In the Storm

stories 2015 | celebrate

While my intention is to do some form of project life this year I also just want to tell the stories that happen in 2015, however I do this. I still love Project Life but I haven't found 'time' to do it. We'll see how life goes. In the meantime I am still scrapbooking and for this page I used more of the digital projects from my Ali Edwards Story kit for GATHER.

I took a bunch of photos while we were in San Antonio, although not near as many as I'd hoped, but came home with some good ones nonetheless and very scrap worthy.

I used Ali Edwards products and a Cathy Zielske template for this page and I'm calling it done now.

This page was all about Jeff, mostly, with some boys thrown in because of their interaction with their Pop Pop. It was really fun to watch how Jeff remained laid back and relaxed the whole weekend even when he was messing with Ian or Wyatt. Jeff was all about going with the flow and doing it very slowly.

52 Gratitudes 2015 | 5

stories 2015 | gather

I have subscribed to Ali Edwards Digital Story Kit which sends me a kit of digital products around a monthly theme. This month was gathering. Part of the subscription price is access to a monthly classroom with tons of inspiration and learning tools for each monthly theme. It is a genius project and I'm glad I'm on board and using the products.

My first page for this month's theme is from our trip to San Antonio, with the story of our overall trip. I have more intimate stories to tell also but this was a good beginning. Like I said, the classroom for the story kit is filled with inspiration and it was here that I was inspired to totally scraplift another project from the gallery of amazing projects.

For the left side of the page I used our planes wing with the clouds in the sky on our way to San Antonio as a full page photo with title and accompanying journaling.

Using a Paislee Press template I filled individual squares with the plethora of photos I took while visiting Ash, Brad, and the boys. So many good times and some great photos if I do say so myself. This time was so precious to me (us).

 

52 Gratitudes 2015 | 4

52 Gratitudes 2015 | 3

52 Gratitudes 2015 | 2

52 Gratitudes 2015 | 1

A New Year. A new year of more to be thankful for. So full of gratitude to God. My gratitudes are to God; let me be clear. I give my thanks to God. Every single thank you and gratitude and gratefulness is to Him alone.

While I can find so many things to be thankful for this 52 Gratitudes is just one a week, sometimes those obscure little parts of our lives, neglected or forgetfulness in thanking God.

So here goes my third year with this project. It has been a wonderful exercise I just don't want to miss. A new format of 4 x 6 using mostly Paislee Press products (in particular her wonderful templates) + Ali Edwards brushes and word art.

30 new books in 2015 | january.

One of my big projects for the year is read 30 new books. It was such a huge success last year, and after receiving a Kindle Fire for Christmas, how could I not start over in 2015. Thirty new books may not seem like a lot to verocious readers but for me, who likes to re-read books, in particular series' of books, such as J.D. Robb's In Death series, thirty new books is a challenge. I came in just over the wire in 2014 so I knew 30 new books it would have to be for 2015, rather than increase the amount.

I'm off to a fine start:

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin. I know. Really, I've never read it. And I can't believe how I was missing out. Simply amazing. Full of humor and fun and playfulness and I just loved it.

The Best Yes by Lysa Terkhurst. Spiritually based, but inspiring and so well-written I will be going back to this book as more a reference, self-help to those time when I need to know whether to say Yes or No.

Hazardous Duty by W.E.B. Griffin. A Presidential Agent novel (and I'm betting the last) as this was a slap-stick novel, in line with the silliness and craziness of M*A*S*H. Lots of 'returning to previous novels for an update' which is great if you hadn't already read the series but gets tiring after awhile. The would-be story line is acceptable if the presidents agent would ever get to the heart of the mission but I think that was the point of the novel - doing everything possible not to complete the mission - in the most round about way possible. Did I like the book? Sort of. It definitely was a slap-stick novel with similarities to M*A*S*H. Would I have preferred an actual Presidential Agent storyline? Definitely - because I like the character and his gang of Merry Men.

It's Not About Me by Max Lucado. Typical Max book. But, still very good.

goals for 2015.

I don't do resolutions. I fail every time; usually about mid-January or early February with occasional, 'successes' through March. Then, that is it.

I do goals, instead. I make lists of things I want to accomplish. The list is usually a monthly list, such as my Bold Intentions and other times it is a year-long list of the unusual, the challenging, the doable, the must, like my 50 in my 50th year project. Both bring varied success but I am so pleased with what success I do have that I don't stress over the incompletes.

Some of these goals are pointed and specific, while others are broad and far-reaching with an outcome that can go down many roads. I am excited for this coming year, for the projects I WILL complete, for goals met, for miles walked, for books of the Bible read, for my creativity to thrive, for my heart to grow.

Read 30 New Books. This was such a wonderful endeavor last year that I'm repeating it this year. I've already read book 1 of 30.

52 Gratitudes. Such a wonderful exercise in keeping me focused on what is important, where all my blessings come from, WHO blesses me, reminding me to be content and grateful.

Document our life. I will talk about this more in a seperate post, but suffice it to say, this years documentation is open to every style but at a minimum words + photos.

Mom's photos into albums, chronologially with journaling. The big, chore project, time-consuming, but one that has much enjoyment also. Again, a separate blog post will cover my planned process for completing this project.

One Little Word. Each year I find a word to live by, to relate to, to grow me, to focus on. This year I have also joined Ali Edwards in her One Little Word class to document my word and how I am living out this word.

Write a Bible Study. This is so new on my horizon I'm not sure where it will take me. But, I am so open to the possibilities.

Lose 20+ pounds. I gained a couple pounds this past year while I was anemic and unable to move with any intensity, living with exhaustion and a state of fatigue, so this year I am hoping to change that as my health has improved dramatically. Not huge goal, just a steady loss.

CREATE52 - My big creative project for the year.

Read thru the Bible, chronologically. I am using my new chronological Bible too.

Finish memorizing the Book of James. Oh my, it is a challenge but the boys and I are doing it! We have chapter 1 memorized already. But, I'm not seeing completion until summertime, probably.

I am considering re-visiting small, monthly goals as well. Doable, achievable, yet challenging goals to reach each month. Goals that might see progressive movement to my yearly goals. Check this part off my list this month, or that off my list next month, read this chapter, get this far, lose this much...

Excited for what 2015 has in store for me.

 

 

52 Gratitudes 2014 | 50

I am still catching up, putting the gratitudes into digital format. I may or may not get 51 & 52 up on the blog as I begin the new year with 52 Gratitudes in 2015. I'm playing catch up with several projects and just not sure when it will all happen.