Did anyone order snow?

Just a lot this past little while. I think it is pretty and all but driving in it, not so much a fan. At least not of other drivers who think they are invincible or something. Happy almost New Year's Eve.

Sock Monkeys and their owners...

Ignore the glowing red eyes of mine and no make up (hey, we just got up on Christmas morning...)

...but here are all 4 happy owners of very cute sock monkeys that Deb (my sister and their mother) made for us...

A fun Christmas

A fun time at Christmas. Mom and I spent Christmas Eve at Deb and Troy's. A wonderful dinner, watching The Nativity Story, and reading a Christmas message. Then more wrapping and bed.

This is the kids on Christmas morning.

I got a wacky Sing-a-ma-jig from Karen and Alan. Listen to one if you can. They are pretty funny. And his mouth moves when he sings or talks.
Troy and Marcus modeling the girls' pompoms. What funny guys!
My blonde bear from Deb and Troy. Cute and soft. and big!
And my VERY cute sock monkey made by my sister Deb. Isn't he so cute? He is quite stylish I think.
Goodness- I didn't nab any photos of the whole family getting together today. A ton of us. about 30 of us. It was a fun Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Good food, good visiting, and lots of unwrapping and mostly good visiting. I am SO grateful for my family. I love them so much.

And thanks for my little presents from "you-know who" x 2. Such fun little presents and thanks for my new supply of Lara bars! Yum!

And happy Boxing Day tomorrow...and happy birthday to my sweet brother Gary tomorrow too.

Happy Christmas Eve and Merry Christmas!

Just wanted to say that. Haven't been good at my daily postings as of late. No real excuse either. Just enjoying the holidays.

I hope you are all good so that you don't get coal in your stockings. ; )

Thanks for your comments through the year...though it would be fun to hear from more of you. hint hint.

And I wish you happiness and prosperity for 2011.

Happy first day of winter!

Lots of wet heavy snow for our first day of Winter in 2010! Thanks to Hawaii and all surrounding tropical areas of the world...we got a doozy of a tropical storm this morning.

Amazing how the snow clings to those tiny branches on my peach tree. Those little flakes are all sticking together. Unity in the snowflake community at its best!

The snow keeps falling. So happy I am home today. I love the snow. Just not a fan of driving to work in it. Snow on my fence. Just a pretty day.
Happy first day of Winter! For those going to work...drive carefully. For those staying home, look out the window and smile. And maybe go build a snowman...

It's Sunday and it is rainy

Wow- rain forecasted for much of this next week. It is supposed to rain all day and night and it rained all last night. Well, they can't complain we aren't getting moisture.

So, another YW is having a birthday in our ward...Happy birthday, Shyenaia! Hope you like your card.

Happy Sunday to everyone! Only 6 more sleeps till Christmas!

Happy Friday!

A little snowglobe from our PP leader in YW. The little manger in a snowglobe. So sweet.

I had a nice dream this morning about my brother and I got to give him a hug. And it felt so good. I miss him.

Hope to get a lot done today.

I like this quote...

“There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.”

― Jane Austen

Happy Friday!

I have sweet friends at work

That is all I am saying...with the initials of KP and PH.

Just saying.

December 16th and 17th

December 16th...Canterbury Toffee...

December 17th...a fortune cookie dipped in chocolate.
Fun treats! This has been fun this Christmas season to wonder what each day will bring for our advent calendar... Oh- I have to stop letting you in on the daily surprise as I will be off work starting tomorrow. So, hang on till January 3rd for the rest of the surprises.

Today at work

Our photography team at work struck again...their christmas cards are so funny! So clever. I love them! Thanks, guys!

We had first grader kids walk over to sing to us. It is a tradition at Christmas to have them come over. Such cute kids.
Here they are singing in our atrium.
And here is December 14th from our advent calendar... it is one of those games that you put your fingers in and open and shut the piece and choose squares. And see what it says. Very clever...
And then on December 15th- today...we got peppermint bark...do you see the clever little tag with the candy cane barking? It is saying "woof". Do you get it? Clever people at work... (sorry for the blurriness of the pictures...

Oh yah for JFD!

Yay--happy day! The book I spent most of September and October in every spare minute of my life when I wasn't sleeping, working fulltime, or being involved with YW...and working as fast as humanly possible to illustrate...is going to be available by or before February 2011!

http://www.greensmoothiegirl.com/books/pre-order-robyns-new-childrens-book/

This is an exerpt from Robyn who had me illustrate the book...(I appreciate her kind words of praise.)

My new children’s fiction book, The Adventures of Junk Food Dude, has delightful illustrations by Lori Sume. Lori Sume, my illustrator, you are so creative and artistic, I just love you. You worked so hard.

A child gets far more from the story than a solid grounding in what foods to eat, and what foods to avoid, to be happy, healthy, and active.

These are the other messages taught within the story geared to a young audience:

1. Eating raw fruits and vegetables, greens, legumes and whole grains, nuts and seeds is fun, delicious, and nourishing.
2. The consequences for choosing good foods and bad foods are far more than sugar spikes and crashes. They include positive or negative mood, healthy or unhealthy weight, how attractive you look, and whether you are able to participate fully in fun activities.

Anyway... it was a big project and I am grateful that I got to be a part of it. Thanks to Robyn! Now to get copies of those books in my hands! Now that will be exciting!!!

Happy "baby aspirin" colored morning!

So, do you know the color of baby aspirin? A pale orange color? Well, when I looked up out my work window just now, the sky is a mix of blue and pale orange clouds all mixed together. The orange part looks just like that baby aspirin color. It was cool. I remember, as a child, that my mom would ask me or someone else to go get a baby aspirin for one of my siblings. I would happily volunteer because inevitably I would slip one into my mouth too. Just a mix of a little bit tangy and also a little bit sweet. I found out years later that my siblings did that same trick when they were asked to go get a baby aspirin for someone in the family. ; )

December 11th's treat...a bag of homemade caramels...

December 12th's treat...a cutely wrapped little chocolate bar...
December 13th's treat...two peppermint patties.
I got errands done after work last night and started on a YW birthday card and started designing a binder cover insert for all the YW binders. Yes! Though I sadly slacked and did not work out. My one goal that I did not accomplish last night.

Have a great Tuesday!

Monnnnday!

Oh, Christmas tree...oh, Christmas tree.

Hope everyone had a good weekend. Mine was busy with different things here and there. A 3 hour planning meeting Saturday morning for YW/YM. Various meetings on Sunday. And some wrapping to do. And various other little things. The weekend went by at quite a clip! But they always do. More shopping to do next weekend!

Now it is Monday. I have 4 work parties this week (2 the same day). And an RS party on an evening. Goodness. Tis the season! Isn't it fun?

I love all the Christmas lights as you drive around at night. So pretty.

Ah, cute!

A drawing I did of my friends' kids back in 2001. Such cute girls. Can't believe I have been drawing them each Christmas all these years. It is so nice of Jennifer and Tim to have me draw for them.

Happy Sunday!

"Owl" are you?

I was contacted back in September from the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, a non-profit organization in Massachusetts. Adrian, who is their director of operations at the PJ Library happened to come upon my little owl that I created that I had posted on my blog one day.

This is what I was told about their program...In addition to The PJ Library, which gifts Jewish books and music to participating families in North America, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation supports other secular literacy projects. This year we will be donating thousands of books to two special programs:

1. a reading day in New Orleans through the New Orleans Kids Partnership(about 1,000 children, donating a total of about 4,000 books)

2. we will be gifting a book a month to each pre-school student in our local city of Springfield, Massachusetts, which has a very low reading rate and many families living at the poverty level (about 2,000 children, donating about 18,000 books)

I am writing to you because we are also gifting each of the approximately 3,000 children a drawstring book bag and would love to use your owl artwork- do I have your permission? I would be very happy to send you a bag when they are done.

So, here is the bag...it is a bright orange, kind of parachute fabric bag. And I think my little owl looks quite cute on it. It is fun to see it silkscreened on the bag and that a whole bunch of kids will be carrying it around and hopefully will learn and expand their minds and grow up to be even more amazing people than they already are. And that this organization is working at giving them that chance. Good job, Adrian and your organization! It's good to hear about good people in the world who want to make a difference.

The card in front of the bag was from Adrian. To thank me.
Happy Friday!

Day 9 Thursday & Day 10 Friday...

Two mint flavored 3 Musketeers for Day 9...

A christmas tree in chocolate...Day 10
Isn't this fun? 15 more days to go... I know you can't stand the suspense wondering what I will get each day.

Day 8...

A cute gingersnap star-shaped cookie. Ahhh...cute!

Good night last night. We split up as a presidency to go to two concerts the YW were performing in. Most went to the JH to watch most of our YW who were performing there. I went on my own to the other Christmas performance across town. Two YW performed in that. They did a great job. It was a nice evening of not having to prepare much for the night. Good to have those once in a while.

Happy Thursday!!!

LOVE this quote...Thanks, Eden! I took it from your blog.

When in situations of stress we wonder if there is any more in us to give, we can be comforted to know that God, who knows our capacity perfectly, placed us here to succeed. No one was foreordained to fail or to be wicked. When we have been weighed and found wanting, let us remember that we were measured before and we were found equal to our tasks; and therefore, let us continue, but with more determined discipleship. When we feel overwhelmed, let us recall the assurance that God will not over-program us; he will not press upon us more than we can bear.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell

Days 1-7 Advent Work Calendar

So this was Day 1...a little orange. Yum!

Day 2... a cute little Santa bookmark. Love the design!
Day 3...a candy cane, a chocolate, and a cute little elephant.
Day 4...peppermint bark.
Day 5...a snowball cookie.
Day 6...mistletoe.
Day 7...chocolate and a snowflake ornament.
I wonder what I will get today for the 8th of December! I will post tomorrow. FYI- I will be gone from work part of the 25 days for vacation...so I may have to post some of the days after the holidays...we will see. Anyway, thanks to Lauren and her team for thinking of this idea. So fun to wonder what we are getting each day.

Happy Wednesday!

Here is some holly to get you in the mood for Christmas. This is a piece from my Bells & Boughs stamp set. Which you can purchase if you want...www.stampinup.com. Just a little plug. ; )

No snow. No fog. Dry roads. Happy Lori. Though I do love the snow on the grass and surrounding areas. Just not so much on the roads.

Happy Wednesday!

Tuesday too

It's Tuesday. The sun is shining. Things are good. I feel very blessed. Glad for many things. I ain't "lion".

Monday is good! But especially this last weekend!

Some weekends are so wonderfully amazing! I had one of those. I had 4 huge things to work on...and I got them all done! I had a lesson to prepare and give for YW. (Check!) I guess it went OK. I am not the best lesson giver but I think the point went across well. We had 14 girls on Sunday! Usually our average is about 10. 15 is our capacity and that is with a girl visiting her father and she only comes once in a while. We were only missing one girl that also comes once in a while on Sundays. Lucky I had enough handouts!

Then I had a friend's children to draw for her newsletter. I do it for Jennifer every year...at least I have for the last bunch of years. Here is a partial drawing of one of the kids. Don't want to give the drawing away in case you are on Jennifer's list. Maybe I will post the whole thing after a couple of weeks. Anyway I got that done! (Check!)

And third- I needed to once and for all go find various presents for a couple of friends who I mail a little something to each year (Check!) and a few friends who I drop things off around town. I usually hand deliver their Christmas cards so I like to find something for them early in December. I delivered those. Except for one friend. Still need to deliver that. I also found something for the people in my work group! (Check!)

So, all I have tonight is a Christmas party with some friends! Time to relax tonight. I think I deserve it.

Oh, and I always help my mom with her newsletter...I got that put together and run off! Oh, I am so good! ; ) (Check!) So an added item!

This week and next: my goals are to finish addressing Christmas cards that I will hand-deliver and (BIG ONE!) of course still figure out what to get for my siblings and their families etc... I usually make something for them but this year my mind is a blank. I do have an idea...but at this point it might take too long. Hmmmm. Think...think...think.

On a sad note, my sister Deb had to have her dog put to sleep this last week. She has had Opie for 15 years. It just makes me sad. Realizing that when I go to her house now, that little Oprah won't be there. Opie, we miss you! I miss her little head tilting to the side when she saw us eating, hoping that we would drop a piece or two for her. I miss her getting so excited to see everyone. I miss her gentle little spirit. She will be missed. I think I will always feel a little emotional when I stop by at my sister's.

Nice

I am grateful for a family who all love me. Though I was told by 4 year old Wy that he had to pat my head yesterday because I have a fat head. Hmmmm. Not sure what to make of that.

And thanks to Ché and Fin for stopping by yesterday. It made my day.

My whole family is wonderful.

Day 2 and Graham Cracker Gingerbread structures

Day 2 for our Work Advent Calendar...so fun! Look at the cute bookmark! Isn't it the cutest?

So, we had a class activity last night for the Laurels...Oh yes, sign me up for real house construction! Okay, maybe not... ; ) It did fall apart one time but then I persevered and it is now standing proudly.
Here is LaCrissa's. Cute house! She said it was a cabin for girls' camp. Or maybe it could be a snow lodge...
And here is Jenny's. She crumbled up some of the candy to make it sparkly on the snow icing roof.
It was a fun night.

Happy Thursday!

Countin' Down & Rabbit, Rabbit Day!

So, it is December 1st today. Wow- can't believe it! It is also the day you say "rabbit, rabbit" first thing for good luck. Did you remember?

Anyway, at work we decided to do an advent calendar countdown...Every day we will receive a new little treasure. Today we got a little orange. Fun! I have to help with day 19. Think-Think- Think.

Aren't these cute little hanging boxes? It is the Candy Countdown Calendar Kit. Check it out at www.stampinup.com/ our products/ 2010-2011 catalogs/ holiday mini catalog 2010/ page 34.

http://204.228.150.61/catalogs/flash/en-US/2010-2011/holidayMini/index.html

And they used images that I helped to create. So that is fun too.

Happy Wednesday and "rabbit, rabbit" day!