I’ve been busy catch up on several Big Picture classes that started today (One Little Word, Move More/Eat Well, and Twelve- yikes it’s a lot for one day!)  Cody is, of course, at the deer lease- last day of deer season.  I used to say it’s the last day of hunting season- yes, I was naive.  NOW, oh no, hunting season is year round.  But it does mean it’s time to start thinking about the next big season. . . TURKEY.  Can’t wait, but I have to- even longer this year.

Yesterday, I posted about One Little Word and how my word, Home, last year had such a great impact on our life.  I knew it was something I wanted to do again and I started thinking about what my word would be for 2012 a few months ago.  I thought about a few and then one day, while listening to an Eminem song (of all things) it hit me- and the word, after re-listening to the song, wasn’t even in the song. . .

Shiney

That will be my word for this year.  I want to shine in 2012- I want to shine by His grace.  My thoughts quickly turned to “This Little Light of Mine.”

Have you heard this version?  Loving it!  Also purchased another Live version of this on Itunes and have been listening to it alot.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgUtOIPsgAU

(LOL- When I went to the video on my favorites, I listened to it while posting it here and then came the “dandy” fight  between the Sabres Cody McCormick and the Jets Tanner Glass from earlier this year.  How wrong is that!?!?)

I love music and have pretty diverse tastes.  But, it was fitting that the thoughts about what my One Little Word would be for the year came in snippets of songs.  The next song I thought about was Aaron Watson’s “Sonshine”.  I can’t find it online other than a sample for purchase but here are the lyrics.

Sonshine

 

When wilted and withered
And dyin’ of thirst
In need of forgiveness
When you’re at your worst
Let the rain fall upon you
Like sweet mornin’ dew
Wash away all your sorrows
And let the Son shine on you

CHORUS

Let the Son shine from heaven
Through the clouds in the sky
Come receive your salvation
From His sacrifice
And when you’re down and discouraged
And your heart’s torn in two
You turn your face to the Father
And let His Son shine on you

I’ve been there before
And I know your pain
Surrounded by darkness
All alone and ashamed
While you’re out on life’s highway
The wrong turn can leave you lost
So when you come to the crossroad
Take the road to the cross

CHORUS

And when you’re down and discouraged
And your heart’s torn in two
You turn your face to the Father
And let His Son shine on you

Turn your face to the Father
And let His Son shine on you

(Aaron Watson, Neal Lowry)

I really think those two songs tell the story of what I want this year- to let God’s love shine down on me and through me.  I want a stronger faith and I want to share the gifts God has given me with others.

As I’ve thought about my word and God’s Son and Faith, I’ve often thought back on that Aaron Watson song as the Benediction is read each week at church. As God would have it, today’s first lesson (Numbers 6: 22-27), the lesson for Jan 1, 2012, was the text from where we get our Benediction. I marveled out how cool that was this morning and still can’t believe that was our text today.

“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26

 I’m once again taking One Little Word at Big Picture so that I can explore my Word for 2012 more.  You can certainly still sign up  and it’s not too late to choose a word for the year.  You can find out more here.

Yesterday I completed the title page for the year and today I worked with the January prompt.  I still need to take another picture of myself. . .  or get Cody to- but’s it’s deer season remember.

Here’s a look at my pages so far.

This page was printed out and placed in a nine pocket page protector.

 What do you want for 2012?  Will you be choosing a word?

Welcome 2012 with One Little Word: Shine is a post from: Ordinary Details - The Joy of Ordinary

Related posts:

1. One Little Word 2011: Home
2. One Little Word
3. One Little Word Update, Blog Hop, and Giveaway

In fact, so much of the focus was about Home- especially in the past 6 months that I haven’t even blogged much!) (How could it not?  We spent so much time thinking about it, putting plans into action, sold our house, and moved last month!)

We’ve taken a long hard look at what home means to us, what we need for a home, and what we want.  I think it had been on my mind for last few years but it became so much more prominent this year.   Not long after my appendix and I parted this year, I made a discovery that after some thought and discussion, has led to Cody and I to start on a new path.  And Home was the center of that start and that path.

“Our” home was on Alania Ave for almost 10 years. I realized that it’s almost the longest I’ve ever lived anywhere.  When we bought our Alania home, we were planning for a family. We thought we needed a three bedroom home and a yard.  Even then, I thought the 1600 or so square feet in our home was a little too big- but our home had great potential for raising a family.  I’ve always believed that love grows best in little houses.  I’ve never really understood the fascination for huge homes.   

Of course, the plans we made when buying our Alania house were the result of planning for dreams that turned into pipe dreams.  So, we were left with a house for the two of us that we planned for a much different life.  You know the saying about hindsight- we see clearer.  But, we simply didn’t bet on the life we would have just the two of us.  We’re getting used to that idea but our Alania house was one of the last relics of those bygone plans.  And, to be honest, not only was the house way too big for the two of us, but it’s a constant reminder of what wasn’t to be.  In fact, I could barely stand to be in the two spare bedrooms- too many fantasies about those rooms.

 ”Our” Alania home just didn’t feel like our own home.  It hadn’t for a long time.  I was going through some old pictures including gatherings with the student fellowship group at church we used to host.  I was reminded that there was a time that we felt we belonged in our home.  I haven’t felt that way in a long time but it was fun to see a reminder of when I did. 

I wrote about wanting to get things done around our house at the start of 2011- little did I know LOL!  I think the fact that our house didn’t feel like our home was part of the reason we just hadn’t gotten things done around the house.  And led to so many projects that we had to finish before we put our Alania home on the market.  that We hadn’t wanted to spend time working on a home which feels much less like a home than something dragging you down.  I think there was a great deal of avoidance.  Cody and I have talked about selling this house as if it would be someday- thinking that financially, we just could not afford to shed ourselves of this emotional burden.  So, this year, the procrastination stopped and we did so many things that needed to be done.  Sometimes we found our selves wondering why we waited but give ourselves a break- because we both know what this house has meant to us over time.  

As we looked at moving into an apartment where we wouldn’t be responsible for maintenance, I also spent a good time wondering if the reason we had let some things go at the Alania house was also that we just don’t want to have to maintain our home.

 How much stuff do we need?  How much do we have?  What really do we need?

These are some of things I’ve been wondering over time.  I knew I had too much in my kitchen.  I’ve been wanting to downsize my stuff for quite a while.  Honestly, I want to downsize my life and I’m sure I’ll be sharing more about that along this journey.

Moving into an apartment means that we have to downsize our stuff- or put it in storage which we’re unwilling to do.  There’s been a few hard choices- perhaps the hardest was for Cody as he decided to sell the Mustang (the only thing I was willing to put in storage).  We’ll have a storage unit for a few months and then we’ll put a storage building at the lease where Cody can keep the things he uses out there that we had at the house- like the push mower and weed eater.

 Honestly though, most of the choices haven’t been that hard.  Stuff is just stuff.  There are a few things I’ll keep- like ALL of our pictures and family documents- that perhaps I shouldn’t keep. (I actually hope to pare these down in the year or so to come- but for now I’m keeping them as I simply don’t have time to go through and extract genealogy clues, etc) But otherwise, I’ve really narrowed it down to the things I’ll use.

 It’s been a life changer- which I know is a term used all too often- but really it’s helped change or solidify many things for me.

See all this stuff?  It came from the kitchen and dining room alone.  And it’s not like my cooking or baking will be suffering- I’ve kept the things I need.  I still can’t believe I had this much stuff that I really can do without.  (Sure, there’s a few things in here that I replaced- like my crockpot).  

 The first thoughts that came to mind where just how blessed I am- if I’m getting rid of this much stuff and still going to be fine in the kitchen, I’m one blessed person to have accumulated this much.  

 Another thought- why do we do this to ourselves?  

 I had probably 30 plus cookie cutters.  I make rolled cookies rarely.  The simple choice- to both downsize my stuff and simplify my life- get rid of them all!  I’ll use my biscuit cutters for the rare times I make sugar cookies- which means I don’t have decisions to make about what to use, I can get more out of one roll of the dough, and they’ll cook more evenly without corners etc.  

 And 20 glass tumblers in each size- why do we think we need to conform to a certain standard- I rarely use these glasses- everyday, we pull out the plastic ones.  So, you’d think I’d use them for company- no, when the family comes over, we pull out the disposable solo cups.  (Don’t get me started on how many of those I’ve got- I’ve told mom she’s not invited back if next time we gather she brings more cups or how many times I sang the song Red Solo Cup while packing, moving, unpacking, and trying to find space for them.)  And you know what, I’d rather use the solo cups- no worries about glasses being broken and far less clean-up- both of which mean I can enjoy my company more.

Away from the kitchen, well, we just found all kinds of things.  I know I had lots of things I either “thought I needed” or bought but “never finished the project.”  

Want to see more stuff? More Downsizing?  Look at all this!

Of course, some of the stuff was just sheer downsizing stuff- beds and dressers for example.

We had a garage sale to get rid of most of our stuff.  This in and of itself sparked many thoughts.  Like the price we pay for things vs their real worth.  I had things there that were marked well over 90% off what I paid for them.  Most were probably at least ¼ of the price we paid for them.  Then there were the people who bought them. . . . either really thrifty people who knew that things don’t hold as much value or people with far less than Cody and I.  What we haven’t sold, we’re donating to the Women’s Shelter thrift shop- there’s still some really great stuff we didn’t sell.  We also found ourselves donating stuff after we moved to friends and the thrift shop- still paring down our things and I’ll keep paring down.  I’ve still got a few things I need to sort out at the apartment . . . but I’ll figure it out or we’ll part with more stuff.  It’s just stuff.

It’s been an interesting experience just getting the amount of stuff we own down.  It has been very much about rating just what role our stuff should play in our lives and what importance various items have for us.  

When I shared with mom our ideas, the first thing she asked was if I was selling our home because of our finances.  Which, we didn’t.  Although finances, I think, always play a role when you’re looking at selling and buying a home.   

It’s not so much our finances before we sold the house that played a role- we were doing alright financially.  And of course, we had to meet with a realtor to ensure we could sell the house for what we felt was “enough”. Enought- enough for our home that we can be 100% debt free- seriously 100%- so that all we owe are the bills for the month- no car note, no loans, no credit cards, nothing but rent and utilities.

We’ve never been debt free in the time that we’ve known each other until this month.  So, this will be a big change.  It will allow us to save more money and start, hopefully, down a path that leads to a debt free life (or only short-term debt).  Can you imagine?  It’s a totally different world financially and one we’re ready to work at.

 (Of course, the entire time I mention debt free, I have to cross my fingers that our vehicles will hold out long enough for us to save up for the next one. . . please no more $5000 repairs.)

And of course, we’ll be saving money while living in town- the internet, electric bills, and our fuel costs- it’ll all be cheaper.

In today’s times, it’s much harder to be debt-free.  And this part of our path will hopefully work out.  I think this plus maintaining a down-sized life are really the experiment parts of our new path.  I’m really curious just what a debt-free life will lead us to. . . 

So, selling the house, downsizing our stuff, and bettering our finances leads me to “Freedom”.  

Certainly, renting an apartment means freedom for yard work and freedom from worrying about appliances going out and other maintenance.  It means freedom for Cody to sit and watch TV instead of taking care of things around the house.  It means freedom for me to scrapbook more and clean less.

It means we’re free to try some new things without as many responsibilities.  It means too that we can take advantage of being just two.  It also means that we’re free to live whereever we want and to take some risks to change the rest of our lives as well.  (Someone I know will apply one more time trying to get into the academy and follow more closely in his father’s footsteps.)

We’re hoping to have opportunities to spend some of the money we’ll be saving will mean that we can go on more trips- investing in experiences rather than stuff.  We want to visit with our family more.  We want to visit different parts of the country.  And, of course, there’s conferences I’d like to attend and hunting trips Cody would like to take.  We won’t be able to do it all but we should be able to prioritize and do more of some of them.

So, in all of this, we’re finding a journey.  It’s a journey we can take with very few foreseeable consequences.  I often see it as a chance to go against the grain of this world- the one that says we should buy more things, defines luxury in terms of dollars, and sets the tone for less true peace.

 I don’t see us living in an apartment forever- but I could be wrong.  Renting a house is always and option too.  Who knows, we have a set of grandparents each that rented their entire lives- perhaps we’re just meant to follow in their footsteps- maybe they had something figured out that we haven’t seen just yet.  We know that we can save up and buy a house on our terms- not just because we think we need it at a particular time in our life.  So, we’ll see where we end up living and what we do.  We continue to talk about about buying a small acreage near a friend and moving an old house in or perhaps building a small place.  It was what we learned when we lived there before we moved to Alania Ave that has so greatly influenced us.  But, that’s years from now- at least for now.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the past 10 years, it’s that you never really know where life is taking you- only God knows.   This is just part of our journey.  

It’s fun to look back at what I wrote and think about the year in terms of Home- not everything has been so sweeping in our lives.

I’m still working on settling in to our new home but I feel more settled now- even with some things still in boxes and no artwork on the walls- than I’ve felt in a long time.  I wanted to decorate more- I’ve loved the trips to Ikea I’ve made and seeing my decorating style starting to show up in my own home.  Our smaller place means it’s easier to maintain and really urges me to keep it even more tidy and even more minimal.  I also wrote about how at home I feel in the Kitchen and I think I’ve really explored that more this year- finding solace in the kitchen and so much joy.  For me, it’s where home field advantage seems to start but in our new place, I really feel like I do have home field advantage.  Speaking of home field or even home plate- we saw the Jack’s go all the way to the conference championship game- I saw almost all the home games from home plate.  (I only missed a few home games for a family visit and my appendix)  Mom and I kicked the season off with a “triple” header- the tale end of a tied game from the night before along with the planned double header.  I took my Uncle to his last ball game- with his grandson and great grandson.  And Cody and I finished the season in San Marcos in a last minute decision- one on a financial wing and prayer that I think also had a huge impact that helped us move forward to making changes at home.

It’s really neat to see the influence that one little word has had on our lives.  As we move into 2012 I know that Home will remain very much on our minds. 

PS- Ali’s offering One Little Word again in 2012- I encourage you to pick a word for the year and perhaps even think about signing up for her class which totally works even if you’re not a scrapbooker.

2011 in One Little Word: Home is a post from: Ordinary Details - The Joy of Ordinary

Related posts:

1. One Little Word 2011: Home
2. One Little Word
3. Welcome 2012 with One Little Word: Shine

It’s always fun to see your work in print.  I look forward to getting my new layouts and stalk the post man every time I place an order.  For years, I didn’t get my layouts printed.  When I first started scrapbooking, it wasn’t as easy or as cheap to get your layouts printed- at least full size 12 by 12 or 8.5 by 11.  Now, that’s not the case.

I get my layouts printed at Persnickety Prints.  (I get my pictures printed at Mpix but their 12 by 12′s are just too expensive.)  At Persnickety, I get their prepaid plans- it gives me a discount and makes it easier for me to get prints on a regular basis.  With the layouts already paid for, I just wait until I have enough layouts that warrant the flat rate $5 shipping.

Here’s my lastest order:

It took just two days to get them in.  Love that Persnickety is so fast!

Oh the joy!

I currently have four scrapbook albums in use.  The nice thing about digital is that you can get a lot of pages in one album.  I use the American Crafts D-Ring Cloth (Chestnut color) albums.  I have three for my regular layouts- all are 12 by 12.  Then, I have one that’s an 8.5 by 11 that holds my Week in the Life Projects for each year.

When I get my order in, it’s time to divide them up and figure out where they will go.  My albums are divided into: Me & Him/ Family & Friends, Stories, and Passions.  I have each of those sub-divided.  You can see the sections that I have and even the layout in them here.

There’s a number of reasons that having my albums divided like this works great for me.  I scrapbook what ever strikes my fancy.  It means that I definitely don’t scrapbook in any chronological order- in fact, I’ve never cared for the idea that I need to scrapbook this and then this.  I love to document the little moments and the ones that I feel like telling at the time that I want to scrapbook.  It might be in part because I don’t often scrapbook in terms of events.  I don’t know that I have any birthday layouts.  I have very few Christmas layouts- and the ones I do have are stories and moments that occurred on that day.  I love to do layouts that appreciate moments, our trips, the things we love to do, our relationship, Cody, myself, or bits about the people we love.  So, putting layouts in those categories works really well for me.  It also hides the gaps in terms of chronology or holidays (you don’t notice the sparseness of the Christmas layouts). 

So, when I get my new layouts arrive in the mail, I’ll lay the layouts out and decide where they’ll go.  There’s not always a clear choice- or often they’ll seem like they can fit in several places.  I just choose the best place and know I can move them later.  I know there are some stories too that over time will become more a part of who we are and that will get moved into my Legendary Stories section.

In this case, I also had a couple of 6 X 12 pages.  I print those on 12 by 12′s and then cut them down. 

That brings me to the other thing I wanted to add. . . I do layouts in various sizes- mostly 8.5 by 11, 6 X 12,.and 12 X 12.  I mix and match them in my albums.  It really doesn’t bother me that you get the sneak peaks of other layouts.

Here you can see a 12 by 12 and 8.5 by 11 on the left and a 6 X12 and 12 by 12 on the right (in this case, those match since they’re part of the same story- that’s normally not the case.)  I just slip the layouts in where I have a blank page protector or add them to the back of the section.

The other thing that I thought would bother me that doesn’t- the gap between layouts that are two pages created by the three ring binder- like the one you see here.

Every once in a while, I think about doing a section or new album for my Newest Layouts.  But, that’s more work- and if I’ve learned anything, it’s the value of not making more work for myself.  I also like that I get to reminisce whenever I put my layouts away. But if you want to see my newest layouts including the ones in this post, you can check them all out here.

My Scrapbook Albums is a post from: Ordinary Details - The Joy of Ordinary

Related posts:

1. My Scrapbook
2. Scrapbook Layouts
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But of course, you can’t eat the horns. 

Of course, for Cody. . . the socialite that he is. . . it means a chance to talk and hang out with every one on the lease.

And more of me waiting on him to quit talking. . .

and talking. . .

So we can get some work done.  We added a couple bags of corn to the feeders and checked the cards opening weekend.

The game camera captured this one.

We lvoe our game cameras- they capture so many things- like this little guy (or gal)

Cody was not feeling the camera thing- trust me, I didn’t even try to capture a shot of us kissing using the game cameras. . . (See this moment here when I busted him the last time.)

He wouldn’t give me a chance to get the sunglare figured out. . . Should have posted the one with the glare right over his nose that makes him look like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. . .

Of course, I’m not sure I can totally blame him. . . he did have a little bit of other work to do- but not too much.

It’s Deer Season is a post from: Ordinary Details - The Joy of Ordinary

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Reflective Snapshots and Reflective Scrapbooking will now be combined as Ordinary Details.  

Being online for me has always been about sharing personal expression.  I’ve seen several phases in my sharing and I think the overall contributer to that is change and growth.  It’s interesting, to me, to see how we all find our way in life- especially our way online. 

I’ll be blogging about the ordinary details of our every day life, making my hobbies a part of the ordinary, and, of course, my own personal thoughts about life- the joy of ordinary life.  I’m hoping I’ll be sharing some scrapbooking freebies, tutorials, and more soon.  I’m also wanting to share more recipes and ideas. 

Now, if only I could finalize a design over here and get some pictures uploaded.  I’ve got stuff I want to record here on my blog.

Reflective Snapshots and Reflective Scrapbooking are now Ordinary Details is a post from: Ordinary Details - The Joy of Ordinary

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Title/Intro Page for 2011

A lot of my pages captured all the things we checked off our to do list.  This one also captured soemthing I’d forgotten how much I used to enjoy- sitting on the back porch reading and resting.

Monday seemed like a fitting day to reminisencse on the polka dotted sidewalk in our yard.  (Many moons ago it seems, Billy, Cody, and I could do nothing but laugh as it was raining while we were pouring the concrete sometime after about 10 PM)

Oh Tuesday- this one was not our typical date night for sure.

Loved the Ryan Bingham album I downloaded on Wednesday.

Oh my gosh the fork incident.  I could have filed this under the weird things I wonder category. . . .

Women really are smarter than men.  Our locks were determined to show Cody that it seems.

I was so glad to get to Saturday.  Cody was super glad to see his freedom to go on ride-a-longs return.

Back Cover Page:

Want to see my pages from last year?  You can check them out here.

A Week in the Life 2011 is a post from: Ordinary Details - The Joy of Ordinary

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Dad used to go to New Orleans for work on a regular basis.  At first he brought home Beignet from Cafe Du Monde, and as time went on, he began bringing home the mix (which you can now buy in the stores).  We’d go to Florida on a regular basis to see family which meant we drove near New Orleans. . .. Mom, Jack, and I would beg dad to stop but he never would.  Coming back from a trip to Florida in 2004, things were different- Jack and I were adults, Cody was driving.  Mom, Jack, and I made the decision to stop by New Orleans on our way home.  We outnumbered Dad and could put our foot down.  So, Sunday morning, we stopped in New Orleans for Beignet and to see a little bit of the French Quarter.  It was rather anti-climatic but at least we can say we were there (and after Katrina, i was even more glad we’d stopped).

I really did enjoy the little architectural details though and all of us with our cameras did take quite a few shots.  Here’s just a few.

Flashback Friday: New Orleans is a post from: Ordinary Details - The Joy of Ordinary

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This waffle iron is unlike most any other waffle iron- you’d be hard pressed to find one like it that works today.

Here’s I’ll let the layout do the talking.

Journaling Reads:  This waffle iron is one of my two most prized physical possessions- seriously, It’€™s one of the first things I try to protect when a hurricane or wildfire comes our way and would be one of the first things I’d grab in a fire.  You see, it’€™s probably not replaceable.  It must be over 30 years old.  I got this waffle iron from Aunt Elta’€™s house- oh how I loved that house growing up.  I knew instantly I’€™d hit the jackpot when I found this waffle iron- it’€™s just like mom’€™s was.  I cringe at the thought of the day that will inevitably come. The day when it won’€™t work anymore, it’€™s given me a couple of scares and we’€™ve had to replace the cord several times.  I have so many memories wrapped up in this waffle iron.  Memories of mom making waffles and watching (and silently hoping for a disaster) when the batter would ooze over as a child.  Mom was good at that.  Her waffle iron gave up the ghost a long time ago but it was nowhere near as perfectly seasoned as this one.  It makes perfect waffles- all I have to do is whip up some homemade batter- never the powder mix.  Mom spoiled us that way and I’€™ve passed that down to my nephew who can whip up his own batter.  And of course, waffles always make a god dinner.  This waffle iron is so very precious to me.

(And yes, mom, I overflowed it just to capture that memory of something you almost always did!)

Beloved Waffle Iron of Mine is a post from: Ordinary Details - The Joy of Ordinary

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“MLB starts it’s season today. In fact, the Royals are playing today. So, why am I greeting the start of the season with so little fan fair? In fact, I could be watching the game instead if here posting.”

Cody and I talked about it most of the way out to the lease.  Even today, I’m just not that interested (especially given the albeit expected backsliding recently)

I can think of a few possible reasons:
1) The Royals team on the field is not the same as a few years ago- in fact it, with DeJesus gone, there are no Royals remaining from their best year in over a decade.  It’s hard to watch guys you want to see, learn so much about, and/or that are really good leave year after year.  Then there’s the affinity for aquiring outfielders when we already have them.  We’re the farm team for good players and seem to get some really lazy ones.  I was telling a scout the other day that I didn’t really mind losing Grienke- it was going to happen- but at least he took Betancourt. . . .

2) They’re not going to do anything. . . . the Royals.  It’s inevitable and it’s just not something I want to dedicate as much time to right now.

3) Hockey’s in full swing. . . And at least until this week, the Sabres were fun to watch.  It’s playoff time and while I’m not sure who I’m going to root for now, I know I’ll find it more interesting than MLB.

4) I’m enjoying watching SFA play. . . . I think this is the big heart of the matter.  For several reasons. . . . 1) it’s a purer game.  2) the team’s been really great this year and fun to watch.  3) I’m watching the games live.  I’m having so much fun going to the games.  I’ve missed it the past few weeks and I’m so glad they’re back at home.  Baseball is just more fun to watch when you can see the whole game.  Then there’s the fun of taking mom to a “triple header”  (extra innings from the night before plus a double header) or my uncle, his grandson, and great grandson to a game.  And, truth be told, I enjoy talking to and watching the scouts. . . I enjoy seeing the speed of pitches. . . . I enjoy watching them go to work when they see something that interests them. . . (Or when their assessments are the same as mine and they become less interested). . . . I enjoy sharing stats with them- aka who pitched when, how many pitches, etc as I keep score at the games.  While I root for the Jacks more than the away team, I honestly just want to see a well played game- these are “kids” not “pros”.

I don’t guess I’ve watched a full MLB game yet. . . I watched part of a Royals game but really haven’t watched one.  Things haven’t changed much since opening day. . . Except that the Sabres season is over. . . Yet my love for baseball hasn’t diminished one bit. . . In fact, it’s very much on my mind as my weekend plans consist of watching the SFA ball games.   Go ‘Jacks!

Baseball, Opening Day? is a post from: Ordinary Details - The Joy of Ordinary

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1. Baseball: Around the Bases
2. Summer Vacation: Royals Baseball Edition
3. Mitch Hit is Thingy!!!! Zack Gets a New Record!

- I’m listening to the Field of Dreams soundtrack while some college “kids” play softball- the intramural fields are far from a field of dreams though.

- in other views, I can see the ag building where Cody and I spent so much time in school.

- I can also see the arboretum. I’m reminded of the summer it seemed I spent out there. If only work could be like that. The summer I took 19 hours, I spent my afternoons waiting fir Cody to get off studying out there. Fond memories.

- the other thing I see marks the time and stands the test of time. In the window I can see the reflection of legs- mine and Cody’s as we pedal away. It’s always nice just to gave him by my side- even when we’re doing our own thing. I love his companionship.

- Only 36 mote minutes of this torture, then we get to test that companionship at Wally-world.

Typing and riding are not easy to do at the same time so that’s all I’ll share now. What so u see at this very moment?

At this very moment is a post from: Ordinary Details - The Joy of Ordinary

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Some observations from January:

1) I knew this year would I’d be spending more nights waiting for Cody to come home.  But bright and early New Year’s Day, my One Little Word and the Future clicked.  I hadn’t thought about waiting for Cody to come home when/if he works nights.  He was out on a ride along when I woke up about an hour after he was to “get off”. . . and he wasn’t home.  My One Little Word took on a different meaning before 5 AM on 1/1/11.

2) As part of exploring my One Little Word and a prompt from Ali’s One Little Word Class/Community, I looked up the definition from home.  I hadn’t thought about baseball when I chose my word.  How could I have not thought about that!  or Home Field advantage.  I love the idea of having home field advantage- at home!  When I think of all that it means in sports, it’s brings confidence that things at home can be great this year.  (or more confidence that I can keep house, run a business, etc with the advantage of being at home!)  I’m also looking forward to SFA baseball starting this month- and sitting behind home plate.

3) Another definition that I loved- In One’s Element- as in at home within oneself.  I loved this definition.  I hope this year brings that sense to my life this year.

4) Cody and I’ve been getting more stuff done around the house- I’ve got frames nearly painted for the bedroom.  We’ve done some re-arranging in the bedroom as well.  I’ve cooked more at home.  And we’ve got a few small projects we hope to get done in the next few days.  (We’re also bringing a new washer into our home. . .)

5) I’ve really spent a great deal of time concentrating on Reflective Scrapbooking and am excited to have scrapbook products available online now and soon some free videos about how to scrapbook digitally.  Loving the idea of working from home and my husband’s support as he helps out around our home while I’m working. 

6) I’ve loved seeing pictures of my childhood home.  As part of another class I’m taking, mom sent pictures my way.  I’ve loved looking at all the old pictures- though I’m dreading trying to deal with that lovely orange shag carpet in my scrapbook pages.  It’s been fun to see those pictures- including the things in the background of those pictures- the little bits of the stuff of life. 

So now, it’s February.  Wonder what surprises my One Little Word will bring home this month!  I know that I want to work on exercising here at home and building some better routines at home.  And I can’t wait to see what prompt Ali brings us today in our One Little Word.  (It’s certainly not to late to choose a word for 2011.  If you do, I highly recommend joining us in Ali’s class.  The community is awesome!)

Speaking of Ali’s class, I’m participating in a blog hop!  We’ll be sharing our January Prompts today.  And, I’ll be giving away here on this blog the Sinton Paper Collection that I created and used on my January prompt and title page. 

One Little Word Title Page

A New Picture taken in front of our home.

Page Protector Page

I created a template (available free here) for use with the page protectors for this class.  I really wanted to do something digi that wasn’t just one flat page.  This is the file before I printed it here at home and cut out the cards.

Since Ali urged us to handwrite- I decided I’d strike a balance and fill out part of the cards with my own writing.  I also took advantage of the size to try some sewing on my page. . . that was pretty fun. 

The Giveaway

I’m giving away these papers, the Sinton Paper Collection, to three lucky winners. 

To enter the drawing, leave a comment telling me what your One Little Word is or what it could be in 2011.  I generate a Randomly drawn winner from those comments left by 8 AM PST time 2/2/11 and announce the winner later on Wednesday.  (Comments can be left by clicking the number of comments just below the title of this post.)

The Blog Hop

I want to say thanks to Becky for directing folks over to my blog and encourage you to visit Marlene’s blog next.  All of our posts are due up by 8 AM Pacific Time. 

Here’s a full list of everyone participating:

1. Margie http://www.xnomads.typepad.com
2. Jill Conyers http://www.jillconyers.typepad.com/life_as_i_see_it/
3.  Monica http://www.scraplifters.blogspot.com
4. Lynn W http://www.crafty-creativity.blogspot.com
5. Miranda http://www,mirandasscrapsite.blogspot.com
6. Mandy http://www.captureandcreate.wordpress.com
7. Kathy http://www.katswonderings.blogspot.com
8. Lisa http://www.makeyourownescape.blogspot.com
9. Donna http://www.donnabryantdurand.blogspot.com
10. Abbey http://www.athomewiththerichardsfamily.blogspot.com/
11. Sam http://www.learncreatedo.wordpress.com/
12. April http://www.capturethememories.blogspot.com
13. Nicky http://www.seejanebake.blogspot.com
14. Rebekah http://www.istampscrapcraft.blogspot.com/
15. Relly http://www.rel.ly
16. Nancy http://www.goshery.blogspot.com
17.  Cynthia http://www.paperpapereverywhere.blogspot.com/
18. Kathryn http://www.katlodesigns.com
19. Nikki http://www.inkyart.com.au
20. Heather http://www.scrappyhare.blogspot.com
21.  Gayle www.lifeonlilypadlane.blogspot.com
22. Kristina http://www.ciqis.blogspot.com
23. Debra http://www.blakleyhomeplace.blogspot.com
24. Becky http://www.beckyandjames.com
25. Amy http://ordinarydetails.com You are Here!
26. Marlene http://www.moore-fun-in-the-sun.blogspot.com/
27. Maureen http://www.cookingmylife.blogspot.com
28. Cheri http://www.cheriandrews.blogspot.com
29. Monica Scrapmom http://www.questtoperfectimperfection.blogspot.com
30. Jan http://www.mysimplelittlelife.typepad.com
31. Junelle http://www.yesandamenblog.blogspot.com
32. Margaret http://www.gutsymom.blogspot.com
33. Sharyn   http://www.analteredlife.com
34.  Tere http://www.terecontodomicorazon.blogspot.com/

One Little Word Update, Blog Hop, and Giveaway is a post from: Ordinary Details - The Joy of Ordinary

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1. One Little Word 2011: Home
2. One Little Word
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Each year, Ali Edwards and a bunch of other folks choose a word for the year.  It’s kind of a resolution, a goal, and something to focus on in the coming year.  I usually think about doing it but for the past few years I’ve had a hard time settling in on a word- thinking hard about what that word might be even into January- and never really settling on just one word for the year.  This year, as I’ve had my word for 2011 since November. 

 My Word for 2011. . . Home

(Portrayed on my beautiful necklace that I ordered from Pumpkin Pie Designs/As We Dance.  It’s a custom order similar to her Keep Calm and Carry On necklace- all I had to do was ask  through a conversation.  I promise it’s gorgeous but we really haven’t had enough sunlight to get a beautiful picture of it yet.  Perhaps this will be the year I get rid of these privacy screens on that leave the house darker than it should be.)

Home.  It seems to be the perfect word for 2011 and sums up so much of what I want to focus on and look forward to in 2011. 

I want to focus on being present at home.  I want to enjoy my time at home and not just zone out here at home.  To relax at home.  To enjoy the time that Cody’s home.

 This is the year to settle in to our home- wherever that may be.  We’ve been in this home for 10 years in August but I don’t think Cody and I really feel settled in it.  We waited for this home to have a different purpose most of the time we’ve been here- and then the possibility of moving entered into our thoughts last year.  So, we’ve never taken the time to really settle in here.  By the end of this year, I want to feel totally settled in our home- whether it’s in this home or our next home. 

Settling is so much about making our house, our home.  That means focusing some time, attention, and monies on decorating and organzing our house to be our home.  I’ve already got a few projects in mind.  Some that I’ll be moving forward with soon and some that will wait until later in the year.

I’m also starting a home-based business.  So, this year will be about growing that business from here at home.  You’ve seen the preview of Reflective Scrapbooking but I’m still working on a few things behind the scenes and then I have lots of things I want to add.  I’ll be getting ready to devote much of my time to this online venture.

I also want to work on getting back to making this house run smoother, to be more organized, and to be better at cleaning this house.  In short, I’d like to be a better homemaker in 2011.  I know that our plans will need me to be more active in this roll than I have been in recent years- I need to take time to enjoy this part of my life more. . . One of the things I thought about during the Christmas Season when I remembered just how much I enjoy being in the Kitchen.

I also dream of returning to my hometown of Kansas City some time this year but I don’t know if that will be possible. . . but the thought is there we’ll just have to see where 2011 leads us.

Home.

(Want to read more about One Little Word, Check out Ali’s Blog here. If nothing else, check out all the words that have been posted and will be posted in the coming days- they are so inspiring.   And, I’m super excited that in this year when I’m so ready to focus on my One Little Word, Ali will be doing a 12-month class/community for One Little Word at Big Picture Classes.)

One Little Word 2011: Home is a post from: Ordinary Details - The Joy of Ordinary

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I love how this project made me think about the little blessings throughout the day- and how I noticed even more afterwards while looking at the pictures and reflecting on each day.

Here are the last two daily pages:

December 24:

Traditional but untraditional- After a lazy day, we had our orange chicken without the gravy and rice for dinner. We opened gifts- I love this picture of Cody that captures the "Oh gee- I got a rain guage" I got until he realized why he got them. Our gifts proved we listen to each other. After Christmas eve service, Mom "helped" me with communion.

I needed an additional page so I made another hymn page to go to the left of my Christmas Day page:

December 25:

Christmas day was all about family-loving the little moments of togetherness like Cody and Coralyn in the kitchen, me and Jack making fritters, and everyone enjoying my scrapbooking.

That left me with the cover pages.  Since I ended up documenting hockey fights, screaming, and winning the day I took pictures of the house decorations, I decided I’d use those along with a few pictures of the tree for my covers.

Now, on to other projects. . . My One Little Word for 2011 (I’ll be posting about that super soon as I’m really ready to begin 2011!), Yesterday and Today class at Big Pictures Classes, and Project Life/365- a third try to document the entire year.

December Daily: Final Pages is a post from: Ordinary Details - The Joy of Ordinary

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1. December Daily: December 12-16
2. December Daily: Dec 17-23
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December 17

Journaling reads; Waiting, that was the name of the name of the game today. First, it was waiting for Cody to get done with his ride along so I could hear all about it- especially after he told me they went on a disturbance call. but, then, the wait was even longer for Lisa to get here so we could visit. Of course, by the time she made it, we were both ready for bed. But, we talked a while first.

 December 18 

Today was a great day. Cody was off hunting at the deer lease and left Lisa and I to ourselves. Lisa and I watched old videos of Jack when he was younger- we even posted one on his facebook- oh how Jack’s face in it made us laugh. then, we got down to business. . . creating a website for Lisa’s work. While web work isn’t exactly fun, it was fun being able to help Lisa out with all the things I’ve learned. We had a few challenges but they are just opportunties to learn. . . and a few tricks I’m even going to try on my website. But, in all the time we got to spend working on the site, we also got time to talk and catch up. We simply just got to spend the day together.

 December 19 

Journaling Reads: We had dad’s birthday lunch a day early. Conversations included their new cell phones, working out, the football game Cody was watching, and Cody’s ride-a-longs.

December 20

Journaling Reads: After Cody left for Lisa’s, I baked cookies, put on music, and decorated our tree. It was the first time we’ve put the King Ranch ornaments Coralyn has gotten us since 1996 on the main tree.

December 21

Journaling: Today seemed to be about preperation. Cody’s present arrived and I wrapped it before he had the chance to see it. I made several batters for cookies to bake Wednesday, and Cody helped me clean house before Coralyn came up.

 December 22

Journaling Reads: 234 Cookies plus a few. Today, Cody and I made five different kinds of cookies for the troopers at his office. Sad thing is, they’ll only get a dozen and a half each. We had less than 10 extra cookies. I don’t know how I’d have done it without Cody’s help.

 December 23 

Journaling Reads: Our traditional Christmas eve eve dinner wasn’t quite traditional. We used the mixture from Cody’s oopsy instead of mexican meat. Cody had put picante instead of spaghetti sauce with hamburger meat the night before. It still tasted good.

December Daily: Dec 17-23 is a post from: Ordinary Details - The Joy of Ordinary

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1. December Daily: Dec 7-11
2. December Daily: December 12-16
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December 12:

Journaling reads: He's home. Cody got back from the deer lease leaving his familiar black bag in the living room. It seems like that bag is a fixture in our lives these days with all his trips to Austin and New Waverly this year. Of course, now with hunting season there are even more piles and messes but I'm always glad when he's back home.

December 13:

Journaling reads: He's home. Cody got back from the deer lease leaving his familiar black bag in the living room. It seems like that bag is a fixture in our lives these days with all his trips to Austin and New Waverly this year. Of course, now with hunting season there are even more piles and messes but I'm always glad when he's back home.

December 14:

Journaling Reads: Once again, we chose children from the angel tree instead of exchanging gifts with family. Five kids and lumpy fishing and hunting items made me remember how much I really don’t like wrapping presents. . . it’s not by any means a talent of mine. But, the gifts all got wrapped before NCIS came on and date night began and that felt good.

December 15th:

Journaling Reads: Cody took these pictures as I baked cookies for the Troops that Cody would see tomorrow at the strip. I love these pics- they show just how at home I am when cooking. Speaking of home- today I ordered a necklace with my 2011 one little word- Home

December 16th:

Journaling reads: Finally, we had a chance to get our tree. We wondered around until we found our own little slice of a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree. We always do- the perfect tree doesn't exist on this hill where we always get our tree. Now to decorate it.

December Daily: December 12-16 is a post from: Ordinary Details - The Joy of Ordinary

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1. December Daily: Dec 17-23
2. December Daily: Dec 7-11
3. December Daily: Final Pages