Just a minute of my time...

Being inspired...

 

I have been reading the book Ordinary sparkling moments and continue to be inspired with each page I turn!

When we focus our energy towards constructing a passionate, meaningful life, we are tossing a pebble into the world, creating a beautiful ripple effect of inspiration.  When one person follows a dream, tries something new or takes a daring leap, everyone nearby feels that energy and before too long they are making their own daring leaps and inspiring yet another circle.

There are so many blogs that do this same thing, that you read something or see something and are inspired and the ripple effect is created and moves on to inspire the next person!

Another of my recent reads is Mitch Albom's Have a little faith and honestly when I began reading I didn't have high hopes.  I mean, I knew it would be good because its Mitch Albom.... but wow, this too is a very inspirational book!

December Daily Notes

My day as I will view through my December Daily... 

Tuesday December 1st - Went to lunch with Chelsea, did some Christmas shopping, stop by Trish's house then return home and continue decorating house...

 

Wednesday December 2nd - Annual shopping day with mom and Deb!  Ran 5 miles with no ipod = torture!  Continue the decorating... 

Decorating for the Holidays

 I started decorating for the holidays and to be honest when I first get everything out it can be quite overwhelming!  Thinking this might be my first picture for my December Daily too, so I remember the craziness!

Still not sure I like the mantle yet??? 

 lots of snowmen!

 one of my favorite decorations

 Slowly but surely I find homes for all my favorite holiday decorations and things begin to flow.  I still have more to do and several trees to decorate, but right now I'd call what's left to do an "organized mess"

Advent Calendars

I love Advent calendars and remember the kids having a ball with them when they were little.  As they've grown they didn't seem as interested in counting down via the advent calendar, until this year...

 

Since Chelsea and Ben will be at school for the first half of the countdown, I found the cutest Advent for Chelsea and Ben at Memory Box Calendars where I added my own descriptions to each day for them to do as they count down to Christmas.  Things like do a random act of kindness, go for a walk, find a place to worship, etc...  They are on a really nice sturdy board

 Last night before they headed back to school we got a picture of them with it.

Now I just need to finish up Zach's... 

Fun but busy weekend...

I spent the entire holiday weekend running from one direction to the next, but I wouldn't have it any other way.  After enjoying our Thanksgiving with family we had many more things to accomplish!

For starters we had Chelsea home for 5 days and we really enjoyed our time with her. She and Zach both helped as we moved Joel into his new office and arranged and cleaned the other two offices.

 

 Zach had to work two of the days this weekend at the farm, and missed some of the work at the office.

 leaving the farm after dropping him off

In between working on kit stuff with my Work in Progress kit

 digging out the Christmas decorations, which now occupy pretty much every room in my house (and not in a good way)

while Joel and Zach worked on decorating outdoors 

 Finally getting to celebrate Gordon's birthday at the Winking lizard with friends!

 

  

Gordon singing Happy Birthday to himself for the entire restaurant to hear!

Ahh, what a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!  
 

Worldwide Candle lighting

~ If there is to be any comfort at all as we endure the loss of a child, it would be that they are never, ever, forgotten ~

Excitement has been building as the thirteenth Worldwide Candle Lighting December 13, 2009 approaches. The Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting unites family and friends around the globe in lighting candles for one hour to honor and remember children who have died at any age from any cause. As candles are lit at 7 p.m. local time, creating a virtual wave of light, hundreds of thousands of persons commemorate and honor children in a way that transcends all ethnic, cultural, religious, and political boundaries.
 

Believed to be the largest mass candle lighting on the globe, the Worldwide Candle Lighting, a gift to the bereavement community from The Compassionate Friends, creates a virtual 24-hour wave of light as it moves from time zone to time zone. Hundreds of formal candle lighting events are held and thousands of informal candle lightings are conducted in homes as families gather in quiet remembrance of children who have died, but will never be forgotten.

The Worldwide Candle Lighting started in the United States in 1997 as a small Internet observance but has since swelled in numbers as word has spread throughout the world of the remembrance.

Time for some

Thanksgiving pics for those who have been awaiting them...

 

 Chelsea, Ben and Joel were a big part in getting dinner together!

Lots of group shots!  Some of my favs!

     What a wonderful Thanksgiving we shared.  Who knew Joel and Chris would sit and watch the entire movie UP!

Work in progress Blog

 

Be sure to check out my post on the work in progress blog  for the recipe to make some homemade hot cocoa?

 

T. G. I. Fridays

 

I'm trusting that when it comes to making choices and decisions I take the high road.

I'm grateful for the family we share, the closeness we feel and the love that we have.

I'm inspired by all the blogs I find that are inspiring and empowering!

In Memory of Ryan

To look to the future when the past still haunts us is a daunting task, but what other choice do we have? We can’t change the past, we are stuck with it, all we can do is try to live the best we can and to make the best of it.

I'm so excited to be building a library for Metro Hospital this year.  It was something I was thinking about over the summer and once sharing my thoughts with family and friends, it is quickly becoming a reality!

This is something so close to my heart and keeps Ryan's memory alive!

I'm so excited about the stamp which I got to stamp all the books. It was designed for me here on Etsy.