One Little Word

Happiness

it has been coming up for the last few weeks and I was resisting, but it is the word i need this year.

just spent two hours with some great new friends on Dare 2 dream and everyone had great words for the new year. thanks so much for the inspiration I needed. Go check out this great new community


Pantone has unveiled its color of the new year. see what IT is here

I am

I am inspired by artists and scrapbook keepers, story tellers and nature

I am a daughter ( an only daughter- not an only child!)

I am a mother to an only daughter ( she also is not an only child) and three sons. (step mother too) this is the best job in the world with the least pay or benefits.

I am an artist - I work in paper and paint and photos. I love the world I create with my own thoughts.

I am a sister to my two brothers- each one needing me in a different way

I am an aunt to my nephew- how I love all these guys/boys/men that surround me.

I am the rock and the diplomat - in my family each revolve around me and my love is for them all. family and friends turn to me.

I am the most unconditional but my dad is who I model - his love , his funny humor and his trusting nature are my guideposts.

I am a wife, for that I am ever in gratitude to the lord for giving me the best, and saving it for last. to find my soul mate and friend in my husband is joy without end.

I am sensitive , I hurt at the unjustness in the world, I cry at the drop of a hat, i cry when I am frustrated or happy too.

I am a co-worker along side my team mates and others, working for good. Raised with the depression era work ethic handed down by my parents and their parents, I take responsibility seriously.

I am a friend better sometimes than others, needier sometimes than others, mentoring sometimes, being lifted up sometimes, but most of all loyal and true.

I am hard to define for myself..... LOL

purple tree and presents

snuggie! grocho and lambies!

We have had the best christmas - got cool stuff but by far these were all favorites with the receipients -

D.H. Lawrence

As evening drew on, hearts beat fast with anticipation, hands were full of ready gifts..... The night was past and the morning was come, the gifts were given and received..... there was a great burst of carols, the Peace of the World had dawned, strife had passed away, every hand was linked in hand, every heart was singing.

The Broker Photo

Here we are at the christmas party, Bob - S's boss always manages to get me with my eyes closed oh well at least this is a momento of a nice time.

2009 tree

Gifts given and received

May no gift be too small to give, nor too simple to receive, which is wrapped in thoughtfulness and tied with love~ l.O. Baird

office mates have given their secret santa gifts, our supervisor has given us a few gifts too. we got some cute little bell door knob hangers this week at our christmas function at work.

we are attending parties the last of which is S's tomorrow night at the downtown Broker ( always my favorite) lots of yummy shrimp as an appitizer and a wonderful dinner too.

my good deeds will include going to the church for alter " duty" in preparation of the big night and then there will be rewards too.

Ia ma ready for the holiday cheer and have wraped all the presents and am looking forward to some time with family and friends.

Four Seasons

All Seasons are Beautiful for the person who carries Happiness within.

~~Horace Friess~~

busing it

This is the routes in Boulder for the RTD at the stop I go home from ! Theses shots were taken on Monday night, waiting for the 4:45 bus home :) the temps were in the single digits and the snow was so dry and fluffy you could just bush it away- almost blow and it would have disappeared.

this is the street corner that I cross in the evening to catch the going home bus. the light is not very long there in the direction we cross, but it is still nice to have a stop light.

this is looking toward my building and the flat irons, I love the mountain view and when the hills are covered in snow

more crafty things

All of my team has these note boards on our office doors- they have 3m sticky stuff on top and white board on the bottom.

in febuary- I send out my round of valentine cards and I wanted to do something fun and nice for my co-workers in my office. Well I made a little tage these are about the size of a Mini Pearl price tag and made of the same white card and white cotton string. Well I made the 1st of a whole tradition in the makeing and then one said you could do one a month with a theme and the idea just took off. each of my co-workers gets a tag on their door display each month and everyone looks forward to the little tiny reminder to smile.

so Fab was hearts and valentine, march was the shamrock, april is the rain showers, may was the flowers- in pots, June was the beach, july the red white an blue stars theme, august was the sun shine, September was back to school, october is the pumpkins on black tags, november is the leaf shaped tags and December the christmas trees!

big and little altered paper houses

these are Paper mache houses, purchased at my local Hobby Lobby last year during the christmas season, I used stickers, stamps, paint metalic acrylics and walnut stain, paper and kraft cardstock, deco scissors and cutting templates. sealed with ModPodge brand.

the bigger of the two houses has paper as the siding- cut up paper inked edges and glued back together LOL - the small ( log cabin) is mostly walnut stain and acrylic paint and a combination of the two for the design. both have a scalloped cut patern type roofing shingles. the log cabin is Kraft cardstock and walut stain , the binger house is patterned paper and ModPodge and glitter.

busy little secret santa - that's me

we have a secret santa each year. last year I swapped for my supervisor's name and made some trays

the person I swaped for the name said I could have it on the condition she got me this year:)

well are you ready for the reveal of the craft? yeah you know you are.

Thanksgiving

When I recollect the treasure of friendship that has been bestowed upon me, I withdraw all charges against life. If much has been denied me, much, very much has been given me. So long as the memory of certain beloved friends lives in my heart, I shall say that life is good.
~~ Helen Keller~~


Happy thanksgiving
I am thankful for my husband
my children
my husbands children
my mother and father
my brothers
my auntie
my in-laws and outlaws and ex-laws?
a great job
sweet puppies and kitties
many more things that i can't even think of- my life is truely blessed.

Science standup funnys

Brian Malow - at science fest- funny in a nerdy way

come on get happy

I follow a bunch of blogers on my blog lines, and this one caught my eye today- Gretchen Rubin over at the happiness project suggests ways to get happier right now

I am recognized by my Peers today

Professional Resources. Quality Service. Educated Decisions.

That is our tag line at Benefits at the University of Colorado- payroll and benefit services



Today I was recognized by my Peers as a Person who delivers " Quality Service" - I came in second, but still got a 50$ gift card - woot !!! It is nice to know people think highly of me, and I do a job I really enjoy at a place I enjoy.



I follow a bunch of Happiness project people and work happy bloggers and today this Made my happy at work list for sure

Tournament Sparring with Black belt

Hh sparring with a black belt, she does score a point and does defend herself too.

Tournament was with SNK on 10/31/09

November Glory

The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand , nor the kindly smile nor the joy of companionship; it is the spirited inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him with his friendship. ~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Snow day - our way

The front bench with what may be about 20" on the seat it was pretty light and fluffy now.

Neighbor to the south had cool icicles

Snow angels in progress

more process on the angels. looks pretty fluffy

My guess is we won't be grilling today :) about 18 inches or so in the back yard maybe 20

Done with snow angels.

Neighbor tree

Me- glasses are photogray and change to a pretty dark shade in all this light

Yeah we shoveled.

Hh and I shoveled and draged a large fallen branch and trash cans, and made snow angels well she did - it was pretty chilly but still it was beautiful too.

More from Breckenridge Testing

More high kicking maddness, this was the fun stuff and at least they were moving.

Early on sunday morning this was the lovely view street side and just waking up with a light dusting of snow.

More pictures of the Many participants.

ski slope and mountain side - just waking on the Sunday morning. look at all that frosting !

breckenridge excellence - black belt testing

Lots of testers for this Prep Cycle

After getting the final belt with old ones on the floor

Kicking and endurance were part of the testing too

Tons of sitting and waiting and waiting some more focus and fidget less?? yuk that was the hardest part I am sure

All Those men are VIP's our G.M. Seo and his G.M. Kim are the middle and Hh on the right side with the other 19 testers in her group

High Brown Achieved !

A long weekend in Breckenridge with Seo's National Karate- HH has achieved the rank of High Brown belt the real first step to black belt excellence. The trip was pleasant and there was a ton of hurry up and wait all weekend long. This is a pretty typical scenario with GM Seo. I did tons of sitting so did Hh mostly on the hard carpeted floors. She says she even got a butt chap LOL :)