December | 12of12 | iphone addition

I know I've said it a millions time, but seriously where did this year go. I hope you all take a chance to look at all your twelves together to get a glimpse of how great your year was.



01. Celebrating 12.12.12 today.

02. 06:12 Megan doing homework while she waits her turn for violin.

03. This is where I was when the clock struck 12:12pm on 12.12.12. Felt a little too coped up and needed some fresh air. I would never have remembered if I hadn't set my alarm.

04. I had big intentions for this day, but I'm not feeling myself, a bit under the weather, so I wasn't as ambitious as I had hoped.

05. 01:12pm Doing my last little bit of Christmas (online) shopping.

06. 02:12pm Folding laundry, not a fan.

07. 03:12pm Bella was telling me all about her day of twelves. Apparently the class went wild with cheering and shouts when the clock hit 12:12pm. Then they stopped and she said it was all a little weird.

08. I couldn't resist adding this picture mainly because I never laughed so hard. We were shopping at Target this evening for Sub For Santa gifts, but before we started I needed to return a few items. As it turns out while I was being helped by a young man Megan pulled out of my bag a tampon and said, "what do you use these for?" I was semi-mortified until I saw the look on the target employees face and then I couldn't help but say, "that was awesome," which made the kid laugh and relieved the tension  He still turned the color of his red target shirt. Poor guy.

09. 5:12pm Ah Megan what a delight to shop with -- not. I counted at least 15 items that she had to have -- no we are not talking for Christmas. This, I don't even know what it was, stuffed panda in her hand was the hardest one for her to let go of. She told me she would give anything to have it and when I suggested her kitty she promptly said, "anything but that". I suppose she really didn't get into the Sub for Santa spirit.

10. Cafe rio for dinner. Hard to resist when it's next door to target.

11. 9:12pm Working on a gift this evening while the girls are fast asleep. I couldn't show the finished product, for obvious reasons, so I smudge it out.

12. We are halfway through the advent. Only TWELVE days to go!

I hope you all had a good time capturing your day on this the 12th month of the 12th day of the year 2012. Weird to think I will never see it again.

I enjoyed following a few of my friends on instagram who posted photos every hour. Lara I'm looking forward to seeing your 12of12! Of course I look forward to seeing what the rest of you came up with and what your 12.12.12 day was like.

Christmas tradition | advent

One of my girls most memorable holiday tradition is our advent calendar. I'm not sure if it's the daily candy, the fact that each one comes with a little note, or counting the days til Christmas. If it were me it would be the latter. When I was a kid I loved watching the days melt away and the Christmas season unfold.


The girl's job was to fill the bags with candy, and of course they decided eating the candy was part of the job description as well.




A couple years ago we introduced an activity associated with each day. Instead of merely just eating the candy we thought doing a little something each day would help us get in the holiday spirit. The days so far:

Day 01: read a Christmas book
Day 02: share your talent with a neighbor
Day 03: make someones bed

Adam was in charge of making the notes so I'm just as surprised as the girls each day when we dip into the bag.


The other tradition we're doing this year that's sort of advent-ish is our chain of service. Anytime we do something for someone else we write it down and chain them up together. We hope by the end of the month the chain fills our walls and will be a reminder throughout the month of the good that comes when we give. (i can totally see doing this all year long)

So far it's been the best thing. Each day the girls jump in the car after school and blurt out the times they did something helpful. Even in just the short time we've been doing it, it's created a great feeling around our home. Seems they wake up each day looking for a way to add another piece to the chain. We have loved it.

Do you have an advent or and advent-ish type tradition to celebrate the holiday season?

friday miscellany

We had to dig ourselves out earlier this week. Crazy to think I heard so much about a holiday storm a week ago that turned out to be a complete dud while this storm raged on and I was none the wiser. Why do we let the media play with our emotions so? I remember the whole swine flu incident--how they stressed me out. While I would never say there wasn't some cause for concern, they could of told us all the facts, like how people die of the regular flu everyday. Hmm, why do I suddenly not feel any better by that. Ha!

Christmas shopping is still ago. Why was I thinking I could be done the week after Thanksgiving by the latest? It seems each and every time I think I'm close I remember someone else I'm missing.

Creative Wednesdays. Yes, I am still doing them though, this week I actually did a bit from my bed Tuesday instead of Wednesday. At any rate, I can't share my projects because they're gifts, but I will after the holidays. Funny, it's sounds like the gifts are something new and excited. While I assure you that's not the case, I've definitely enjoyed making them and hope they'll be received the same.


Our advent calendar is fully underway here counting down to Christmas. It's one of my kids very favorite traditions. It's the first thing they talk to me about in the morning and I haven't yet figured out if it's because I let them eat candy in the morning or because they're seeing the days peel away one by one til Christmas comes. I for one am happy with all the days leading up. Anticipation is key.

I stated playing racquetball while in St. George last weekend. Sounds like a stretch to say "played", more like I "tried". Adam was quite easy on me so I was please to walk out of there 0-4---never reaching over 3 or 4 points a game. There was even a game he gave me two points for every one point & I still lost. Really fun though. I'm thinking I need to find someone more at my level. Any takers? It actually is more of a workout than you'd realize. I was sore in places I never knew I had muscles.

After using NyQuil the day I was sick to help me sleep & Tess getting a clearer understanding of why i took it she said, "I wish they made stuff like that for kids". Little does she know there are a lot of parents who are wondering the same thing.

We received our first Christmas card in the mail yesterday, thanks Dani it is fabulous, and it's got me thinking, for the first time this season, that I need to do Christmas cards. What? How on earth have I not thought of this before now? I'm usually so on top of our Christmas card and excited to do it. Weird.