yes, even Zoey came down to go swimming.   What can I say, our dogs don't really know they are dogs.  To this day, if Zoey is there, while she doesn't just jump in the pool if we are in it, she does come down the steps like a person, and waits at the edge of the water with this eagerness that is too funny.  I really think she wants to get in, but she wants us to chase her first, and then put her in.  She is a mess!

                            

My Jess-a-belle!

I've been meaning to write a post about my Jessica, the lady she has grown up to be, how proud I am of her, and how she really is a bright star in my life.    let me warn you, it's picture heavy.


This was her 20 years ago, waiting to perform at a dance recital. That smile she has on her face, she kept it there daily for about the next 10 years.  She'd smile while playing soccer and softball, the entire game.  She'd smile while on stage dancing.  She'd just smile at total strangers.  She loved me so during that time, until one day she looked at a picture and saw how I had styled her hair.  That was they day she told me I could no longer fix her hair!  Only her Aunt Devia.

Then 15 years later she met a boy.  Somehow I knew this boy was going to be different from any other one she'd ever met.  It could have been how on Christmas night, just two months after dating they told me they were getting married... and I went nuts.. told her that was the most insane thing I'd ever heard.  She didn't even know him... but she says, he is being deployed to Afghanistan in a few weeks and we want to get married first. I'm thinking if she is going to marry this boy then I'll have to stop calling him this boy!  Josh was very nice... teased me a lot about them getting married.... cause you see, it was a big mean joke... that I didn't find out about for a few hours because I left the house.

But propose, Josh did, and with great style.  If you haven't read the story of his proposal, you shoul d take and minute to go look at her webpage. It's a great story.  What her story doesn't tell is I'd have Josh texting me telling what was going on and her texting asking if I knew what was going on.  Anyway, take a minute and look at it if you have time.       www.mywedding.com/jgreeneandjmckee

Then things got crazy after that.  Jess first needed to finish school, and she did.  She did really well, sat on a couple of boards, and maintained an excellent GPA.  There are no words to describe how proud you feel at that moment.  It tends to make me get a little weepy, and I just get really quiet and find me a corner.  Strange for me I know.

An education degree, with a certification in Special Eduacation. Then she went out and got a job. A 5 day a week, teaching 3 & 4 year old children. She loves it!  And she loves those kiddos.

She's had quite the year, because then she treated herself.  She and Josh went shopping and she came home with a new car.  She loves this !  It's a sweet little ride... and she hasn't let me drive it yet. I don't understand!

And since she has now graduated college, it's time to work on the wedding.  We gathered up her bridesmaids and went dress shopping.  I must say, I was a little worried about having them all there at once... but it was not bad at all.  They are really funny.  I had my BF there as well, she took care of the dresses and Jess, cause she knows that stuff, and I stood back and did what I do... took a 100 pictures!

The girls all going through the dresses trying to help her find one, and they each picked one they liked and made her try it on. Some of them she'd just give her friend a look, not even say a word.

 Here are the girls, (we are missing  one, K'Lea, she arrived a little late) as they wait for her to come stand in front of the mirror and ooohh and ahhhh, or do her quick 5 second glance and say nope!

Here's a little sneak peek at the dress she feel in love with.  She rang the bell, and I started to cry.  I walked towards a corner and she followed me... guess so she could cry to.  It truly was a moment I'll never forget!

The picture is a little blurry.... but it's ok... it's supposed to be a secret!  Her daddy isn't even getting to see the dress until the moment!

A few weeks ago I went with Jess & Josh and took some pics that they could use as engagment and to get their Save The Dates ordered. I think we will be going back in a month to do more... but for now thought I'd share a couple of my favs.

And the final thing I want to say, is that yesterday was my Jess-a-belle's birthday, she turned 23, so Happy Birthday My Beautiful Daughter!   I'm pretty positive she's happy, and isn't that what we really want for our kids... to be happy.  Well that and for them to take care of us when we are old!!  And now, guess we'll be getting busy with wedding plans.  The next few months are going to be busy.  But great!

I love you bug!