Today’s photo challenge: “resolution”. Mike and I are signed up to do the Honolulu Marathon in Dec, 2013. We completed it 8 years ago and are hoping to beat our time. Training starts Jan 1!Until tomorrow, 
“Did you say training? As in walking and running? We are so on board with your 2013 goals.”
Today’s photo challenge: “texture”. I took this photo a couple of days ago. I love the texture of knitted wool.Until tomorrow,
“We love completely ordinary days especially if walks are involved.”
Life is starting to return to normal. And by normal I mean Christmas festivities are coming to a close, decorations are going back into their boxes and my days are returning to a more predictable ebb and flow. As much as I love Christmas, I am looking forward to what lies ahead.
Today’s photo challenge: “gratitude”. I know you’re thinking, “she’s grateful for dogs”, but I’m actually thinking how grateful I am for how people trust me to take care of their precious pets. This is Buddy, by the way. Isn’t he awesome?Until tomorrow,
“Hey mom, you know I don’t mind lending my bed to the guests, but I really think it would be easy all around if you would just make one for each dog that stays here. That way we can all be comfy.”
I spent today thinking about the new year and the goals I want to set and the changes I want to work on. Mike and I have already committed to do the Honolulu Marathon in December, 2013 as a fundraiser for Youth for Christ. We finished it in 2004, but this year we want to improve on our time. More than that we want to continue our fitness beyond the marathon. We have a training schedule in place ready to start Jan 1.
Today’s photo challenge: “favorite thing”. For me, it’s a house full of dogs.Until tomorrow,
“When there’s a house full of dogs, I sometimes need some alone time.”
As December comes to a close, my month of challenges will be as well. I will continue the December Daily journal until the end of December and then pick up a similar thread in my Project Life album. I will journal some aspect of everyday and record it through photos and words. I will be sharing my Project Life album on a weekly basis. The photo challenge will continue until the end of the month, but the Christmas movies are finished as well as the Journal Your Christmas journal. After I assemble everything, I will share it with you in one post.
This picture is my entry for the iHeartFaces Photo Challenge. Today’s topic was “toy”. It’s Woody’s favorite toy. He will literally spend hours catching it. Trouble is I won’t spend hours throwing it. He’s a bit of a smarty pants over-achiever with this game and the other dogs really have to work hard if they want to catch the ball.Until tomorrow,
“It’s okay with me that Woody does all the work while we’re playing ball. I need to conserve my energy for important things like eating.”
Wishing everyone a very merry Christmas today.
My December Daily journal entry will be about spending the day at home catching up on our Christmas movies waiting for Buddy to arrive. Buddy’s a yellow lab that’s coming to stay for a few days. He’s a little over 2 years old and brings wonderful life and energy into our house. We love when he comes to stay.
This picture is my entry for the iHeartFaces Photo Challenge. Today’s topic was “unwrapped”. Ellie (and Woody) received a sleeve of tennis balls and a new bone from Santa. Grandma and Grandpa also gave them new tuggies and some treats. They love their new toys and amazingly have not destroyed them yet. They may actually last a couple of days.
25 Christmas movies. We managed to get through two movies today. “The Ref” and “Die Hard 2”. Both take place at Christmas and are all around fun movies. And I think this is it for the Christmas movies.Until tomorrow,
“We love it when Buddy comes to stay, but we can’t keep up with him. I guess we’re old.”
This picture is my entry for the iHeartFaces Photo Challenge. Today’s topic was “’twas the night”. The night where Santa sets off in his sleigh with those eight tiny reindeer, but do you recall the most famous reindeer of all…
For “Journal Your Christmas”, today’s journal prompt is all about Christmas eve. Our Christmas eve is rich with tradition. It all starts by going over to Mike’s mom and dad’s around 2pm. There are lots of wonderful appetizers (which we always fill up on) to graze on. We visit with family and then sit down to dinner at 4pm. By the time dinner is over, it’s time to bundle into the cars and drive to church for our Christmas eve service at 5:30pm. After the service, we take a few minutes to drive around a neighborhood where Mike’s family used to live to look at luminaries. We all meet up around 7p back at their house to find that Santa visited while we were gone! We settle into comfy clothes, warm ourselves with delightful drinks and eat cranberry cake (a holiday favorite). The present opening begins with all the presents piled into the middle of the room and covered with a large sheet. Tradition has it that the youngest always picks the first present. And they cannot pick their own. The person who receives the gift then has the job of picking the next gift, and so on. Just before we start the gift portion, though, all the Christmas stockings are handed out and we take a few minutes opening the treats inside our stockings. Over the years there have been little changes, but overall the traditions remain intact and expected.Until tomorrow,
“You do know that you owe me big time for the reindeer picture?”
My December Daily journal entry will be about Ellie. It was her 7th birthday today. I can’t believe how fast the time has gone.
This picture is my entry for the iHeartFaces Photo Challenge. Today’s topic was “bokeh”. Not being a photographer, I had to seek out help with today’s challenge. My source: Jon Edwards, my photographer extraordinaire brother-in-law. Now Jon is an excellent teacher, however I am a less than novice photographer. (It’s still one of my favorite ornaments).Until tomorrow,
“Even though I was not happy about Ellie coming to stay with us, she’s sort of grown on me. Took a while, but she can stay.”
My December Daily journal entry will be about Christmas dinner at my mom’s. We celebrate on the Saturday before Christmas so we can all have the day together and we’re not so rushed on Christmas day.
This picture is my entry for the iHeartFaces Photo Challenge. Today’s topic was “warmth”. Woody loves to cozy up to our heater for some extra warmth.
25 Christmas movies. “A Christmas Carol”. Timeless story. And Captain Picard….uuhhh, I mean Patrick Stewart did a wonderful job as Scrooge. I think I’m going to have to pick up some more Kleenex up at the store.Until tomorrow,
“We love Mike too. He always saves the heel from the loaf of bread for us. Well that was when he was eating bread. But he still does really nice stuff for us.”
I don’t know about you, but after I’ve started using a roll of wrapping paper, I’m in two minds about what to do to secure the remaining paper. I sometimes use tape, but that can end with the paper ripping the next time I go to use it. Rubber bands work great if I can find one around here. Mostly I just leave the roll to fend for itself. I’ve lost a few rolls that way, but not anymore.
Enter, the toilet paper roll tube. I love these little guys. They are so versatile; there really is no end to their good uses.
I just followed the instructions written right under the pin: “cut a slit into a toilet paper roll to make a wrapping paper cuff! (keeps the paper from unrolling everywhere)”. Now all my wrapping paper is secure and organized. Happy day!
Until tomorrow,
“You know what else toilet paper rolls are good for? Chewing!”
While Walking My Dogs 