Happy New Year 2012!!!

It's always crazy when a year passes and a new year begins, isn't it? How did an entire year fly by without me noticing? I hope that my scrapbooking and obsessively taking pictures helps my family remember the good times (and the bad) and helps us all to pause for just a moment to thank God for all of his blessings. I have so much to be thankful for, and I stand at the beginning of 2012, I just know it's going to be a year of blessings! Challenges, of course, but blessings, still!

Scot left today for a nearly 2 week stint in Nyack. Back to our old stomping grounds. I'm feeling a little sorry for myself for having been left behind. Though he knows I'm his biggest cheerleader and support his doctoral studies 100%! I'm just jealous that he's with our families and back to the life that is familiar and somewhat easier than our life here. But mostly that he's eating New York bagels and pizza! Just kidding. I really am most sad that he's with loved ones! But he's excited about his studies and I know he's going to be stretched and challenged and he's going to come out on the other side of his doctoral work a stronger person and leader.

What will I be doing? Well, I decided that today was a lounge in the house kind of day. I did wash all of our bedsheets (YEAH, ME!) and cook a good lunch (can someone say Mjuddara???), and put 99% of the Christmas decorations away (the nativity and the Advent Calendar are both still out). But I didn't actually "work." But the coming 2 weeks will be business as usual for me and the kids. They return to school on Monday after a 3 week vacation and my schedule presses on. Hopefully we'll have time to enjoy each other, too!

I have been scrapbooking! I'll share a few layouts! :D

First, using Winter Wonderland by Jennifer Labre Designs, I created this beauty, featuring Mam-mam's tinsel tree! As a child I loved that ridiculous, tacky tree! The template I used is another great one by Fiddle Dee Dee Designs from her Fuss Free: Daily Goodness collection.


Next is a little something I created for Cheryl's feature at The Daily Digi.  I used a retired Nikki Epperson Christmas kit and one of Cheryl's templates from the same pack: Fuss Free: Daily Goodness!


Finally, Cheryl created this awesome templates, Fuss Free: So Timely, to create fun coverphotos for your Facebook timeline!  I came up with one for myself and then I did one for my mom and BFF, Mara!  LOVE the results!
This one uses Jennifer Labre Designs' Holly Jolly kit:


Faith True Originals The Sweet Life


I am anticipating an amazing year full of JOY and happiness!  I hope and pray the same for you, my faithful blog readers!  Happy 2012!!!