what you can get done when you're NOT blogging!

(to view journaling, click on photos individually - get it?)

two things i've definitely done . . . .

There are two things I've definitely done since the holiday:

• STOPPED WRITING IN MY BLOG - have you noticed? There was so much going on during December, I just HAD to let blogging go OR I would have had a 'one-way' ticket to a padded cell. It worked perfectly - got so much done but now I'm having a hard time getting going again. I think one huge reason is because I have not yet made a Blurb book and that gets me a little down thinking I have (4+) years of writing still on unpublished - how depressing.
• FALLEN OFF THE DIET WAGON - and I was doing so well. I confessed at WW that my one huge hang-up were the goodies friends and neighbors left at our doorstep! I haven't fully recovered as our friends and neighbors were more than generous this year in their gifts of chocolate, cookies and such - ouch! So, tomorrow I'm finally getting my nerve up to go back and face WW music - anyone want to join me?

THE WEATHER! Our winter moved in at the beginning of November - I knew is was going to be long, cold winter and guess what . . . it's a long, cold winter with no sign of letting up any time soon! Guess what keeps me going - memories of Christmas (((((note to self: post all those photos that are sitting on the computer - there is a ton of them - DO IT!)))))

I ran across a really FUN idea of those of you who love to scrapbook BUT DON'T HAVE THE TIME, $$$ OR ENERGY TO DO SO. I'm actually going to wait until MINE shows up in the MAIL in about 5 days - then I'll share photos, links that will get you excited (once again) in putting together your photos in an organized, beautiful way without (hardly) any effort - YOU'LL LOVE IT. I fell in love with it almost immediately! This will keep you in suspense. (((note: if you can't wait, just let me know and I'll post the links sooner!)))

BABY BELLA update - she's doing pretty darn good. Get her excited about something /anything food-related and she cruises around so fast you can't even see her "three little legs" move. I think her psyche took a little hit as she's fearful of many things - unlike before. Sometimes she acts down-right weird!!! But basically, going through what she went through in loosing her leg - she's GREAT!

GMA-GREAT update - she is doing well too - she's got a cold right now but still walking everyday. She and a friend go over to the college and walk in the new indoor track - in my opinion, she gets her workout in way before she even gets to the track - it's a long walk from the car to the track! She seems to be over her Shingles - but, from what I hear, you're really never over them - they just lay dormant in your nerves - ready to strike again at any little on-set of stress! Comforting!

SHAWN AND KANDEE - heading to MEXICO Saturday!!! I had no idea until she called and said they wanted to get together before leaving since it has been a month since we've seen them. Morgie went to the doc yesterday and he told her she was border-line pneumonia - so she's on some meds to clear her up. I think Shawn's been up to his eyelids in snow-removal action, as well as dear ol' Brian! Adios, amigos (the extent of my bilingual skills) - you deserve the R&R!

'first-ever' baby shoot

There's always a first for everything, right! Here are just a few of the photos I took (Heather is working on hers as-we-speak). Heather booked the 'gig' and we thought, "This shouldn't be too hard!" LOL! The baby cried 3/4 of the time (but she was adorable!), Heather's lens would not work (hard to do a shoot without a lens!), baby went 'wewe' on a new sheep-skin rug (first time it had been used), thought it would take 1 hour (maybe 1.50 hours) - it took over 2 hours + . . . .let's see what else went wrong? Since this blog is about the positive in life . . . let's look at a few of the photos captured!!!!! I have a new-found-appreciation for photographers who shoot kids! The landscapes I shoot don't well . . . 'wewe'!!!





Their FIRST baby - can't you just feel the love?

the "burg"

What MORE can I say . . . other than, "Burrrrrrrrr-baby!"

did you know . . .

it's

1/11/11

at

11:11 p.m.

i just had to do it -

it only comes around 'once'

in a life-time!

did you know it's . . . .

it's

1/11/11 at 1:11 a.m.?

love it!

Photo of Jackson Pass on our way to Jackson, WY to pick up our new Subaru. The trip scary (bad road conditions) but the scenery was spectacular!

DRAGO on duty

"I'm on DUTY - ever watchful - my JOB is intense . . . "



"I listen for any little sound OR movement - anything that would be out of the ordinary . . . ."



"I watch HIGH and LOW for any little thing that might raise suspicion . . . "



"And WHAT I DO is EXHAUSTING ! ! !



" I sit on a SLIPPERY-SLOPE - but my attention NEVER wavers! THIS . . . . is what I do ALL day long! "
"NOW YOU KNOW!"

OWNER'S NOTE: Wow, I rest easy JUST KNOWING Drago is ON DUTY!

dreams "can" come true!

A month ago I mentioned that BYU-Idaho purchased (20) of 'our' photos (my trusty assistant included!) and the 'dream' turned into reality in December when the dedication of the newly remodeled Manwaring Center, in which these photos are displayed, took place! My 'assistant' and I went for a little tour:

I was slightly overwhelmed . . . almost the entire hall was filled with 'our' photos ! ! ! Dude!

THEN . . . .
Right before Christmas I was notified that the billboard right off the freeway had just gone up with a photo of 'our' Tetons on display. New Years Eve we finally got down to take a peek!!!

What's my "middle name"? "HUMBLE-PIE!"

"Thank YOU Jerry and Donna for this amazing opportunity!"

i'm back ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

A NEW YEAR - there's nothing like a fresh new start (and a new haircut - thanks Whit!) to perk you right up! It's been too long and now it's time to catch up with journaling and what's going on in our lives! Let me start by saying, "We had an amazing holiday - memorable, to put it mildly!" There were some definite challenges but isn't that what life is all about? And, would you believe, I have a butt-load (did I honestly say that?) of photos ! ! ! Imagine - yikes!

I had to let blogging go almost a month - I had too much going on with Christmas approaching and all of our 7 kids and their families coming home - massive stress and planning was going on! Haven't done that in over 4 years - blogging (journaling) has become a habit - kind of like brushing and flossing (okay, I confess - I floss everyday!!!!!) your teeth before you go to bed.

Well, why not start with some of the struggles - just to make life interesting! Our little Bella-Boo lost her leg - such an emotional journey for me!!!! Bella was just fine (dogs are like that, you know) - they don't stress, it's us humans that don't deal well with change! Her leg never healed and we had no other choice - I cried and cried and cried and cried until my eyes had bags on top of bags going on! No! It wasn't pretty - me that is! She's doing great now and gets around just fine. The only thing she can't do is jump up on the couch -is that bad?!

Right after Thanksgiving my mom starting complaining about not feeling well! Aches and pains of getting older . . . no, I don't think so! How about a whopping, painful case of SHINGLES!!!!!!! I've heard of this condition often throughout my life but now have a much better idea of just how horrible it actually is! I call it, "Adult Chickenpox" and dude, I pray I never-ever get it! Big, bad-stuff! I'd rather have another 7 children than come down with that and at my age, that's saying something!!! I must add that G-ma was so brave in going through it and has under-gone (good grammar?) a lesson in patience and grit! We go through things for a reason! Her timing was impeccable as she was on the down-side of it when Christmas rolled around and she was actually able to enjoy the holidays! This was the G-rated version of the entire experience! LOL!

At Thanksgiving Cort, Ash and the boys came to visit and Ashley had a brilliant idea! Let's rent a cabin for Christmas for the entire family! All 7 of our kids and 13 grandkids were coming home for the hoiday - where on earth were we going to put all those people? A Christmas Cabin would be perfect - so Ash researched out all the possibilities and we found the perfect place only 20 minutes away from our home and on 100 acres of property - now that's plenty of room for everyone and tons of stuff for the grandkids to do! We couldn't have planned it any better had we planned for an entire year! After Thanksgiving, Kandee and I went and checked it out and it was perfect, perfect, perfect for what we needed! Huge, built like Fort Knox, tons of stuff for kids to do and family-friendly. Sweet! That will be my next update, "Our Christmas Cabin"!

I sure hope you had a memorable Christmas and New Year. I've missed you all terribly and hope you'll leave a comment and let me know how you're doing!

Hugs to all!

Click here for updated photos of December 30th, 2010 - "Dinner In the Tetons" - I wanna go back!

a 'seriously' NEW beginning - 2011

Journaling coming soon & some semi-cool photos!