Completed December Daily Album | 2013

I finally finished my December Daily album.  Woohoo!

Here's a look at the cover.  The photo of Noah and me was taken by Mindy Newton Photography.

This album size (6x12) worked well for me. (For more info on the album and insert pages, click here.)

As you'll see below, I used photo pages that hold 3-4x6s on each side.  Most days, I included an Ali Edwards' journaling card and two 4x6 photos, but some days I had additional photos I wanted to showcase.

I also included two 6x12 photos like the one of Noah (below) in his blue car.

In Photoshop, I created a 12x12 canvas and then dropped the two 6x12 photos onto it.  I ordered the 12x12 print from Costco (for $2.99), cut it in half, and slipped each photo into a 6x12 photo sleeve.


On the back of the 6x12 insert, I placed a drawing by our godson Tyler, who is quite the artist.  

I wrote my journaling out each December night using two black Project Life pens, which I received at the Click Retreat. In mid-January, I went back and added a piece of patterned paper as well as a sentiment sticker to the bottom left corner of each journaling card.

Here's a look at some of my journaling:

Dec. 15 | Two really cool things happened today: 1) We attended church , only to discover that the baby room speakers have been fixed. It's a Christmas miracle, I tell ya! 2) Our friends joined us for dinner tonight. It was so fun to see Noah play with Avery (20 months) and Chase (3.5 years old) and Tyler (7.5 years old). I feel really lucky to have good friends from high school living nearby who like to chat and play and eat.

Dec. 16 | I woke up this morning with the urge to go somewhere! Brian was at work, so Noah and I headed off to BusyKidz. We played for 2+ hours. Noah's favorite things to do? Ride a scooter, push the grocery cart, sing into the microphone (karaoke style), play with the hammer and drill and type on the typewriter. I loved watching Noah play! I also loved taking photographs with my Nikon and iPhone. Being a stay-at-home mom is the best.

Dec. 20 |  Earlier tonight, we had dinner (Pizza Factory pizza) with Scot and Jessie Yearwood at their home. They, along with Jen, gave Noah a cute blue car and firefighter jacket. Noah loves both, but is especially enamored with the car. After dinner and presents, we drove to a big lights neighborhood in Rocklin. Noah loved seeing all the inflatables and lights from his stroller. Snapping pics of lights and kids in the dark is tricky, but I did the best I could.

In the 6x12 photo, Noah is sitting on Adam Fink's bike.  (Adam is a motocross racer who lives in Oakley, just down the street from my aunt and uncle.)


Adam is currently racing on the 2014 Arenacross series, and he was kind enough to autograph a flyer for Noah, as well as let him sit on his bike.  Watching Adam make such high jumps was exciting!    

Dec. 22 | Confession: I'm cranky today. I'm feeling tired from two long (and social) days. So tired that when Noah went down for a nap, I took a (short) nap, too. That doesn't happen much anymore.  Still have a few more errands to run before Christmas and cleaning to do. I hope Noah's cold goes away before Christmas. He's been cranky today, too. Not only because of the cold, but also, I believe, because he's tired and inching closer and closer to two. Oy vey! 

Dec. 23 | Looking around the family room tonight, I see many things I treasure--most especially the scrapbooks and layouts I've made over the years. I see something that makes me laugh--our tree with ornaments on the top half only. I see something that I want to work on for next year--where, oh where, should we hang our stockings? And I see something that makes me smile--the baby Jesus, who was once lost (in the hamper), but is now found.

Dec. 24 | Noah and I spent the morning outside (it was beautiful with temp around 65 degrees and sunny) playing in the yard. After Noah's nap, we drove to the station for dinner with Brian, eight other firefighters, and their families. We brought Noah's trike, but he was more interested in riding the scooters and a bike (with the helmet, of course). Around and around the tables all the kids went, riding bikes, trikes, and scooters. It was a zoo, but a highly entertaining one at that.

Dec. 25 | Santa surprised Noah with a workbench, complete with hammer, hand saw, table saw, etc. We bought Noah a dog guitar, a book, and some pajamas. It was fun to hang out just the three of us in the morning and then later on, my mom and Brian's family joined us for more presents and lunch. Noah now has a kitchen (thanks to Mike and Kathleen), which he LOVES! We didn't make it to church this year (boo!), but I'm so thankful that God sent his son to Earth. Happy Birthday, Jesus! Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

As I typed up the words on these journaling cards just now, I cringed a few times. Why?  Because this writing is so unpolished, so rough draft material; it's surely not my best work. But I'm going to let it go. It's what I could come up with in the five or ten minutes I had each night. And even though it's not pretty in some spots, it captures what I was thinking at that moment. Best of all, though, it's done. Smile.  

Thanks for letting me share my December days with you!

Christmas Letter | 2013

 Photo Credit: Mindy Newton Photography

Hi!

It’s Noah here, with an update on our family.

2013 has been a really fun year—for Dada, Mama, and especially me.

 Photo Credit: Mindy Newton Photography

The three of us went camping twice in our trailer—once near Foresthill where Dada spotted a bear in a tree—and the other time, in the Bodega Sand Dunes, where I played in the warm sand and the ocean. 

We also visited Lake Tahoe twice, once in the winter and once in the summer. In February, we snowshoed with our neighbors; their son’s name is Aaron and he’s about my age.  He calls me “Nona” and I love going for hikes with him. In August, we spent the day at Meeks Bay, but the water was so c-c-c-c-old that I didn’t want to go in. Dada buried the lower half of my body in the sand, and then drove a tractor around my feet.  I thought that was so funny!    

We also hit the zoo (where I loved watching the little monkeys), and the county fair (where I got to sit on a tractor), and a miniature indoor city called BusyKidz (where I vacuumed, weighed fruit, and talked on the telephone). 

About a month ago, I flew on an airplane to Texas. Auntie Katie (TT) and Uncle Preston got married, and Auntie TT looked so beautiful in her wedding dress. I wore a tuxedo, and everyone kept saying how cute I looked.  (Being cute is a good thing, right?) At the reception, there was a guy playing a guitar (gee-tar), and I sat down right in front of him and watched him play. Uncle Preston’s sister, Noelle, also played a guitar and sang really pretty.  

 Photo Credit: Mindy Newton Photography

Mama, Dada, and I have a lot of fun at home, too. Mama stays home with me, and in the mornings, we go to the library to play with puzzles or to gymnastics where I slide down into the foam pit (wee!) or to the park where I play in the sandbox and go down the slides (more weeing!).

Mama sings to me, and I sing along sometimes, too.  One of my favorite songs right now is "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."  You know that part where Santa says, “Ho! Ho! Ho!”?  I pretend to be Santa and sing those words.  

 Photo Credit: Mindy Newton Photography

Daddy works at the fire station and I miss him when he’s gone.  I say, “Dada?” and Mama tells me he is at the station. Then, I say, “Woo, woo?” and Mama responds, “Yes, Dada drives the fire engine.” When we visit Dada at the station, he hoists me up into the driver's seat and I hold on to the steering wheel.  It's the best!  I don't want to leave.  Ever.  When Mama says it’s time to go, I cry and cry. 

But then, when I hear Dada’s truck come up the driveway, I run to the window and Mama lifts me up onto the windowsill. Dada steps out of his truck and I wave and say “Hi! Hi! Hi!” with the biggest grin on my face.

Dada makes me the best shakes--always with frozen blueberries (my favorite)—and the best pancakes with oatmeal and bananas.  Dada also pushes me around on my outside trike, taking me for walks in the neighborhood. Going for rides in Dada’s truck is fun, too.      

My doggies, Lucy (Luce) and Rudy (D), are the best!  Lucy just turned 10 and Rudy is 8 now.  Mama and Dada give Luce two shots a day because she has diabetes (tees).  I sit on the rug nearby and watch.  Mama always says, “Good girl!” to Lucy when she’s done, and I say, “Good girl!” too.        

I also say "Oh, no!" a lot.  Like when I drop my fork off the dining room table.  Or when I put my foot in the dogs’ water bowl.  Or when I accidentally throw an iPhone into the bath tub.    

My other favorite words are: cool and okay and please (pwease) and thank you (ank-you) and football (b-ball) and helicopter (copter).  And, of course, guitar (gee-tar or tar).  I'm obsessed with guitars. In fact, I’m really hoping Santa will bring me one for Christmas! 

In addition to being a guitar nut, I have a thing for vehicles…you know, trains (choo-choo) and trucks and tractors.  Pretty much anything that goes.  Oh, and my trike.  I ride it as fast as I can around the house: Through the kitchen and around into the living room, then whizzing past the sofas in the family room and zooming into the dining room.  Dada calls them hot laps.  Don’t worry, though, I wear a big football hat (a gold Notre Dame helmet) when I ride to protect my brain (ain).   

Mama, Dada and I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Love,

Noah

(Age: Almost 2)