Halloween…

…my mother loved it when Halloween came to “town”. I think she enjoyed it more than the kids did and she was always prepared when the little ones knocked on the door. This custom is new in Norway and not everyone like it. I can understand that parents get pissed when the monster kids wake up their sleeping children and I surly understand the frustration when they find their house smeared with raw eggs in the cold weather. We may have adopted this american custom but we forgot to learn the rules. 

Me? I love Halloween. The fall colours, the pumpkins and the kids having fun. I am so happy that the kids got a taste of the fun.

 

Template – Cathy Zielske. Paper – The Sei Company.

I bet someone was scared under those masks.

 

Have you made plans for your Christmas Album. There are many options to consider. Shimelle does her Christmas journaling class in December. Loved doing that last Christmas. Ali Edwards have set up a flicr group. I will join  Jessica Sprague`s free class. Registration starts Monday.

 

 

I haven`t decided yet how I want to do my album. Last year I premade a 6 x 12 AC album and that worked well for me. You can see the album her: Christmas album 2008.  The only thing I am sure of is that I will love getting Shimelle`s prompt in my mail every morning and I can`t wait to get started.

The end of Christmas journaling…

Great Grandma Karen nitted Santas for all her children and grandchildren this Christmas. The great grandchildren put an end to Christmas by putting all the Santas to sleep. Nice touch.

I have enjoyed making my Christmas journal. Next year I will try to do more of Shimelle’s prompts, because they were good. But, sometimes there just isn’t enough time to work with challenges. You just have to go with whatever happens. I am looking forward to this again in December. If anyone wants to see all my pages you can find them in my Journal your Christmas set at flicre.

Kristian visiting grandma New Years day.

 It has been fun to see the kids enjoying Christmas. Last year they were afraid of Santa and the firework. Now it was exiting and a little bit scary. This little boy knows he is going to be a big brother next Christmas, but I don’t think he realize that it means he won’t be mummies baby anymore.

I still need to set some goals for myself to work on in January. I do need to do more housework. I really don’t like cleaning, so I have decided to try the suggested baby steps. I will clean something – somewhere for 15 min. every day. I need one more goal. I will have to think about an easy one because cleaning for 15 min everyday will be hard for me.

New Years Eve

Revisiting The Art of Becoming More…

 

I did The Art of Becoming More with Kolette and Jason last year and now was a good time to look at the goals I sat during that class.

1. Working less

2. Losing weight

3. Learn something new

Okay. I did good…

Working less was my main thing last year, and I think I have succeeded reaching that goal. And that feels good. I don’t see a need to put that one on my list for 2009.

Losing weight and eating healthier – did not happen at all. Did I forget? No, I just overlooked that one. That was not a good choice, but a choice I can live with. Hmm…that means I have to drag that goal all the way into 2009.

Learn something new. I did, I did. I learned a lot in 2008. Finding the courage to take the opportunity to learn through the internet was a lucky choice for me. And I will keep doing that.

This tells me that one of my goals for 2009 will be eating healthier. I don’t want to focus on losing weight, mostly because there really isn’t that much weight to lose. I am just talking about feeling more comfort buying cloths.

 

It has been snowing all day. It is wet and I don’t think it will be there in a few days. I have been working on finishing my pages for my Christmas journal. I went back to work on the 27′Th and worked until New Year. I was planning to make an album featuring the highlights in 2008 for my brother and his wife for Christmas. Since my photo developer didn’t deliver at their end, I wasn’t able to finish. I used the evenings between Christmas and New Year to finish the album. So I cut my journal short and did 28, 29, and 30 into one page highlighting the album.

The days between Christmas and New Year

 

On December 26 grandpa and grandpa had the pleasure of giving the grandchildren the “cars”. So – maybe the adults had more fun than the kids – but who cares…

Elin had to try the car outside and she did have FUN.

Kristian liked this one best, and his feet were almost long enough...

The last Sunday in Advent…

…and I am almost ready for Christmas.

Okay, maybe not so ready. There is still a lot I could do, but probebly won`t do. I have cleaned the house, there is one Santa in the living room and Christmas flowers. I can live with that.

Now it is time to go to work again.

Todays surprise…

When I came into my living room today I saw two big red flowers in my window. I haven`t been in there in daylight for…well, a long time. I have never had Amaryllis before and these made me happy.

Then Santa came with a Christmas gift. Okay, so it was brought to me by mail, but lets pretend Santa came by.

If anyone wonder…no, I did not unwrap my gift.

Dear Santa…

…I have never believed you had anything to do with giving me Christmas gifts, but I so believed you living in our barn. So what did you do in there ? Waiting to get fed?

Anyway. I would like to get something for next year. I would love time and motivation to reach the goals I am setting for 2009. If you put  in some good health and money everything will be okay.

Dear Santa...

 

I have worked the first shift today and I am now going in to work the last shift. Like they are singing in the radio right now;

it`s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Christmas weather…

To day it is all about the weather. Nothing much else is happening. We have had a shitty weather. It has been windy and for short periods of time we had storm. The rain has been pouring down the whole day. But that is normal this time of the year.

Right now there is thunder and lightning, so I think I will shut down my computer and go to bed.

Today it is all about the weather...

 Wow, now it`s snowing. Well, that will not last for long.

Finding the perfect gift for Christmas…

I have never ever spotted the perfect gift to give anyone. I am hopeless buying gifts and have surrendered to transferring money. But, that is not a tradition in my family. I know my dad was getting the greatest gifts for my brother. I don’t think he was big on girl’s gifts because I never got THE gift from my parents. My brother spent a lot of time in November and December to find the perfect gift for his boys. Now he looks for the same for his grandchildren.

Maybe there is a little boy in all men?

I think it is great for the kids to receive that special gift. But the good thing about kids – they are equally happy for the little things. Like Jan in 1981. I gave him a little dog when I came home for Christmas, and he was happy as long the battery worked.

Now Jan is close to 30 and is preparing the Christmas gift for his own son…

I hope he can drive...

Thankful…

There is a lot to be thankful for these days.

• family
• good health
• a new familily member coming
• everyone in the family have work
• a home
• and money to pay for heating
• this hobby that gives me so much
• …and in a few days there is elleven months until next December…

But most of all I am thankful for “the babies” in the family.

Making gingerbread house with grandma.

 

Kjellaug and Elin Marie

 

"Maybe I want the red one..."

Christmas visitors…

My mother loved to tell stories about the Christmas parties she attended as child and young girl. Family and neighbors met for good food and good company. I always had this “Fanny and Alexander” picture in my head listening to her stories. There were no parties when I grew up. Well…I do remember parties, but I was put to bed, fighting and screaming.

But there were always a lot of visitors in my home. Really, every day an ongoing stream of people coming and going. My mum would feed everyone, and my dad was “holding court”. I have no idea how my mum was able to feed all these guests.

These days there are very little guests during Christmas. Working in a grocery store there is a lot of work in December. We close on the25 and 26, and then there is work again as usual. December can be challenging – fun – but challenging.

I have had the pleasure of being a house guest in my childhood home my whole life. After my parents past away, my brother and his family welcomes me at Christmas Eve. Later I will tell you about Christmas dinner. It took me 20 years to really enjoy it…

Jan and Santa (grandma) in 1984

My mum was Santa for her grandchildren for many years. They knew it was her, but that was okay. It was still exiting when Santa came to the house.

The joy of Christmas...