Photo A Day Challenge - Week Three (January 14-20, 2011)

Here we go again!  Week Three already!  I am really bad at abandoning challenges like this, but I really am getting joy from this one. :)




Day Fourteen: Something I Am Reading.  This is from my Real Simple magazine.  I really liked the quote about love.



Day Fifteen: Happiness.  Happiness is shoes in my book.  Even if they are your older brothers' and they are on the wrong feet!




Day Sixteen: Morning.  OK, this was really from Day Seventeen, but that doesn't bother me.  I had to share this!  Look at what I saw on my drive into Huntington this morning.  Ride the rainbow!!!




Day Seventeen: Water.  Bath time with cute little whale toy that shoots water through its spout.  The kiddos love it!






Photo A Day Challenge - Week Two (January 7-13, 2012)





Week Two is upon us, and I'm still going strong.  (I have realized I really love to take pictures, and a challenge like this keeps me mindful of things going on around me.  Loving this so far!)



Day Seven:  Favorite.  This is our Saturday breakfast.  Zane's favorite -- scrambled eggs.  With ketchup, of course.  Ethan's favorite -- orange sweet rolls.  Mama's favorite -- french toast.  Wait, there's no french toast.  Maybe next time. :)

Day Eight:  My Sky.  Our Moon Pie sky.  At least that's what Zane called it :)  I love the layered colors.  "Red sky at night, sailors delight" was true.  The next day was beautiful for January.



Day Nine: Daily Routine.  My daily commute.  It's always dark when I get home this time of year.  :(  I like the reflection of the lights on my car's hood here.

 

Day Nine:  Daily Routine.  Take 2.  This was the morning leg of my daily commute.  That's the moon, not the sun in the sky!  I loved the colors in this shot.



Day Ten: Childhood.  Child toes.  Love!



Day Eleven:  Where I Sleep.  My boys after baths on my bed where I sleep.



Day Eleven: Where I Sleep.  Those boys again on my bed.  Grrr!

Day Twelve: Closeup.  My rings.  Blurry, yes.  But cool, I think.



Day Twelve: Closeup.  My favorite winter scarf.

Day Twelve: Closeup.  Again, my scarf.  I just love the colors and textures here!



Day Thirteen: In My Bag.  This is my cute little fish coin purse that I love.  Especially when there's money in it!  {glub, glub}






I've linked up with Jeannett this week at liferearranged.com

Photo A Day Challenge - Week 1 (January 1-6, 2012)

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My goal is to take a photo each day.  Likely, it will be a phone pic because that's the camera I usually have with me at all times.  (And that's the best camera, right?  It doesn't do any good to have a fancy DSLR if it's in a camera bag someplace where you aren't.)  Plus, I don't have to upload pictures via my computer.  Which is still in a coma with the repair guy.  (Update on the 'puter:  We had some bad memory.  Whatever that means!  But it looks like the computer guru CAN fix it.  Yes!  Yes!  Yes!)

I am going to upload my pictures via my blog onto FB each week, if I remember to.  If I don't lose motivation along the way, or if this silly thing called My Life doesn't get in the way!



Day One:  Me (on my way to work, in my car.  again.)

 



Day Two:  Breakfast (note it is on my lap, in the car!)

 



Day Three:  Something I Adore.  This could have been so many things.  But this is definitely at the top of my list!



 


Day Four:  Letterbox.  These are old post office boxes in a building I visit daily.  Lovely!






Day Five:  Something I Wore.  I love this sweater.  My favorite color.  From my favorite store.  Also my favorite necklace.  (I wear this a lot mainly because when the babies pull on it, it doesn't break!)






Day Six:  Something that makes me smile.  My yellow flats.  {me, smiling}



Linking up this week with Jeannett at liferearranged.com!

 


30 Days of Truth Challenge - Day One

Day 1:  Something you hate about yourself.

I am going to start this my changing the title to, "Something I don't like about myself."  I really don't like the word HATE.  I am working hard to wean its use from my vocabulary because I don't want my kids to use it except in extreme cases.  Because HATE is a word reflecting extreme emotion.  And I don't HATE myself :)

I don't like many things about myself.

I am a procrastinator.  Especially when it comes to packing.  Ooh, I hate packing.
Even though I have great aspirations, I am not very organized with paperwork (especially at home).  Ugh.
I have great ideas, but I don't follow through very well.  (I share this trait with my dad.)
I lack focus and can be easily distracted.
I am not good at keeping in touch with people I love.  (I am sorry, Aunt Shirley.)
I don't "play" enough.  (I am sorry, my sweet boys.)
I am overweight and I am getting gray hairs and wrinkles and I don't feel very attractive.  (I am sorry, Jason.)
I have lost control of my personal finance.  (This one keeps me awake nights.)
I have lost inspiration to cook.  (Thank goodness Jason has stepped up lately.)
I have failed when it comes to teaching my two younger sons how to sleep well.
I am a pack rat.

Wow, the list goes on and on, doesn't it?  Was this exercise supposed to make me feel like crap?  No, I think it just makes me aware of my shortcomings.  I should try to change the things I can and embrace (or learn to live with) the things I cannot or choose not to change.

Boy, I need Day Two of this challenge.  Even though I don't think I could write to it just now.  I feel kind of like you do when you rip a band-aid off really quickly.  Ouchie. 

30 Days of Thankful - Day 8

I posted earlier and regret it now.  It was negative.  And I decided I need to keep a positive outlook.  I am an example for my boys.  I don't want to hurt my mom.  (If she were to read the earlier post, she would be upset.  She would have taken it personally.  I am sorry about that.)

So what am I thankful for today?  My mom.  I think back to when each of my sons was born.  She was there.  I think about the fact her mom wasn't there when my sister and I were born.  She had passed away when my mom was 21.  Can you imagine how difficult that would have been?  21 is a hard age anyway.  So she wasn't there when I was born.  My mom was essentially alone.  My dad's parents were there but were not very supoortive of her.  Ever.  Aunt Shirley supported her but wasn't there either.  Knowing how my dad is (and probably was then), I realize she was alone.

My mom is a very outgoing person.  A people person.  In the 70's and 80's in southwestern rural Virginia, the dad is the breadwinner and the mom stayed home with the kids.  Knowing my mom's personality and need to be with others, I realize she must have been miserable staying at home with us all day.  And we only had one car, so usually she was just that -- home alone with us all day.  And my sister and I were typical siblings, fussing and fighting.  She must have been miserable.

So I am thankful for my mom.  She's not perfect, but neither am I.  I am thankful for all she does for me and our family. 

That's better.

30 Days of Truth Challenge

Chelsey @ thepapermama took on the challenge of being honest with herself, looking inward, and reflecting on these thirty questions.  Writing is good therapy for me, but I am REALLLY bad about sticking with a multiple entry challenge such as this.  So, maybe i won't attack these chronologically, maybe I won't attack these on consecutive days, but I am gonna do it!  This is definitely a challenge for me.

 30 days of truth challenge

Day 1: Something you hate about yourself.
Day 2: Something you love about yourself.
Day 3: Something you have to forgive yourself for.
Day 4: Something you have to forgive someone for.
Day 5: Something you hope to do in your life.
Day 6: Something you hope you never have to do.
Day 7: Someone who has made your life worth living for.
Day 8: Someone who made your life hell, or treated you like shit.
Day 9: Someone you didn’t want to let go, but just drifted.
Day 10: Someone you need to let go, or wish you didn’t know.
Day 11: Something people seem to compliment you the most on.
Day 12: Something you never get compliments on.
Day 13: A band or artist that has gotten you through some tough ass days. (write a letter.) Day 14: A hero that has let you down. (letter)
Day 15: Something or someone you couldn’t live without, because you’ve tried living without it.
Day 16: Someone or something you definitely could live without.
Day 17: A book you’ve read that changed your views on something.
Day 18: Your views on gay marriage.
Day 19: What do you think of religion? Or what do you think of politics?
Day 20: Your views on drugs and alcohol.
Day 21: (scenario) Your best friend is in a car accident and you two got into a fight an hour before. What do you do?
Day 22: Something you wish you hadn’t done in your life.
Day 23: Something you wish you had done in your life.
Day 24: Make a playlist to someone, and explain why you chose all the songs. (Just post the titles and artists and letter)
Day 25: The reason you believe you’re still alive today.
Day 26: Have you ever thought about giving up on life? If so, when and why?
Day 27: What’s the best thing going for you right now?
Day 28: What if you were pregnant or got someone pregnant, what would you do?
Day 29: Something you hope to change about yourself. And why.
Day 30: A letter to yourself: tell yourself EVERYTHING you love about yourself.