Word for 2009

There is a popular idea in the Scrapbooking industry which I first learned about last year from Ali Edward's Blog. The goal is to pick one word to help you focus on an idea for the entire year.

I definitely have made more goals for myself this year than in the past but it seemed pretty obvious to me what my word needed to be.

The word I've chosen for 2009 is FAITH.

This could mean so many things but for me it means the following:

-Trusting God in every area of my life to provide everything
-Putting my faith as a priority and getting into the word daily
-Being open to opportunities to serve others

These are big steps for me but this year I need start letting go and stop trying to "control" everything. He's much better at it than I am and it's about time I let him take over. I know this will take discipline and hard work but nothing worth doing is ever easy.

I've already seen God show up in big ways in my life this year and I look forward to the months to come!

Welcome 2009!

2009. Yep, it's here. The end of 2008 flew by and was full of "interesting" twists for us. I'm looking forward to the New Year and the surprises it will bring. I know it will be full of challenges but with the right attitude, they can make me stronger.

In this New Year, I want to continue to refocus my time and energy on what is most important in life. I have several goals I want to accomplish and hope to start chiseling away at each one this year.

We had a great Christmas season with our families. We spent time in Cleveland with my in-laws and in Petoskey, MI, with my family. Here are some pictures to re-cap Christmas in Chicago:

Wishing you and yours a happy and prosperous 2009!

It's about time...

It's been quite awhile since I've shared some scrapbook pages or projects. I've been working more on mini-albums lately.


I'm wrapping up my Week In The Life Album from Ali Edwards. I took pictures to document a week in our life in October. Hopefully, it will be ready to share soon.

Currently, I'm working on my Christmas Memories 2008 album. It's based on same idea of Ali Edward's Daily December album but I wanted to make it a little more broad. I figured we'll be getting my mom's tree in Michigan before December and I may not have something to put in each day. I'm using a Clear Scraps clear album and adding variety of different pages I've created. I'm about done with the pages and will add pictures and memorbilia through the month of December. I really like the concept of doing the album before hand. It really keeps me from getting overwhelmed after a event when I have a lot of pictures. Here is the cover I finished today. It is a little hard to read on the cutting mat but you'll get the idea.

Here are a few layouts of my neice and nephew from our Portland trip:

Farewell, my friend

This week a dear friend passed away. Susan Dallas was an incredible woman and touched many people's hearts. She was the manager at Windy City Scrapbooking, and definitely made an impact on my life. She was passionate and caring, loving and warm. I was devastated by the news that she had a heart attack at the age of 34. She leaves behind her husband and son, Evan, who is only 4 years old. He is the sweetest boy and my heart just breaks thinking of him growing up without his wonderful mother.

I'm praying for her family and the entire Windy City Scrapbooking family.

We know our days on this earth are numbered but we never expect someone so young to suddenly be taken away from us.

Below are a couple pictures from this Spring. I have such fond memories of Susan and she will always have a special place in my heart.

Al & Susan at CKU

Some of the Windy City Family

Showered with Love

Megan, Jess, and I

A couple weekends ago, Peter and I went to Detroit area for my friend, Jessica's, baby shower. Jess and Kyle are expecting their first little one and as you can see - she is beaming with joy. Jessica and I met in middle school and have been friends ever since. We both went to Michigan State and share our love for the Spartans so it was only fitting to watch MSU defeat UM that weekend! My friend Megan also came into town and it was so nice to spend time with both of them. There is nothing quite like being with friends that have been there through thick and thin.

Congrats Jess - We love you and look forward to your little one's arrival!

Trip to Knoxville

A couple weeks ago, we got a chance to visit one of my dearest friends. Jenny and I became friends in 5th grade and have remained close every since. Last year, Jenny and her husband, John, moved from Michigan to Tennessee. We had not seen them in a year and a visit was well overdue.

We had a fun filled weekend including hiking in the Smoky Mountains and going on a boat ride on the Tennesse River. Here are a few pictures from our trip:

October...really?!?

Fall is really here. The air is cool, the leaves are turning, and college football underway. I'm not quite sure where September went but we were on the go and took some pictures so I at least of record that it existed.

With the change of the season, I feel like a lot of changes are going on with me too. I feel like the list goes on and on but for starters...my job is bit up in the air. I'm not sure what will come with my job since I'm in a temporary position through mid-November (I think). At this point, I feel the best thing to do is pray and ask for prayers from those around me. God always has a plan and stressing about it just isn't going to help.

Also, I just feel like purging. You know that feeling when you life is over run with "stuff"? I got rid of a large amount of scrap supplies that I don't use anymore and made some extra cash. I barely notice the dent and feel like I've only scratched the surface but it feels great! Next, I want to tackle more scrap supplies and my overflowing closet and drawers. I certainly don't get this urge often enough so I'd better go with it!

I'm also trying to refocus my time and energy into more meaningful activities. I've been reminded multiple times lately how short life is and that it can be taken away at any moment. I desire to live life to the fullest and cherish everyday.

I've got a few projects that I need to get around to posting. I received the baby quilt back that I was working on and just have the binding around the edge to finish. I also finished my mini-book of our trip to Portland. Starting the project before I left was the best thing I ever could have done. Otherwise, I'd just be sitting with a stack of photos like every other trip!

I'm working on a skirt in my sewing class at Vogue Fabrics too so I'll be able to share it before long.

I'll leave you with a few pictures from our trip to East Lansing a couple weekends ago. In case you didn't hear, my Spartans beat the Irish - Go Green!!

Have a great weekend!