In the Storm

I Create

 
This photo album will store all of my creations of course! Scrapbook pages - both traditional and digital; my projects I complete through the years; cards; crafts; gifts; etc. Can't wait to fill it up.

I Homeschool

 
Another photo album that will capture our first year of homeschooling. Everything from our lesson plans, our field trips, our everyday school.

I Give

 
My ONE LITTLE WORD (will write more later) for 2011 is GIVE. This album will store all of my giving for the year.

I Shoot

 
I've made several new photo albums that I will be uploading many photos into. The first one is I SHOOT. This album will hold all of my Project 365 photos. The idea is to capture a photo a day, every day of the year. I'll blog about it, or just upload a photo - and then they will all be stored in the album under I SHOOT.

47 before I'm 48

I've done this in year's past but want to not only make the list but keep track of the list (maybe month by month) with completed ones. I've had this list for almost a month so I've actually completed some of the things on the list already!

47 before 48

1. have a great first year of homeschool

2. swim 2 miles straight

3. read 52 new books

4. paint the guest room  Done

5. decorate the guest room

6. learn how to use my Canon xTi in manual mode

7. grow tomatoes

8. grow herbs

9. grow jalapenos

10. finish my MBA

11. lose 48 pounds

12. visit new Orleans  Done

13. start and finish Project 365

14. finish the Geer family recipe book

15. take a spiritual retreat once a month

16. go on a cruise

17. make gratitude journals with the boys

18. Meet my brother for lunch

19. save for wood flooring

20. clean out attic

21. learn something new every week

22. make homemade laundry detergent

23. get a massage

24. go to the farmers market

25. go camping with family

26. go to the Tea Room with family or friends

27. make and send 10 surprise gifts

28. teach and/or participate in 6 bible studies

29. make a shadow box of Jeff’s military awards/decs

30. go on a dolphin hunting trip

31. watch my daughter graduate from air force basic training

32. visit the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta

33. build a Lego city with the boys with all the Legos the boys own

34. complete a walk, run, swim, 500-mile challenge with Jeff and the boys

35. Visit St Augustine

36. Drink more water than soda

37. Visit Washington D.C.

38. Make 30 new recipes

39. Complete a Week in The Life Challenge (Ali Edward’s prompt)

40. Complete One Little Word challenge

41. Make ‘word’ tags for Christmas tree (2011)

42. Begin making handmade Christmas gifts (2011)

43. Go on 12 field trips with John and Jarrod (for homeschool)

44. Paint bedroom

45. Organize kitchen cabinets

46. Take a Big Picture Scrapbooking class (Maybe One Little Word!!)

47. Keep track of this list

Preparing

Preparing for our trip to Mississippi. I spent all day yesterday - until Stacia and Steven arrived anyway wrapping the rest of the presents we'll take to Mississippi with us or have ready for when we come home to share. I wrapped the gifts with jute and attached one of these tags to each package for just a touch of love.

 
Aren't they darling. You would think it wouldn't be much just sitting around wrapping presents but when you have one from/for everyone it gets tiring. Can't wait for the revealing - especially those gifts I've hand made.

The Journey

8 of the last 10 years at our church, Savannah Christian Church we have put on a production called 'The Journey'. It is an interactive, moving play in which the guests (traveler Jews) are apart of the story, on a Journey to Bethlehem, to pay taxes - and to see the Christ child. My Hoosier Man, every year plays a Roman Centurian (Roman guard). The Roman guards are a large part of the story as they 'guide' the guests along the Journey (for protection) and interacts with the guests (as Roman Centurians). A few years ago, they added horses and Roman Calvary. Hoosier Man gets to do both. The family that lends the horses to the church love when Hoosier Man rides and is there to help with the horses - he does them both so well. Hoosier Man has what he's been told as a natural seat. He's beautiful on a horse.

The production runs for 10 days and Hoosier Man is there 10 days, either as a guard or calvary. They are long nights for him - sometimes not getting home until 11pm if there where many travelers. This years we had over 12,000 travelers on the Journey.

 

Let it Snow Let it Snow Let it Snow

In all my Christmas gift-making I made these for ME! I love snow and snowmen so I made these for my sampler wall at Christmas time. Of course, since we're not decorating this year I'll have to put them out next year - but ooh! they'll be fun to pull out then.

 
 

Tybee in the Winter

The boys and I headed out to Tybee this afternoon so I could get the piece I needed for a Christmas gift I'm putting together. It was a perfect late afternoon. Clear and crisp, no clouds, and no footprints in the sand. The boys did some individual work today while I did some school work and some Christmas creating.

I'm having a hard time with it not feeling like Christmas being around the corner - no tree, no decorations...but I'm lovin' making gifts. I have my sister's Sandy and Paula's done (not wrapped); I have my mothers' done (both Mom's) just not put together and not wrapped. I made two decorations for myself and I have two more to create (depending on time). I also have Elizabeth's gift made but not wrapped, Wyatt's gift made. Ashley's almost done. We have Brad and Matt's gifts and need to get Ian's.

Leaving with a Tybee beauty.

 

Corps of Engineers Visit

 
We visited the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers depot this past week for their Citizenship of the Nation merit badge. It was one of the last things they needed to finish up. We worked hard all week finishing that up with a few other things also. The boys enjoyed being able to go on a 'field trip' during the week. Realizing how great homeschooling is because we can make these little trips during the day, during the week. Simple place to go but the boys learned alot. They especially liked trying on the dive helmets the engineer divers use when they are surveying under water.