December Daily – Days 16 – 19

Posted on December 22, 2011 by daydesigns

Oh boy, seriously behind on posting this! I got these pages finished a few days ago but … you know how it is at this time of year.

Without further ado …

Day 16:
My overlay for this day was a 5×7 photo sleeve so I just slipped a photo of some of the baking I did into it.
I covered the back of the picture with patterned paper then added a journalling tag and another number 16.

The main pages talk about our shortbread tradition and how I baked 4 rounds of it on this day. Still need to bake more for us to eat as I ended up giving all this shortbread away!

Day 17:
We went out to Abbotsford for the annual Graham/Campbell/Day Christmas celebration. There was a lot of pictures taken so I added a couple extra pages.
The first was another 5×7 photo sleeve and I start the story of the celebration with pictures of Ina’s surprised face when Dave and his girls showed up unexpectedly. He had called us earlier in the day to ask if we could pick him up at the airport – something we were only too happy to do! Since Makenna and Kole were coming too Greg had to pick them up in his car so I took the girls out to Abbotsford early and had fun (at Greg’s expense) saying how tired he was and that he’d be joining us after his nap. Everyone thought he’d gone a bit soft in the head! But once Dave and the girls made their appearance, all was revealed and forgiven!

The back of the photo sleeve has a 5×7 photo of all 14 grandkids eating their dinner. Our family get togethers are always crazy – this year was no different. 14 kids ages 1 – 9 plus 11 adults means noise, noise and more noise!
But oh, so much fun!
Opposite that picture is a collage of shots taken from our annual concert. Those with musical talents get up and share them for everyone else. This year Joni showed off her new piano skills, Caleb his violin skills and Andrew and kids sang the 12 Days of Christmas for us. Us Days are generally a tuneless bunch so we abstain to protect everyone’s ears!

What follows are more pictures of the surprise appearance of Makenna and Kole and then the first ever Re-Gift Exchange with the kids (mostly successful I think).

The last page has a picture I caught of LC and Sadie (2 months her senior) sword fighting with their forks at the dinner table. I love that we are close enough to the cousins for them to maintain and build actual friendships. Here is the 2 year old version!
Day 18:

Taking two cars out to Abbotsford meant that Greg and Marley could head in early for Marley’s soccer tournament while Paige, LC and I could relax and play with Dave, Makenna and Kole. Ina played approximately 20 games of marbles with Paige – she’s a game fiend!!! Luckily I think I know what was in that large, flat, rather heavy parcel we brought home with us!!!

After dinner I got to go out for some adult socializing. This year I joined a book club – something I belonged to PK (pre-kids) and loved so I’m super excited to be a part of one again. This month’s meeting was more about the book exchange and cookie exchange than the book we were supposed to have been reading. Only the moderator (whose pick it was ) actually finished the book this month! 

But I did manage to snap a picture of us!

And then one of the treats I brought home – now mostly gone!
Day 19:

Today was the first official day of the Christmas break for Marley and Paige. To fill the time I had them make a little something for their Grandpa. The back of this page has a collage of the process and the results but since I know he reads my blog and I don’t want to ruin the surprise … that page will have to remain a mystery for now! Sorry!

As you can see though, it was colourful and the girls had fun. I don’t normally let them play with paint as the mess drives me up the wall but this was different. This was for Grandpa!
Okay, that’s as far as I got. Today was my appointment with the Orthopedic Surgeon I saw 16 years ago (sigh, I was 22 the last time he same me and now I’m … you do the math … with 3 kids … time flies!) He’s sending me for an MRI of my knee to see exactly what we are dealing with before deciding how to proceed.  I had to take the girls with me and they were so awesomely good. I love it when other people comment on what well behaved children I have. Makes me realize that perhaps I have done something right after all!
Okay, I’d better go and get dinner started. Have a wonderful night. Hopefully I’ll get to the other days soon – I had to take a hiatus to deal with other important Christmas things like The Christmas Letter and Photos with Santa and Christmas Shopping. Greg’s parents arrive tomorrow for a few days so I think tomorrow will be taken up with cleaning! With all 3 girls home all day, the house has developed a certain “shabby chic” look called “kids play/craft/toy clutter” that is completely out of hand! Sigh. I swear I just cleaned too!!


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What’s new?

Posted on December 20, 2011 by daydesigns

Wow! Has it really been a month since I posted?! I’ve been busy with other projects – kids, Holiday Season activities, non-Stampin’ Up! projects (gasp!) – and kind of forgot to keep everyone updated. My apologies!

So … how’s everyone doing? Ready for Christmas? We are mostly there. The girls and I are heading to Richmond Centre today to visit Santa and collect trading cards from his elves. They have a fantastic program over there that has completed enchanted my girls so every year it has become tradition to “Elf Hunt” (i.e. collect as many trading cards as we can!)

I’ve been busy crafting some Christmas decorations – check them out.

On the Stampin’ Up! front, they are having a HUGE Clearance sale right now that you have very much got to check out. Clicking on the link above takes you to an info page on my SU site. From there you can go to the Products – Shop Now tab and browse the on-line store. The products on sale are discontinued items and old-stlye punches but the prices are amazing! Oh and while we’re on the subject of discontinued items, I just heard that they will NOT be continuing the Stocking Builder Punch so if you were thinking of getting one, I’d snap it up now before stock runs out. It’s pretty versatile – stockings (obviously) but I’ve seen it turned into baby booties, sweaters, hobby horses, and check out this cute Canucks Card.

I’ve been busy updating my Class Calendar on my site too – check it out here. Join me on January 5th as we make a mini album documenting our Christmas memories. I’ll be holding an Open House on January 7th to show off the new Occasions Mini and Sale-a-bration Catalogues. And on January 20th is the Inaugural Stamp Club class – we’ll be playing with emboss resist techniques. As soon as I’ve got samples to show you I will!!

That’s all my kids will allow me to post right now (sigh). Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Safe and Happy New Year. Can’t wait to see what 2012 holds in store for me and Stampin’ Up!

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December Daily – Day 14

Posted on December 17, 2011 by daydesigns

Okay, that didn’t take me too long. This is my second post this morning so scroll down for Day 13. Thanks!

Day Fourteen:
Since Marley was 3 years old we have been taking a child to Delta Gymnastics. They have amazing programs for kids of all ages and their competitive athletes do really well nationally. Every Christmas they put on a Holiday Jingle featuring each class doing a little routine for all the parents. We’ve been going for I think 4 years now! This year it was Christine’s turn to shine. (Neither Marley or Paige are taking gymnastics right now due to budgetary considerations!!)
Above is the Day 14 cover page which is a CD protector page cut down. In the bottom pocket I included two pictures back to back. Christine was practicing her “Hup, two, three, fours” all around the house for days!! 

And the other picture is of her doing her “ta-da!” which I added onto the back of the 14 tag. 
Darn she’s adorable!! (Christine, not the tag – LOL!)
On the other page I created a photo collage of the action.
Here are the two pages together.
And finally, 
the program. Like with the Christmas concert program, I just glued this to the page.
All right, that’s all I’ve got for today. Day 15 will have to wait I’m afraid so I’ll be going out of order for a bit. We went to have family pictures taken at a studio but they won’t be ready until next week. Once they are I’ll add them to Day 15 and post it. It has been 5 years since we had proper family pictures taken and 3 since we had any taken of the girls. We are terrible parents!!!
The girls seem to be doing well so far and I’m starting to feel better so we may get out to Abbotsford today after all! I’m so glad as I hate to miss the opportunity to get together with my family. Only Dave and Heidi and their girls won’t be there (they live in Edmonton) so it’ll be the usual, awesome chaos that comes with 10 adults and 12 kids ages 1 – 9!! Can’t wait!!

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December Daily – Day 13

Posted on December 17, 2011 by daydesigns

They are coming fast and furious now!!

Day Thirteen:
It was Christmas concert day at Marley and Paige’s elementary school. Here in BC our teachers are trying to renegotiate their contract and initiated job action at the end of August. This has affected things like report cards (the girls’ had their attendance records on it and not much else!) and Christmas Concerts. Some schools aren’t putting one on at all. Others have individual classes putting on performances in their class rooms. Ours put on a reduced concert involving only grades K – 3 and at 2:00PM. Each family with a child in the concert was also given just 3 tickets (a new thing – usually it’s a seating free for all!) Greg had a Team Leaders Christmas lunch so he couldn’t make it but Grandma and Grandpa Day came across for the concert. 
Above is an extra page that I added with the program on one side and a picture of each girl on the other.

Marley’s class did this really fun number in the dark with flash lights which I took a video of for Greg. I managed to grab a few stills from the video to put onto this page.

On the back I added my journalling and a cute picture I got of Paige getting congratulatory hugs from Grandma and Grandpa. 
Day 14 is also done I just need to photograph it so look for it here soon.
On a personal note, last night was a lot of fun …. NOT!!! Christine came into our room crying just after midnight. Greg took her back to bed and then moments later, when I heard her still crying, I went in to discover Paige on the way down the ladder to tell us that Christine had thrown up. Yup. It’s hit our house I think. That yucky stomach bug that’s been making the rounds of the neighbourhood. Groan!!!!
We are supposed to be going out to Abbotsford today for the big Graham/Campbell/Day family get together but … we are in “wait and see” mode. Christine seems fine this morning. All smiles and chattering away as is her want. Paige and Marley seem unaffected but I am feeling iffy. Not sure if it’s genuine or if it’s due to lack of sleep and thinking/worrying/dreaming of throwing up all night. Time will tell.
Hope you are all well!! I’ll be back later with Day 14 – Christine’s Gymnastics show!

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December Daily – Day 12

Posted on December 16, 2011 by daydesigns

Woo hoo! I’m slowly getting caught up!!
(Second post today so scroll down for Day 11.)

Day Twelve:
I think I hinted in an earlier post that Monday was a crazy day with no real story and no pictures so I wasn’t sure what to put into this album. Then I decided to just document my day. Maybe next year, or several years from now, I’ll be interested in what went on in an average (okay, busier than average) December day.
I simply typed it up in word (using one of Ali Edwards December Daily overlays so I’d know how big to make it!) then printed it off onto card stock. Along the bottom I added some 3-D flowers and then coloured in the number 12. I may add some glitter to that …

On the back side I just made some circle embellishments. The transparency for Day 13 has images of clocks so I wanted to reference the circles here.
Okay, now off to tackle Day 13 – the Christmas Concert!

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December Daily – Day 11

Posted on December 16, 2011 by daydesigns

Only a few days late! Told you it was going to be a busy week!!

Day Eleven:
As you can see, this day was all about decorating the tree. I woke up with a head cold so wasn’t “feeling it” (if you know what I mean!) but started the process by stringing the lights. Unfortunately, we discovered that 2 of the 4 strings were dead and rather than hunt for the one (or maybe two) burnt out bulbs, I went to the store for new lights. While I was doing that, Greg took all 3 girls to soccer – the thought being that I’d then get a couple hours to rest and recover. Not so much! I got a call in between their games to come and pick up LC as she was freezing and crying. Apparently her pants were too thin!
After the girls and Greg returned from soccer, they got to work on the tree while I dozed on the couch. I did manage to snap a few pictures of them at work.

For this side I added the note from the advent calendar on a flap of paper (not crazy about the backside of the paper but will leave if for now – just realizing I may have glued the note to the wrong side of the paper – doh!) I included a large picture of the finished tree and then some close ups of this years ornaments. Since starting the advent calendar I’ve given the girls an ornament for their own collections, so this year it was these cute snowmen bells. Christine and Paige typically get one with their names on it but Marley … well, it’s a little tougher to find her name on your standard ornament!! To celebrate my start with Stampin’ Up! I made our yearly ornament (each year we buy a new ornament to highlight something that happened that year for our family) using Stampin’ Up! products. 

There you have it. Day 12 was a run around day so no pictures. I may have to do more journalling strips and then focus on Day 13 which was the girls concert. But before I get to that, I need to take the wee one to Toys R Us for some more Christmas shopping. 
Have a great day and I’ll “talk” to you soon!

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December Daily – Day 10

Posted on December 11, 2011 by daydesigns

Woo hoo! Day 10!! Not sure I can believe that I’m up to date right now. But … like I’ve said, this has been an amazingly quiet week for us. Next week however … oh boy. There is something on every night so … I may fall a teeny tiny bit behind (ya, like a WEEK!!)

Anyway, here’s Day Ten.

Totally not a holiday themed page but I LOVE IT!
The journalling talks about how next Saturday is going to be Christine’s last swimming lesson in the parent and tot program. (When we sign them up in the spring, she will be 3 and therefore on her own for the first time.) Greg asked if I wanted to do the lesson with her but … me in a swim suit? NOT PRETTY!!! so I decided to take some pictures of Greg and Christine instead. She’s growing up so fast!!
Ali Edwards does these fabulous pages about her kids so that was definitely my inspiration. I used one of her Technique Tuesday sets as well.

Love how simple it is and it took me all of 30 minutes to throw together (split up over party drop offs, dinner, present buying, party pick up and bedtime routines!)
Well, this morning I woke up with sore sinuses, a stuffy nose and a sore throat. Not a good omen the day before an incredibly busy week!!! Yuck! And the kids are starting to seriously harass me to decorate the tree we bought yesterday. So … I’d better sign off, stop hiding in the craft room and go and “get ‘er done!” as they say.
Have a wonderful Sunday!


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