Project 365 - Laura, Snack Bar, Christmas Cards...

... #12, 13, 14... my trainer, Laura, is having to retire at the moment to take care of her 3 kids and the education of one in particular... in the past 12 months, I have met some of the most AMAZING women at our local YMCA... all trained with Laura... most of us doing the Weight Loss Challenge with Laura... all of us WORKED by Laura... all of us love Laura... and all of us continuing to succeed with each other and train and compete in new events with each other!  This photo was taken (by Miss Heidi) in December at our final party with our group... but given as a gift to each of us on our last workout with Laura on Tuesday... WE... ARE... "Laura's Angels!"...

#013... Chris is a Junior in high school and in his third year on Varsity Basketball... Wednesday marked Chris' first league game and our first home game of the season... which meant that Julie Early and I ran the basketball snack bar for the first time this season... this is our 3rd season running the snack bar for the boys... and Anna's 2nd year cheering for the boys... of course, she needed a bit of snack bar "energy" before cheering...

#014... I am FINALLY getting the Christmas decorations put away and I wanted to share one of my annual favorites!  We bought this Christmas Card Tree at Costco a few years ago, and it has been the PERFECT place to share all of our Christmas Cards!  I just hate to take it down!!!


I hope you have a WONDERFUL day and remember what is important... family... love... laughter...one day at a time...

Project 365 - 011

... some days, your heart just hurts.  And then your "little bug" comes up to you and gives you a "little piece of her heart" to make you feel better... reminds me of a quote...  I can't remember it exactly, but it goes like this... Once you become a parent, you realize that your heart no longer resides in your own body, but walks around, next to you, holding your hand...

Project 365 - 010

Woooo Hoooo!  I'm in double digits... I know... one day at a time, but I can also CELEBRATE one day at a time! :-)  We are madly working on the installation of the new side fence... our new neighbors move in on Saturday (6 days) and we HAVE to have the new fence up by then!!!  Today's picture is of the fence... "New and Old"...

Project 365 - 008 and 009

I'm going to start with today's photo, first... because... REALLY...

God gives us the most BEAUTIFUL things to see... if we will only look...

like this SPECTACULAR Southern California sunset...

I took this photo from our backyard... ahhhh...

Yesterday, we were in LA and had lunch at the oldest working "Bob's Big Boy Restaurant"  in the USA!  Built in 1949, it has been expanded a bit, but still has the charm, the customer service (we had a team 4 people waiting on us!) and the awesome menu of my childhood favorite restaurant!  We had a "Bob's", with Mr. Bob out front, in El Toro when I was growing up... I used to throw him kisses... just like sweet Anna did yesterday!

Project 365 - #006-007

PROJECT 365 DISCLAIMER...Over the next year, I am SURE there will be days I won't be able to edit and post my daily picture... that doesn't mean that I won't be taking a photo a day... life happens fast, and the goal is to capture it, which I am commited to do.  I may even post a few pictures for the same day if I can't chose just one favorite.  (yes, Nicola... that disclaimer is for you... you stalker, you!  And, yes, I will work on posting a few pictures of your sweet Chris for you!) 


Above is the photo for today... Anna playing in the backyard... she is running around, barefoot, with Puppy Abby... swinging, riding her scooter... on a BEAUTIFUL 75 degree San Diego winter day.

Yesterday was a sad day in our family.  I will be doing a full post on the passing of my Sweet Grandma Louise shortly.  While I was moping around, I decided to clean out and reorganize my Scrap Studio.  Friend Lynn Warner is constructing an INCREDIBLE new Scrap Studio and has asked for favorite organizational tips. (She is a HOOT, by the way!  You will LOVE her blog!)  This photo is of the copper wire ribbon hangers that Jeff put up in my studio... free... 16" wide... and hanging on simple nails... I have my loose and special ribbon hanging, by color, so I can see it for constant inspiration.  (My spools of ribbon are organized in shoe boxes, by color, under my desk.)


That is it for today!  Thanks for stopping by and make it a FANTASTIC day!

Project 365 - 005

This is our old side fence.  It has been a good fence.  But, it is time for it to go.  Within the next week, this fence will be torn down, new posts placed and a brand new fence put up.  We have been working on our rear yard reconstruction for about six months now... here are a few flashback pictures to show what this fence/arbor looked like just a few months ago...

This photo is of our arbor area after doing a bunch of clean out of old landscape.

... and after tearing out all the plants and relocating several of the trees,

here is Jeff tearing down the arbor and lattice...

The poor side fence blew over a few weeks ago during a big rain/wind storm, so it is time to put in the new fence!!!  (WOO HOO... we've been waiting to do this for 7 years!)

Project 365 - 004

Yes... I admit my Christmas Cards turned into New Year's Cards this year... but seriously... I learned how to do "digital design" for the first time EVER (and it took me a whole day to figure out the basics!)... then, I had to  sew one hundred cards... I went through two sewing machines before I found one that would work for me. 

My "cardless" Christmas Cards were fun to design... one side (back and front) with photos and digital designs... with a vellum overlay that served as a decoration with one of three seams (ribbons) on the front, and the summary of the year typed on the back.  I LOVE making my own cards and I hope you enjoyed them, too!!!

Project 365 - 003

It is that time... 2 weeks worth of taking down "Christmas"... dusting... new photos in frames... re-decorating with our "normal" things... We have 2 Christmas trees... this one is Jeff's tree known as the "Charlie Brown Tree."  It has all of the antique ornaments and hand croched ornaments he had on his tree for 20 years... as well as all of the colorful, special, handmade ornaments of the family and kids.  Next year we will put up "My Tree"... you will have to wait to see that one! ;-)  This is the last view of the 2009 Charlie Brown Tree!

Project 365 - 002...

... Daddy was home and pushing Anna on the swing... Anna was singing "I am Peter Pan, I am Peter Pan, You can't get me 'cuz I'm Peter Pan..." all the while... Puppy Abby was chasing Anna, trying to nip at her heels... (Abby was "Captain Hook"... and he couldn't get Peter Pan...)  Day #2 of 365...

Project 365... "The Year of Woo Hoo!"

On January 1, 2009, I noticed that a very talented designer (and friend) was starting a year long project called, "Project 365."  (Thanks to you, Miss Noel Culbertson!) After watching her blog and progress through her journey, I KNEW it was an avenue that I would purse in 2010... a new way to document a year in our family life.  Project 365 is the documentation, through a picture a day... every day... for an entire year.  Each day, I will take a picture that helps define that day... maybe a picture of the family... or of a new bud on a special plant... or of Chris' drivers license...  a way to watch our children grow... love... and life. 

I am playing around with the corner mask that I will be posting on each of my Project 365 pictures, but for now... here is picture #1... for Day #1, 2010...

... Puppy Abby... the poor thing... learning that to live in the Locher family means that you will be subjected to random photo shoots... and she was sooooo tired after our annual family party last night... she was the last party goer...  and here we go with Project 365!