January by the numbers

I am kind of excited to have made it through the month of January! I am looking forward to a new month, a month filled with love and all things red,white and pink. This boy Mama will take any holiday that will allow her to decorate with some pink.

Here is our January by the numbers.
ZERO books completed. I am still trying to get through the SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE. I must spend more time reading.

Two the number of wheels Brody rides on his bike.

THREE birthday cards created and delivered.

FOUR frustrating phone calls to Amazon. I still don't have the correct Project Life kit.

FIVE scrapbook pages completed.

NINE a. basketball games(3 for each of the 3 older boys so far this season).

NINE b. blog posts sums up our January.

TEN pm the average time I have been going to bed. This is a new chapter in my life.

TWELVE the number of candles on Tanner's birthday cake.

FOURTEEN Grandparents came to our "meet your granddaughter lunch"...so much fun.

FIFTEEN hours and workouts completed at Fitness MD(I started on the 10th)

SIXTEEN basketball practices attended by Tanner,Carter and Garrett.

TWENTY NINE.FIVE miles logged on my treadmill.

THIRTY ONE photos(I actually took way more) taken for Project Life 2011.

THREE HUNDRED ornaments taken off of the Christmas tree and packed away until next year. We didn't even put all of them on the tree this year.

two wheels

Look at this boy go! I couldn't let January escape without recording this BIG milestone for Brody. I was gone for a good chunk of a Saturday (teaching the Christmas Catch Up class @ GT). When I got home, all of the boys told me that I needed to go back outside. This little guy hopped on the two wheeler and was off. The funny thing is that he will ride this little bike but he is not ready for Daddy to take the training wheels off of his Buzz bike.



p.s. He wears a helmet when he rides his bike. He was just too excited to show me what he had learned to do while I was gone.

crafting

I enjoyed a super fun craft night with the girls this weekend. Camie and I decided that we needed to get together and craft. When we saw these darling heart wreaths on the eighteen25 blog, we knew what we'd be making. It was fun to sit and cut circles (and more circles) while visiting with fun friends.






{thanks to Camie for this photo. We are missing Jan in this one. She was so speedy that she had already headed out to Wal*Mart to get her shopping done)

Some of us also made cute Valentine banners. I will post mine when it is completed. It involves some sewing so it may take me a while(wink-wink)to finish. What are you busy creating right now?

five

Only five blog posts for me thus far in the month of January! Really??? How did that happen? We have had a busy month, living and enjoying life.





My parents(Gran RanSan) and my Grandma Shore came up to visit so they could be here for Tanner's ordination at church. At the age of 12, the boys receive the Priesthood. A pretty special day for Tanner and John. We were so happy to have them here.





I have jumped on the Tara Whitney bandwagon and will be doing the six people twelve times photo project. We captured our first six people photo on this same day.




The Young Women from church have been door bell ditching the Grandmas and Grandpas in our ward. We thought it would be fun to brighten their Fall/Winter months. Each girl had 2-3 Grandparents that became "their" Grandparents. We dropped off homemade treats(doorbell ditch style), sent notes via snail mail, and even made some visits to their homes. They had no idea who their "Granddaughters" were. Everything was signed "your secret Granddaughter". We held a luncheon for the Grandparents and Granddaughters where they got to meet each other and have lunch together. It was so much fun and such a rewarding activity. Alot of the girls still write to their Grandparent each week even though they see them each Sunday.




We have officially finished our select soccer season. Now the boys are on to basketball. The season is off to a great start. You can even find Brody wearing the boys uniforms when they aren't wearing them...pretty much M-F.





121 one of us just completed our 2nd week of the Green Tangerines Biggest Loser Challenge. We have lost 596 pounds as an entire group, in two weeks. Imagine what the total weight loss will be at the end of the 12 weeks? I am happy to report that I have lost about 10 lbs. during those two weeks. I haven't been one of the top 3 weekly winners but I am so stinkin' proud of that loss :-). Kelly and I have been hitting the gym M-F and I honestly think that has been the key factor for me. Now that I think about it, I think the gym is to blame for the lack of blog posts :-). This night owl(when the blogging usually happens) has been in bed by 10 pm on most nights. The gym has kicked my rear but I can honestly say it has felt great.




I am still happily creating the Kit of the Weeks for Green Tangerines. This Year in Review was released two weeks ago. I love highlighting our years. Perfect place for those photos that might not make it onto a layout otherwise.




I am happy to report that our 2010 Project Life album is complete. I should be honest and tell you that it is missing one photo. One photo, folks. I can't find the photo I snapped of Garrett during his swim lessons during the Summer. It is driving me crazy. I have left a spot for it...hoping it surfaces. Brody looks at this album at least once a day. That in itself, makes the project so worth it!

It has been a great month. If the rest of our 2011 looks anything like January, it is going to be an amazing year.

made with love

December was filled with awesome handmade goodness. I love thoughtful, personal gifts that were made and given with oooodles of love.

My friend, Brandi was busy making these cute camera straps. I was the lucky recipient of this one. What do you think? Does it scream, "Raimi"? I thought so :-). Thank you, Brandi!

















When we were opening gifts at my Mom and Dad's house on Christmas, I opened this beautiful quilt. My Mom had attached a note telling me that this was the first quilt that she had started/finished that wasn't a baby blanket or one of the grand kid's denim quilts. Thank you, Mom! I love it!
















My Mom was BUSY. She made the triplets (the 6 year old cousins) their denim quilts this year. She started a few years back, making the older grandkids theirs first. Their quilts have squares of denim from their Great Grandpa Shores old jeans. She even stitched Grandpa Shore on one of the squares. These quilts are something they will treasure forever!















John's sister decided that we would have what she called a frugal Christmas. Names were drawn and the rule was that your gift had to be homemade. You could spend up to $10.00 to buy your supplies. We found this super fun idea over on the eighteen25 blog...love those fun sisters. Those cute little snowmen are Garrett's fingers. He loved making his gift and was very excited to give it.






















Did you make or receive anything handmade in December? If so, please share!

To kick off our very first Family Home Evening of the year, we decided that it would be fun to set some goals. Both personal and ones that included each family member. Each family member filled out their own 2011 Goals sheet (idea found here at thrityhandmadedays). The boys took this very seriously.
















They thought really hard about the things they wanted to work on and become better at in 2011. Of course we had to throw in some fun family activities too! Let me know your thoughts on John's "Just for Fun" ideas :-). Love that boy.

this is what 12 looks like

Our baby, our first born turned 12 today. Where in the world have the years gone? We blinked and here we are. Here are 12 random facts/tidbits about Tanner.

1. He was actually due on December 25th, 1998. He didn't arrive until Jan. 3, 1999. In hind sight, we are glad he wasn't born on Christmas Day.

2. When Tanner was a baby/toddler, his nickname was Tanner-bug.

3. Tanner has an amazing ability to memorize things.

4. Tanner loves music. His Itouch is loaded with his favorite tunes. I love that we have that in common.

5. Tanner is passionate about things he his interested in. Gives it his all.

6. The Harry Potter books were his all time favorite books ever written...until he read the Hunger Game Series. He has started to re-read them.

7. Tanner is a sports fanatic. He loves soccer, basketball and baseball. He even learned to like Cross Country.

8. Tanner is a very loyal friend and always sticks up for his friends.

9. Tanner is funny. He has always had a laugh that we love. We love when he giggles himself silly!

10. Tanner's favorite treat is a milkshake from Cold Stone.

11. Tanner is forever trying to get us to do Chinese Fire drills at each stop light while were out and about (listening to Taio Cruz's, Dynamite). One of his friends, Dad's did this and now Tanner thinks all parents should :-).

12. Tanner is an absolute joy. We are so lucky to have him as part of our family. As Brody says(on a daily basis), "Tanner is my best friend". He is everyones best friend.

Happy Birthday, Tanner. Thank you for being YOU! We love you!

one little word

{photo from Ali Edwards blog}

My one little word for 2011 is BALANCE.

Here are a few of the defintions (from Dictionary.com) that I loved.
a. to bring into proportion, harmony, etc.
b. the power or ability to decide
c. the pleasing harmony of various elements in a design, painting, musical composition, etc.; harmonious proportion
d. mental or emotional stability

It is my hope to find BALANCE in all aspects(home, family, hobbies, church obligations, and my relationship with John) of my life in 2011. I am looking forward to a great year, filled with love,laughter and BALANCE.

p.s. my word for 2010 was REMEMBER and I found many opportunites to REMEMBER. I recalled memories that I rememberd about ones that I lost in 2010. I remembered to be thankful for all I have been blessed with. It was a great year spent remembering.

2010 year in review

I have completed this review for the last three years now & have decided to do it again. I am doing it mainly for myself :) & future posterity. It has been fun to look back & read what was important & fun in our lives. I usually work on this post for a day or two so I can sleep on my thoughts to each question. Let me know if you join in. I’d love to be in the know.

1.What did you do in 2010 that you have never done before?
I gave up my beloved Diet Coke. I’m not gonna lie, it was HARD. I had a massive headache for the first two weeks. I was drinking 3-4 Diet Cokes a day and just knew it was time to give it up! I happy to report that I went the entire 2010 year with out any caffeine and I am proud so of myself.

2. Did you keep your 2010 New Year's resolutions and will you make more for 2011?

I always make resolutions at the start of each New Year. Something about a fresh start gets me every time. I am happy to report that I did indeed keep a few of them this year. I am usually good for a week and then I forget about them. This year was a little different. This year, I gave up Diet Coke (see a#1). I also challenged myself to read two books a month. I did it & loved that I treated myself to that. We had a family goal to start and finish the Book of Mormon. Happy to report that we achieved our goal. I love being able to say that I did keep a few of my New Year’s resolutions.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth in 2010?
Yes. One of my besties, Michelle welcomed darling little Max into their family in early January. This little guy has 3 older sisters who love him to death. I had the chance to meet him and get some snuggle time in when he was 6 weeks old. Michelle brought him to our annual scrapbook weekend and he was such a good baby!


My sweet friend, Meredith gave birth to her sweet Baby boy in July. Crosby is the cutest little munch. I actually have to fight off John and Carter just to be able to hold him when they come to visit.

4. Did Anyone Close to you die in 2010?
Right before John and I were married, I had the chance to nanny for Marie Osmond’s cute little family. I spent about a year with them. At the time, she had 4 children & Michael was the baby of the family. He was 4 years old and my little sidekick while his siblings were at school. In February of this year, Michael at the age of 18 took his own life. It broke my heart. I can’t imagine the grief that Marie must feel. I still picture him as a little 4-year-old boy who loved life and his sweet Mama more than anything in his 4-year-old world.

I also lost my sweet Grandpa Shore in March. He came into this world on December 19th and left this earthly world on March 19th. This was so hard…the hardest thing I have ever experienced. He was our family Patriarch and just a BIG part of all of our lives. I have so many wonderful memories of him and with him. I love that he was a part of my life. The holidays were hard without him this year. We watched home movies that my Uncle Rick has created and we all laughed and cried…such good memories. I am thankful for the example he was and for loving each one of us. I hope he knew how much we ALL loved him.

Just this week, my great Aunt Naomi passed away. She was Grandpa Shore's sister, the last living family member of their generation. She was a feisty, funny and important to the people I love most. She was the Grandma to some of my most favorite relatives, the Granquist Clan. I am thinking of them today as they honor and remember her life.

5. What countries did you visit this year?

None. We are too busy too travel right now...someday!


6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
More ME time so I can exercise. This is at the top of my list this year.
{this is last year’s answer and it still applies}

I would also like a brand spankin' new Canon SLR....a girl can dream, right?

7. What date from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

March 19, 2010 This was the morning that we received that early morning phone call to let us know that Grandpa had passed away.

November 1, 2010 It was an exciting day. The San Francisco Giants won the World Series. Growing up in the Bay Area for the fist 27 years of my life, I am of course a SF Giants fan. I have my Grandpa Shore and Dad to thank for my Orange and Black love affair. I loved watching the games with my own boys and the level of excitement in our home when that last WS winning pitch was thrown. I will never forget the TORTURE the 2010 season held.

8. What was your biggest achievement this year?

Maintaining a happy home(for the most part). It may be wild and crazy at times but it is my life and it makes me happy. I have lots of friends from high school who have been busy working on their careers(I am not knocking them or their choice) and have been too busy for a family. I take pride in being a SAHM Mama. I am happy that I am the one who gets to take care/raise my 4 boys. It is a lot of hard work but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

9. What was your biggest struggle this year?Learning to shrug off other people's snarky comments. It has seriously been the biggest struggle for me this year. It was heard that I am "too" sensitive when it comes to my children. To be totally honest, that really hurt. I will just say one thing about that comment. If I am not going to watch out and stand up for my children, who will?

10. Did you suffer any illness or injury in 2010?Just one nasty cold and one round of the flu. Other than that, I was very healthy.

11. What was the best thing you bought this year?
The Becky Higgins PROJECT LIFE kit. I have about a month left to catch up on…I am almost there. I absolutely loved recording some tidbit(with a photo)from our lives each and every day of this year. It kind of released me from feeling stressed about being able to scrapbook/record every single event in our lives.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Garrett gets this one again. He graduated from the speech program at the elementary school this year (before kindergarten ended). He has soared with his speech and we are so proud of him. He really worked hard and you hear it when he speaks.

This was Carter’s first year to receive letter grades at school. He had an amazing first trimester and even made the honor roll. His AAA Yankee baseball team took the Woodcreek Little League championship title. They had all wins and one loss. He also had an amazing select soccer season with team BATTLE . The Battle finished by winning the NorCal U10 Association Cup in Ripon. Roseville went 5-0 in the Association Cup and outscored opponents from San Francisco, Rohnert Park, San Jose and Folsom 20-1. Roseville defeated the Folsom Phantoms 1-0 on a golden goal in overtime in the semifinals and blew out the Rohnert Park Barcelona 6-0 in the championship match. The Battle had a 35-2-1 record, scored 166 goals and allowed just 31. Roseville won tournaments in Folsom, Auburn, Danville and Citrus Heights. Whew! What a ride for this 9 year old.

Tanner had a great year too! He made the Honor Roll with another trimester loaded with straight A’s. He works hard. Tanner also received his STAR(California State Test) results and scored a perfect 600 on his math test. Tanner participated in the 6th grade Spelling Bee. He came in 8th place out of 330 6th graders and was 25 out of 1,015 students. Another proud Mommy moment for sure. Tanner also played on that same Yankee team with Carter and was a part of that great season.

Brody has had a great time at preschool. He has made many new friends. He is one happy boy and we love it!

13. Whose behavior disappointed you?

The mean little girl from the middle school. She purposely injured Tanner during a handball game during PE. She then, flat out lied about it. She left Tanner on the ground in major pain as if nothing had happened. He ended up in a cast for a broken bone and had to miss the biggest soccer tournament of his select season. We were all very disappointed that this girl did not take responsibility for her actions until she had been called into the Principal's office and was told to do so.

14. Where did most of your money go?
We had to fork out $3,000.00 for a new transmission for our Tahoe. That was a big expense we were not planning on…OUCH!

This next answer is last years answer and I am sure it will remain the same (for MANY years to come) as long as these athletic boys of mine continue to excel at their sporting events.} The boys sporting activities/events for sure. Every new season, we find that they need new cleats, uniforms, baseball pants, belts, shoes etc… You get the idea.

15. What did you get really excited about this year?
I had many things to get excited about this year. a. Scrapbook weekend @ the beach with favorite friends.

b. Lake Tahoe trips with family and friends.

c. Lady Antebellum and Tim McGraw in concert with my concert Girls.

d. Surprise Date Night with my John Boy to see John Mayer in concert in San Jose(our hometown). Best date night EVER!

e. Winning FREE John Mayer tickets for his Summer concert.

f.Seeing John Mayer two more times in concert. Can we say obsessed????

g. The grand re-opening of Green Tangerines...the best scrapbook store ever.

h. Seeing Eclipse at 12:04 am with John Boy…bonus points for him.

i. Continuing to be a part of the Green Tangerines Kit Club Design Team.

j. winning several contests/prizes off of random blogs (cute headband & earnings, $50.. Visa card, free photo shoot, List Taker, etc…)

k. Bay Area John Mayer concert with my sister, cousin and best friend. FUN

l. awesome family photos taken by an amazing friend who so willingly shares her talents. Love you Mer, friend!

m. having grandma Sandy and Grandpa Randy come up for Grandparents Day at the boys school. They got to eat lunch with them, visit the book fair and showed them their classrooms.




16. What song will always remind you of 2010?I fell in love with a million new songs this year. I LOVE music. A few of my favorites in 2010 were:

Why Georgia by John Mayer(not a new song)It's a favorite errand running/car driving song for Brody and Mom.

Boys of Fall by Kenny Chesney This video gives me the goosebumps and may even make me cry on occasion...Mama to 4 athletic boys. What more do I say?

Hey Soul Sister by Train

FREE by the Zac Brown Band...makes me want to snuggle with my guy.

Dynamite by Taio Cruz...many day trips(Tahoe and Marine World) taken while listening to this...with the whole car singing this one...fun times.

Stuck Like Glue by Sugarland...can't but help to feel happy. Makes me want to get up and dance to this one.

Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars

**I also fell in love with Meaghan Smith (love her voice)and Mindy Gledhill. Another great find.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: much happier, much nicer or richer?
2010 was a year filled with many happy moments. It was a great year. I found myself constantly stopping in place and really taking into account all that I am thankful for. When I would find myself in those brief moments of sadness and “Why me” moments, I would quickly think of family members and friends who are going through more serious struggles at this time and then I would quickly work my way out of those pitty parties.

Again, I really strived to be nice and can honestly say I achieved this goal.

I am probably poor-er. These boys are eating us out of house/home. They are growing up way too fast.

18. What do you wish you had done more of?
Sleep. I am still working on finding that happy balance of getting a good nights rest. It is so hard with so many things that NEED to be done. It is a New Year's resolution that I hope to achieve in 2011.

19. What do you wish you had done less of?

Caring about what others said. Especially the things that weren't true...biggest pet peeve of mine.

20. Did you fall in love this year?
Not for the first time, but over & over again with my family. I have a great deal of LOVE for each one of them. They ARE my greatest joys/treasure

21. What was your favorite TV Program in 2010?
I rarely watch TV during the day but when I do, you can find me watching Oprah. Loving all of her guests this season. Another show I got sucked into was Teenage Mom (a train wreck that I couldn't’t stop watching). I think all high school kids need to watch this show…good birth control for sure. I am still a fan of The Bachelor (I know, I know-I don't want to hear it).

22. What was the best book you read this year?
Hands down, the Hunger Game series. They were so good that Tanner and I were even able to get John to read them. I loved all three books but the first one was my favorite.

23. What was your greatest musical discovery this past year?
My favorite new artist (when I say new it is because it is new to me) this year was Meaghan Smith. I KNOW and A LITTLE LOVE are two of my favorite Meaghan Smith tracks. I love the calm sound of her voice. I was even able to track down some Christmas music by her too. Check her out.

24. What did you want and get this year?
More time and date nights with John. We worked hard to achieve this. We did much better than last year and are hoping that 2011 will be even better.

25. What was the best movie you saw this year?
I didn’t see a lot of movies this year. I would have to say the best one that I saw was LIFE AS WE KNOW IT with Katherine Heigl and yummy Josh Duhamel. This movie made me laugh out loud, smile and even cry a little bit.

26. What did you do on your birthday and how old did you turn?
I turned 36 this year. Four more years and I will hit the BIG 40….WOW! Where has the time gone???. I was spoiled by friends and family. My birthday started a day early at a GT staff meeting. My sweet friends surprised me with treats, birthday cards, gift cards and a cupcake that even had a red and white polka dot candle. I love the little details. My actual birthday was filled with more birthday love...phone calls, FB messages, texts and treats and gifts in my mailbox. I really do have the best friends and family members.

27. What would have made your year more satisfying?
A trip for just John & myself. We are still dreaming big and working on this.

28. How would you describe your personal fashion statement this year?

The answer from last year still applies: I am a simple girl...jeans, t-shirts, hoodies & cute accessories are totally me. This year I have found a new love for cute little rings. Don't forget the cute pair of polka dot ballet flats on occasion & I am good to go.

29. What kept you sane this year?John continually keeps me grounded and SANE. He knows how to make me smile and giggle even when I don't feel like it. I am so happy that I get to share this crazy ride with him. He is truly a HUGE blessing in my life. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t thank my Heavenly Father (and my Lucky stars) for placing him in my life.

30. What celebrity did you fancy the most?
Do I even have to answer this –LOL! It’s the other John in my life. I was able to see JM in concert (3 times) this year. I love his music. I am hoping that he releases a new album this year.

31. Who did you miss this past year?
Without a doubt, my Grandpa Shore. When I had the chance to attend the Bay Area John Mayer concert in August, I stopped by my Grandma Shores house to say hi. I went up to the front door and went to turn the door knob to walk in. Just like we always do. The door was locked. I rang the bell and Grandma didn’t answer. I walked back to my car, got in and cried. Somebody is always home at their house. It gave me a little glimpse of what life will be like without Grandparents…absolutely miserable. Grandma and Grandpa’s house just isn’t the same without Grandpa realxing in his chair.

33. Who were the best new people you met this year?

Moe (Maureen) gets the new fun, friend award this year. I love this girl. She is another talented, amazing, organized fun friend from the scrapbook store. She has a great sense of humor and an infectious laugh. She hosted several fun Taco nights at her house and we were lucky enough to attend a few of them.

p.s. love fb and the ability to swipe photos off there. Hope you don't mind Moe...it was this photo or the one I had of you and Charles. I am pretty sure you are okay with this one. Love ya, friend!










I also REALLY loved getting to know all of the other soccer Moms. I don't have a picture of them. I will add that to next year's "to do"list. We have been blessed to live in this great community and feel so lucky to be surrounded by awesome families.

34. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned this year.

Life is fragile. I have always known this but it really hit home this year as loved ones were lost. I don't ever let a day go by without telling those people who are most important to me that I love them. Three simple words go a LONG way and are so important!

Whew...that was one lenghty post. It was fun to re-read my answers from last year. It is a great way to record my year, in one spot. Give it a try...you'll be happy to have it recorded…something to look back on & see where I have improved & where I still need help! I hope each & every one of you have a Happy, Healthy, & Safe New Year. May 2011 bring you LOVE, HAPPINESS, & great JOY!