November by the Numbers

Another full month with so much to be thankful for. I can't believe we are on the brink of December.

ONE broken bone for Tanner.

TWO books read (The Last Child and Sizzling 16)

THREE new albums purchased (Sugarland, Glee Christmas, and Keith Urban)

SEVEN Dr. appts. for various family members...mostly Tanner.

EIGHT soccer games played between Tanner, Carter and Garrett.

NINE months of "By the Numbers" posts created...love this blog post each month.

ELEVEN layouts created

THIRTY TWO family members gathered together for Thanksgiving dinner at Grandma's.

TWENTY FIVE cards created for friends/birthdays/adopted Grandparents.

TWENTY SIX days until Christmas...wahoooo!

THIRTY photos taken for my Photo a Day album. one month to go.

THIRTY FIVE blogs posts for one month...new record for sure!

EIGHTY NINE homemade rolls...made with love by Mom.

ONE HUNDRED AND TWELVE Christmas cards prepped for an Old Folks home.

O-U-C-H

Tanner had a little mishap at school before the Thanksgiving break. Lets just say that his injury was NOT his fault. After several Dr.'s appointments, visits to the x-ray office and the pediatric orthopedist, we found out that his ring finger is broken. He was absolutely heartbroken...devastated when he got the news. Now that his hand has been casted (and finger splinted), he can no longer finish the rest of his select soccer season. He will not be able to play in the District Cup Finals. Tanner said, "This is what we work the entire season for...to play in the District Cup". He was hoping to sink that 30th goal during the District Cup games...his personal goal for the 2010 season. He is ONE goal short. In an 11 year old boys world, this was the worst news ever. John and are were just proud that it took us almost 12 years of parenting to experience our 1st break. With 4 active boys, this is HUGE!

According to Tanner, the perks to having his hand casted are:





















1. Getting out of some of his daily chores.
2. Being able to type his classwork instead of handwriting it.
3. New Silver Sharpies(a boy after my own heart) so friends and family can sign his cast.

It is going to be a long 4 weeks!

Halls are decked

I love the weekend after Thanksgiving! John (w/out me having to ask) got the Christmas tree and all of the decorations out of the garage. Everyone jumped in to help deck our halls. Our home feels festive, the Christmas music is on in the background, and we are ready for December. Bring it ALL on!

Gratitude on Friday

Today I am grateful that I made the choice to skip the early morning(I am talking wee hours of the morning)Black Friday shopping. It was hard to do. It has been a tradition for the last 15 years. I slept in until 8 am and enjoyed the morning with my family. It was nice to be in my bed at 12 am, 3 am, 4 am and 6 am. I did head out after 10 am and was still able to land a few of the deals I would have scored in the wee hours of the morning. This sleeping in on Black Friday morning may have become my new tradition. Who's with me?

Gratitude on Thursday

On this Thanksgiving Day, I am grateful for so much! Thankful for a loving family, healthy children, our jobs, our home, and our full tummy's. I am thankful for the chance to remember my Grandpa Shore today. He was such a HUGE part of all of our lives. My Uncle Rick is the family videographer. He captures it all on film. Edits it. He creates clever titles and then pieces it all together with great music. Here is last years video. Our little family was not there. It was our year to be with the Krupp's. I am so thankful that he captured Grandpa's last Thanksgiving here on earth. I love my family.

p.s. please pause my music to the right. You will want to watch this video with the music that Uncle Rick set it to.

Gratitude on Wednesday

{A huge thank you to Sylvia for the photo :-)}
Today I am grateful for all of these lovely ladies(not all of my GT lovelies are pictured). I am so lucky to know each of them...so lucky to have them in my life. John, Garrett and I were running errands tonight and Green Tangerines was on our list. It is so fun to walk through the doors and feel that instant love and connection with my little GT family. It is kind of the CHEERS in the scrapbooking world for me. I am thankful for each an every one of them.
p.s. I think John was very thankful that Ken was in town :-) and that Crosby was there to hang out with :-).

Gratitude on Tuesday

Today I am grateful for our home. It is freezing outside, the coldest night of the season so far. I am thankful to be inside, with the heater blowing and warm blankets to crawl under.

Gratitude on Monday

Today I am grateful for this sweet boy of mine.






















Tanner had a really rough week, last week. I am thankful for his positive attitude and the happy boy that he is. His smile and laugh are contagious...you can't help but smile and laugh with him. He is a great big brother and fabulous son. I am thankful for the example he sets for the rest of us to follow.
{photo be Mer at hello love}

Tis' the Season...

for Christmas cards! Receiving Christmas cards via snail mail is one of my favorite things about the Christmas season. I also love sending Christmas cards from our family. I love finding the perfect photo to use on our card. I love picking out new Christmas themed return address labels. I love dropping my HUGE stack of addressed Christmas cards in the mailbox(while giving myself a pat on the back). This weekend was all about finding the perfect photo card to send to friends and family.

I have found the perfect site to order our Christmas photo cards from. Shutterfly is giving away 50 free cards to bloggers. How awesome is that?

Shutterfly has tons of Holiday cards to choose from. I love the variety of cards that they offer. Some are very colorful and decorative while others are very simple, clean and graphic. You can get folded Christmas cards, flat photo cards or Flat stationary cards. There really is something for every one's style and taste.

You can check out their holiday cards here. There are 803 designs to choose from. It is so easy. You find the perfect card for your family and then you upload your photo and add text...easy peasy!

Here are a few sample cards. I am keeping our final pick top secret till it arrives in your mailbox.

























Don't forget to check out their address labels, found here.You are bound to find something you love and who knows, they might even coordinate with your cute new Christmas cards from Shutterfly :-).

I can't wait to receive your Christmas cards this season :-).

Gratitude on Sunday

Today I am grateful for my bed. It is the end of the day and I am ready to crawl on in. The boys and John are on Thanksgiving break. I am praying that each one of them will decide to sleep in...fingers and toes are crossed.

Gratitude on Saturday

Today I am very grateful that wonderful things happen to wonderful people. My friend, Patti and her sweet family have been blessed with this sweet little bundle of joy. Meet baby Kenzie. She is the sweetest little thing. We are over the top excited for them.

I love Fall. I love everything about it! This weeks Kit of the Week features an Apple Hill layout. Our family ventured up to Apple Hill for the first time last Fall. We loved it! It is the perfect Fall activity. We are hoping to make it up there next week while the boys are on their Thanksgiving break.










You can pick this kit up at Green Tangerines(916-771-8010). All of the product is included. You put it together and add your photos. This kit would also be great for park pictures...just change your title.

p.s. I used an Allison Davis sketch for this layout.

Gratitude on Friday

Today I am grateful for Fridays. I always look forward to Friday. It is my favorite day of the week. It is the one day of the week that we don't have anywhere to be...there is no soccer, no scouts, no homework, no soccer games,etc... It is the one day of the week that gives us a little bit of down time.

Gratitude on Thursday

Today I am grateful for the wonderful school community that our family is a part of. I am so very thankful for the parents and teachers who watch out for our entire student body. I am thankful for those who step up to protect others and for those who are watching out for my children when I might not be there.

Gratitude on Wednesday

Today I am grateful (and thankful) that John returned home, safe and sound from his business trip. He doesn't have to travel very often but when he does, we ALL miss him. He is a big, happy part of our lives. I am thankful for all that he does for our little family. I have been blessed with a fabulous husband!
{photo by Mer at Hello Love}

Gratitude on Tuesday

Today I am grateful for all of the beautiful Fall colors. When I drive around town, I love look at all of the vibrant colors on the trees and shrubs. The red, orange and yellow shades are absolutely breath taking. I also love all of the Fall bouquets that are in abundance at my favorite grocery stores(Trader Joe's, Costco and Bel Air). Fall is beautiful!

Gratitude on Monday

Today I am grateful for my little three year old. Brody was SO good today while I ran a marathon of errands. It made getting in and out of all those stores do-able. Not to mention, I scored some major deals(free shampoo,free deodorant, cereal that was a dollar a box, cheap razors, free electric toothbrush,etc...). Today is really all about the simple things.

Gratitude on Sunday

Today I am very grateful for a grateful family. As we were sitting around the dinner table tonight, John asked everyone to share at least one thing that they were grateful for. Each family member listed several things that they were grateful for. We are all grateful for each other, our home, wonderful school teachers, friends, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the food on our table, family, our health, jobs, talents and to opportunity to be happy. There really is so much to be thankful for...each and every day. What are you grateful for today?

{photo by Meredith at Hello Love}

Gratitude on Saturday

Today I am grateful for our Saturday friends...aka soccer families. We spend a lot of time on the soccer fields each week. We had 4 soccer games today. I am so thankful that our boys landed on teams with fabulous coaches and wonderful families. If we get to spend lots of time watching soccer each week, it should be with people we love and enjoy. It really does make ALL of those games fun and enjoyable to be at. I am grateful for the new friends we have made and the old friends we already love.

p.s. For the most part, we had a great day on the fields. Carter's Battle team won both of their games...solidifying their 1st place status. Out of 52 teams in the league, they hold the 1st place title. Garrett's CRUNCH team won 1-0 today. Tanner's HEAT team lost 10-0. Lets just say it was B-R-U-T-A-L!!! They are a great team(2nd place in the league) but just fell apart today.

Gratitude on Friday

Today I am grateful for good books. I love to read and often wish I had more time in my day to snuggle down with a good book and get lost. Lately, I find myself reading a chapter in my current read at midnight. It is taking me a while to finish my current reads but I am doing something that I enjoy...it makes me happy. I am also thankful for friends and family who so willingly share their books with me...makes me feel frugal and green :-).
I am currently reading Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich. What are you reading today?

Gratitude on Thursday

Today I am grateful for the service men and women who serve our country. I am thankful for the men and women who put their lives on the line on, on a daily basis so I can enjoy the freedoms that I do. I have thought a lot about my Grandpa Shore today. He served in WWII and was very proud of that service. One year ago today, our family had headed to Apple Hill for the first time. As we drove through Placerville, I became very emotional as I saw the street lined with American flags in honor of Veteran's Day. Later that day, I called my Grandpa and thanked him for honorably serving our country. As I reflected about our conversation, it brought tears to my eyes. That was the very last phone conversation I had had on the phone with him. I am glad that I had taken the time to pick up the phone to chat with him and to thank him! I hope we can all find the time to thank the service men and women we come in contact with, whether we know them personally or not! I am so thankful and proud to be an American.

shouting it from the roof top

I am so excited. I have been waiting to share this blog with you for a while now. My friend, Meredith just launched her new blog today...Hello Love. I am so lucky to count her as one of my lovely friends. Meredith is talented on so many levels. She has a great eye for color and style. She is an amazing Mommy to her two little ones. She is over the top talented with her computer. She has designed/created all of the art work on her blog. She is wickedly talented behind the camera...love,love,love her work. We have had two photo shoots with her, to date. I can honestly say that we all look forward to it. She makes the whole "family photo shoot" ordeal, F-U-N!

This is a series of some of our favorite photos by Mer!



























When you stop by her blog, say hi and check things out! She is offering a holiday photo shoot package and is even looking to give away two photos shoots to two deserving families, see here. If you are looking to have pictures of your family taken, she is your girl. She will capture you and your loved ones, perfectly...just the way you are.

Gratitude on Wednesday

Today I am grateful for the young men and young women from our youth group at church. I know it wasn't the most exciting activity tonight but they still came out and were cheerful about doing so. We practiced a few Christmas songs and made about a 100 Christmas cards. We will be caroling and hand delivering a homemade card to each resident at the retirement facility in December. I am grateful for the amazing young people that they are...willing to share their talents with those they don't even know.
p.s. I will post photos as soon as my camera battery is done charging :-).

Calendar Launch

Are you looking for a fun, handmade Christmas present to give this year? Green Tangerines is at it again :-). They have launched their calendar pages. Each Wednesday, you can run into the store(or call to order 916-771-8010)to pick up your calendar kits. They are released in random order, not January - December. We like to shake things up :-).











The really fun part about this years calendar release is the chance to buy a double page layout that is based off of the original calendar pages.














September and October(not pictured) have been released too! If you purchase all 12 months, you will receive the calendar for free. I know my Grandmas and my Mom look forward to a new calendar each year.

p.s. there is a color photo of the page and simple directions included in each kit.
I better get busy, have a few calendars to make this year,

Gratitude on Tuesday

Today I am thankful for wonderful friends. I have been blessed immensely with smart, kind, funny, talented, giving, non-judgemental, I've got your back, compassionate, creative, passionate, service oriented type of friends. They are all different and yet have so much in common. When I count my blessing, I have so many friends that come to mind.
I received an email from a friend(you know who you are)today. It was simple & sweet & made me smile...it really made my day.

Gratitude on Monday

Today I am thankful for Daylight Savings. It was a long Mommy day with Brody. I was done. He was done. It was time to call it quits. We both needed our space. I put him to bed at 6:30, which really would have been 7:30 before the time change. It was already dark so he wasn't on to me :-).
p.s. I know I will pay for it in the morning when he gets up before the sun rises. I love that little boy.

Gratitude on Sunday

Today I am grateful for the rain. I love living in California! Just yesterday, I was thankful for the gorgeous sunshine. Today, I am thankful for the rain and the opportunity to spend a cozy afternoon at home. I may or may not have even taken a nap this afternoon.

Gratitude on Saturday

Today I am grateful for this beautiful November day. Sunshine and blue skies = perfection.
I am also grateful for silly boys who make life fun. There is never, ever a dull moment!

















{Brody - age 3}

Gratitude on Friday

Today I am grateful for our jobs.















I am grateful for the stability John has had with Intel over the last (almost) 14 years of employment. I am thankful that with that job comes great medical/dental insurance for our family!

I am also thankful for my little part time job with Green Tangerines.













In the last year or so, my job has become a mostly "work from home" deal. I am continually grateful for the opportunity to keep my hands in the scrapbook world...doing something that I absolutely love:-). It is my creative outlet, my escape from the daily grind of raising 4 boys. I get to scrapbook with the latest and greatest products...heaven for this scrapbooker. Through my job with Green Tangerines, I have met some of the most amazing ladies and I am very grateful for their presence in my life. I am constantly amazed by their talent, kindness, and friendship.

I am especially grateful for the fact that we have jobs in this crazy economy!

Gratitude on Thursday

Today I am thankful for my parents.














Last Friday was Grandparents day at school. Being the spring chickens that my parents are, they both still work. I know it wasn't easy for them to move their schedules around but they did! Carter and Garrett were thrilled to have Gran RanSan there. They ate lunch with them, visited the book fair, came home with a new book (thanks to Gran RanSan), and were able to introduce them to their teachers and show them their classrooms. I know it meant the world to my boys and I am grateful that they took the time to make the trek up this way!

















p.s. they even won the award for having the most grandkids. They almost won the award for having traveled the farthest to be at Granparents day...BUT the Grandma from Costa Rica beat them :-),

book review

I was contacted by Anne with AuhtorsOnTheWeb, asking if I would like a free copy of a book. I won't ever turn down the chance to read a new book :-). She sent me a copy of Dewey's Nine Lives to preview!

(Taken right from the Peguingroup.com website).
The cat that captured America's hearts returns, to share more of his special brand of magic.
Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World was a blockbuster bestseller and a publishing phenomenon. It has sold nearly a million copies, spawned three children's books, and will be the basis for an upcoming movie. No doubt about it, Dewey has created a community. Dewey touched readers everywhere, who realized that no matter how difficult their lives might seem, or how ordinary their talents, they can-and should-make a positive difference to those around them. Now, Dewey is back, with even more heartwarming moments and life lessons to share.

Dewey's Nine Lives offers nine funny, inspiring, and heartwarming stories about cats--all told from the perspective of "Dewey's Mom," librarian Vicki Myron. The amazing felines in this book include Dewey, of course, whose further never-before-told adventures are shared, and several others who Vicki found out about when their owners reached out to her. Vicki learned, through extensive interviews and story sharing, what made these cats special, and how they fit into Dewey's community of perseverance and love. From a divorced mother in Alaska who saved a drowning kitten on Christmas Eve to a troubled Vietnam veteran whose heart was opened by his long relationship with a rescued cat, these Dewey-style stories will inspire readers to laugh, cry, care, and, most importantly, believe in the magic of animals to touch individual lives.


Even before I started this book, I immediately thought of my late Grandma Davis. She loved her cats and I am sure she would have loved this book. I think this book could have easily been titled Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover. Dewey's Nine Lives reminded me alot of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Each chapter features a humans relationship with their cat. Some of the stories are heartwarming and some were just plain ole sad. The underlying theme throughout Dewey's Nine Lives book was that these cats, these pets brought immense happiness to the lives of those who loved them the most.I am going to be honest...I am not a cat lover...Gasp!!! Even though I am not a huge cat fan, I did enjoy the short stories and the joy that these cats shared with their owners.

I rated this book a 3(liked it) on Goodreads.
It was a feel good, easy read.
A HUGE thanks to Anne for the opportunity to preview/read this book.

For my cat loving friends, here is a link for you to check out. They are having a contest, check it out!

Gratitude on Wednesday

I am grateful for a husband who got up a little bit earlier this morning. Mind you, he usually leaves the house by 6:30 each morning. I didn't have the chance to get to the store last night to pick up some bread for the boy's lunches. I told John I was going to grab it in the morning. Without missing a beat, he said "I will pick it up". I am not even sure what time he left to pick it up, but he did. It might seem like something small but it was really big for this Mama who went to bed past 1:00 am. Thank you, John boy!

600

We are so proud of Tanner. He received an invitation in the mail inviting him to the 600 Club Dinner with the principal. He scored a 600 (a perfect score) on the STAR (California state) test. Ms. Harmier treated the kids who got perfect scores to a pasta dinner from Original Pete's and dessert. Tanner said there were about 23 children (total) from the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade classes who qualified. We are so proud of him and how hard he works to maintain his grades. We just got his first trimester report card(1st one from middle school) and he has earned a 4.0 GPA. Way to go, Tanner. Keep up the excellent work!

Gratitude on Tuesday

Today I am very grateful for the opportunity to live in this great land. I am also grateful for the opportunity I had to cast my vote today. I have always believed that you can't complain if you don't vote and let your voice be heard. I have an overwhelming sense of pride for my country each time I exercise my right to vote. Here is hoping for the change that is needed in California!

Recipe share and daily gratitude

My boys look forward to the roasted pumpkins seeds just as much as they look forward to carving their pumpkins. I tried a new recipe this year and the boys gave it two thumbs up!

Pumpkin Seed Recipe
1. Clean off seeds (try to get most of the pumpkin “goop” off.
2. Melt 3 Tablespoons of butter (yep, you guessed it…these pumpkin seeds are going to be super healthy!)
3. Add 3 Tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce to butter and mix together
4. Pour butter/sauce mixture over seeds, mix well
5. Spread seeds in a baking dish – I like to use my jelly roll pan so there’s plenty of room to spread out the seeds and nothing spills over the edges.
*If you do happen to knock a seed over the edge when you’re stirring, hurry and get it OUT of your oven – trust me!*
6. Sprinkle with salt – I prefer medium-coarse sea salt (I know…again, super healthy).
7. Bake at 250 degrees for about 2 hours – stir often. The actual baking time will vary depending on how many seeds you have, how big the seeds are, and how hot your oven actually bakes – so check and stir them often!
8. After mine are done, I dump them onto a plate covered with a few layers of paper towels…just to get any extra butter off…you know, because they are so healthy… I store them in an air tight container and they last for as long as I want them to. ;)
Enjoy the crispy, salty goodness! :o)

**Raimi's notes:We had a ton of seeds, 6 pumpkins worth. I only used 2 Tablespoons of butter.
I had to cook our seeds for about 40 minutes longer because there were so many.


My friend, Morgan is taking time each day during the month of November to record what she is grateful for. She is challenging others to do the same. I thought it would be fun to play along. There is so much much to be grateful for in my life and I am looking forward to really thinking about the things that matter most...big and small.

Today I am grateful for children who wake up with cheerful attitudes...even if they are up at the crack of dawn. They have always been early risers & we rarely have any trouble getting any of them out of bed. Those cheerful attitudes allow our day to start with a nice feeling in our home.

What are your grateful for today?