…so yesterday I weighed myself and was wondering why I had gained 5 pounds and then I realized as I was eating this:

Day 14

that there may be a reason here…so I thought a lot about being unaware of things and just doing - so now I’m adding be aware to my list of things this year…of course, bread is a wonderful thing - especially here - oh, I love german bread.

Day 15

Anyone ever use these - I always think about it, I may have used one once:

and this is cool - I never noticed that there was a saying at the top of the PX - easier to see at night and in a photo that stands still:

and one more little thing and it’s just cool when your life is boring, I guess - but I want to remember it, just showing the differences of what we get used to and how just little things are different and add up to a lot of things.  The 2 liter soda containers here look like the little ones you get at the checkout at the grocery store - American style on the Left - European style on the right:

So that’s my past two days of thinking - working away, still cleaning.  My brother will be here tomorrow for a week - very excited about his visit!

…I really am loving this challenge - it will be really cool to look back and see what boring things I did, lol - anyway, really - I just make sure I have my camera with me and try to remember to pull it out now and then to take a photo…hopefully, it will become just habit:

Day 12: A Monday

Really just catching up after the weekend - I went around trying to find shelves and checking out stores I hadn’t been to see what they’re about…one of them is the Bauhaus - cool store, like Home Depot, but not as much stuff - I like the gardening area better though - lots of house plants. I also visited an outlet shoe store - Dielman’s - very expensive, even though it was an outlet store. I went to the Markhauf (a grocery store with a few extras) - bought a schoko sahne kuchen (chocolate ice cream cake, italian wine, etc).

Day 13: Waiting and more everyday…the heating in the basement (keller) had to fixed - much warmer now.  And then it was off to pick up Ed from work.  We checked the mail and I had received a really cool necklace from my friend Nicole - we’ve known each other since 6th grade - thank you, Nick! And we ate at Burger King.  Also, got some FP work done. The windows photo is from the same building as the door - the train maintenance building - I think I could just take photos of the buildings around here everyday and discover something new…

Oh, I didn’t get as much done as I hoped I would - but we had a good time shopping.

So, plans this week: finish Christmas Mini Book, Organize office, Finish kit I’m working on…
Day 10 (left): IKEA and checking the mail - took a photo of the sign as we were waiting at the mail place…and IKEA is always fun - my favorite shopping place right now…the sign Ausfahrt means exit.
Day 11 (right): on the way to the grocery store - Ed made a snowflake on Aodhan’s window, because he didn’t want the windows scraped - so he’s framed in the middle of it but with a sunny glare in the window - still totally cute….and then there’s me (getting a haircut tomorrow though - hair is getting really long).

…some catching up here - taking the camera with me today, too - to catch some scenery…still working away on organizing the office and projects that aren’t on computer and working on some digital papers…so we had a great week, the first week back after the holiday - a bit hard at first, but we’re getting there!

Day 6 - This door is part of an old building I pass by twice everyday - it’s part of an old train maintenance building - the funny part is, I didn’t know that there was a not so nice word scribbled over the top to the left until I looked at the photo (cropped out here)…weird…

Day 7 - Waiting for Ed at the school - a couple of goofy boys in the back seat …it was a long wait…

Day 8 - A piece of Home

Day 9 - A piece of Home again…okay, I forgot to take photos until the last minute the last two days…but taking my camera out today…(Liam is watching the Clone Wars).

I’m loving this challenge and well I hope that I can keep up with it - but it does bring about change in habits for the new year.  Keeping up and feeling like things are getting accomplished.

Day 4: Aodhan being goofy and fun - I believe he may have been getting tickled by dad at the time.

Day 5: It snowed - I’ve been told it doesn’t snow here often and stick - the boys are so happy!

We’ve saved some snow in the freezer - just in case we don’t see it for a while after it melts - boys idea.

2008 is probably one of the most event years of my life and I know probably for lots of others, too - but it seemed to me that one thing happened after another and just so many changes came about.  We moved twice - meaning two different schools for the boys.  A new job for Ed - setting up a new home - spending the summer/fall with my brother and family….and more.

So I have lots of things I want to accomplish this next year and blogging/journaling being one of them.  It is my hope to be more active in this area.  I also plan to participate in the a photo a day thingie.

So, I’m cheating a bit here - because I didn’t plan on this until - the 3rd, but I do have photos from each or these days.

Day One - a little project we decided to do - mod podge a really not so pretty desk - it’s much better now.  My plan is to add to it this year with photos, etc:

Day Two - A calendar that is in the works - going to add photos and other embellishments.  We created this using a carboard box - it’s about 3×3 ft and will be used to plan activities for the family - I’ll post more as it progresses - total fun because Ed helped, too!

Day Two - Requested photo of Aodhan and our cat, Blackjack:

Day Three: Food?  Okay, one of the things I’m trying to remember while I’m here is to try different foods - well I found this Pommes Frites (Deutsch for French Fries) sauce, I’m thinking cool - I like french fries - it’s just a mayo mix, oh well - not too far outside my box…so will keep trying:

And a post is coming soon - with those Germany photos…

Happy New Year!

okay, still catching up - but check these out - I had a lot of fun making these.  We’ve been working through having to learn a new language and the boys are required to learn spanish in school - so I created the first in a series of flashcards - started with the numbers.

 In my shoppe

…a longer post coming soon with some photos of Christmas and Germany…but in the meantime, I wanted to share a funny by Liam.  Since this is the season of being aware of naughty and nice - we use it to teach the boys about behavior, especially when we’re out and about…well on one particular day, the boys were leaning toward naughty, and had to spend some time in time out when we got home…and then it was time for the talk and this is Liam’s reasoning:

“Well, sometimes my brain switch gets stuck in the middle (between good and bad) - let me switch it (to good)…okay, now it’s fixed.”  So that’s all he needed to do to fix that, lol…don’t you wish things were that easy or maybe they are??  Now you can imagine how hard the lesson became after his comment…(parents trying to keep from laughing).
Anyway, he’s a character!

Hello there,

I’ve finally been able to finish up my holiday kit - things are of course crazy for so many people right now because of the holidays - so happy holidays to all and remember to enjoy it!

Hoping to get some new photos posted soon, too!

Here’s my new kit - St. Nick

Just the Paper - St. Nick Paper Pack

…working on more stuff, too…and we’ve got a holiday sale starting on the 13th at Little Dreamer Designs - be sure to check it out.

…so we are getting there…not quite settled, but in a new place - our own place with borrowed furniture and our first shipment which was just a few things - like my desktop computer that I burnt the power supply in because it didn’t plug it in correctly…oh well…but I still have this laptop to create and play.

So more photos…got a media card reader - woohoo, I can’t tell you how exciting that is for me …anyway, first here’s a photo of Aodhan, who wanted to trim his hair - to look like Johnny Test (cartoon character - heard of him?) - he is unknown here, but we were luckily influenced before we left the States…and Aodhan is so much like this characer with energy and well, looks…here we go:

the before do and newly toothless - ummm, and his brother (entertainment at the Chicago airport - on our way to Deutschland)

and the transformation

and…so some more Germany photos…I’m not sure why I took this one, but it looks kind of cool - this crown was sitting on a patio table in a Biersgarten

approaching a park fountain - the boys are sillouetted in the middle

a cool door near the fountain

and….this has to be my new favorite photo - the boys holding hands as they went trick or treating…they were so excited, and there were so many people - one of our rules was to stick together and look out for each other

…so that’s what I have for now - happy day!