I heart faces.......best face of 2011

I haven't entered one of the "i heart faces" challenges in over a year and so hoping to get back into taking more photos this year! Thought what better way of starting the new year with this weeks challenge! I took this photo of my daughter Faith on one of her school field trips this year. It was very hot and she worn out from the long day. She is normally so happy and cheerful and I love this more serious side I was able to capture! To see more beautiful faces check them out here:

Celebrating the Year of the Rabbit...........

I can't believe there are only 3 more days of February! We've had a very full month celebrating the "Year of the Rabbit"! I think we did something each week this month in honor of CNY!

 

I bought this pretty orchid in honor of CNY. I am terrible in caring for these and they never make it, but so far so good! I decorated the house with lanterns, banners, and oranges.

We went into China town one afternoon to have lunch and do some shoppping. Faith was so excited to have dumplings!

All dressed for our local CNY celebration..........

and of course we can't leave without getting our traditional "Year of the Rabbit" photo!!!!

Waiting patiently to put a dollar in the lions mouth during the traditional dragon/lion dance

Here it comes.................

So much fun!!!!!!!

I also did a CNY art project with Faith's class and planned a celebration to share with her new Brownie troop. We brought chow mien for them to eat in traditional Chinese bowls and of course chop sticks! I also had red envelopes with chocolate coins and little lanterns for them. They enjoyed it all so much and I had several parents tell me their girls kept talking about it.

Faith has been sick with a tummy virus since tuesday night. She has missed the last 3 days of school. She seems to be perking up alittle today although she still cannot eat anything. We've had a pretty rough few days and I'm hoping this week-end will bring a full recovery! Especially since Sunday she has a very special Girl Scout event to attend! Each troop is to put together a booth on a country and because Faith was born in China the girls decided they wanted to do China! They have been learning all about it this month and getting ready! I am soooo hoping she will be well enough to attend!

Photo Friday...Best of Friends

Ruby and our guinea pig Oreo have a special friendship. Ruby is so gentle with her and she has to be the best dog ever! We could never let Pearl (our Beagle) near Oreo so unfortunatly we don't let Oreo out of her cage too often. Dean got Oreo from his Aunt as a gift for his 12th birthday so she will be 4 years old this year.  She has been such a great pet and were hoping she will be around with us for several more years to come!

Where did January go?????

  Can't believe it has been a month since last posting here....before Christmas!! I have some Christmas posts to catch up on and then I plan to have a "blog book" made. I've been looking at some different sites and ideas for doing this and I think I have narrowed it down. If anyone has done this and is happy with their book please share!:)

We are still kicking here, just very very busy! This second half of the school year is always much busier than the first. It is a busy time for fund raisers and of course I get caught up in it all! The big fund raiser for Faith's elementary school is for each class to make a themed basket to raffle off. I have been putting a basket together for the past 4 years and decided I would take a break this year. ha! That is until her teacher approached me and asked if I would be willing to put our class basket together. So this is what I have been working on the past 2 weeks......

"Its A Celebration" themed basket! The baskets can be as simple or elaborate as you want. I went around and asked for some local donations and received the following: gift certificate towards a birthday party package at a local "bounce place", gift certificate for a bowling party, movie theater tickets, ice skating tickets, and a dozen gourmet cupcakes. I purchased a cupcake pan carrier, cupcake stand and a few other party goodies and there ya have it! Next I have Reed's schools big fund raiser of the year to start working on.....never ending!

I have my baby girl home with me today! She woke up last night complaining of an upset tummy and there has been some stuff going around so thought we better take it easy today. She seems just fine and I think she probably should have went but I have to say I am really enjoying having her home with me! I sooooo miss those days. She is busy playing with legos so thought I would take this time to try and finally get something posted here!

We had such a beautiful week-end (FINALLY)! It has been a very damp, cold and rainy winter so it was so nice to finally have some warm sunshine.We took advantage of it yesterday and took a drive to Sonoma to eat lunch and walk around and window shop. It was a fun day and I even managed to take some photos of Faith......

She is very much into layering her clothes these days!:) She received many compliments on her outfit through out the day.

It's another beautiful day here so I think I will take my little girl "who is skipping school today" and go take a nice walk with the dogs!

Merry Christmas...........

  

from our home to yours!!!!!

Black and White Wednesday~Peace

Wishing you much peace this Christmas!!!!!

Our days have been very full these last couple weeks enjoying this wonderful time of year!

This is our first Christmas in our new home and we've been having fun filling it with all of our decorations that hold so many precious memories. With moving around so much it is always fun to pull out all of our decorations that have always stayed with us all of these years. We look forward to new memories in our new home too!

It is a very busy time right now with the kids in school and their activities. All 3 are in Christmas performances this year so we have been running around to practices and such. Faith's "kids are music" class she is in was given speaking parts and we found out Faith will be opening and closing the show! Excited but a bit nervous for her!  I also somehow have been volunteered to be party planner for both Faith and Reed's class so I've been organizing food and activities. So much fun and excitement, but I am looking forward to their break when we can slow down and enjoy doing some baking, curling up watching Christmas movies, and just enjoying this peaceful time of year. I am behind on Christmas cards and shopping but do not feel stressed this year about it at all. Maybe it is the older I get the less stressed I feel about these things. Even if it does not all get done, Christmas will still come and be filled with all that matters most.

I'm hoping to get on here before Christmas, but if not wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!!!!!

HO. HO. HO (Sarcastically said as in Christmas Story)

 

We decided to try our towns "breakfast with Santa" this year. I thought it would be a fun way for Faith to visit Santa and get photos without dealing with the mall crowds. I am very picky about my Santa's and just LOVE a great Santa! You can imagine my face when I turned to see him........

Not everyone is cut out to be Santa, and this was one of them! I almost refused to take photos but Faith was so intent in telling him exactly what she wanted in full detail! By the time she was through I think Santa had a real headache! lol

Our official Santa photo this year! LOL We'll have something to look back and laugh on!

My beautiful girl!

Faith brought a candy cane from home to give to Santa. Wish he would have been a little more grateful! lol

The whole breakfast really was a joke. I am not one to complain but with what we paid to go to this I called the city this morning to let them know I was not happy. Like I said, I am very picky about my Santa's!:)

Last year we had such a wonderful Santa visit! Faith is actually wearing the same outfit she had on as this year.....of course with a much better Santa! You can see HERE!