Scrapbooking my life...one page at a time

Happy New Beginnings ...

 

Wishing You, Your World & the World at Large - a Happy & Prosperous New Year! 

- N -

Goofy's Dinner & SeaWorld ...

- Day Two -
Disneyland & Dinner with Goofy

Looks like Aidan is dressed & ready to go...
Woo Hoo - Disneyland here we come and as you can see Aidan was all dressed up and ready to hit the rides. Disneyland at Christmas is so festive and shiny- I guess you could say it's the  'Happiest Sparkly Place on Earth' during the holidays.




We puttered around Disneyland it was crowded but not massively.  We got Fast-trax tickets for  but the wait lines were only about 35 minutes for Pirates of the Caribbean and the Star Tour rides.  Aidan is loving the rides and is mad about everything  Disney!

Wandering around Disneyland

Aidan was so excited to get Buzz Lightyears autograph and to see the Jedi Training Camp.  As you can see in the photo - Mike helped him make a Jedi Light Saber (or whatever they are called).  I bought him an Autograph book when we arrived (thanks for the great suggestion Sarah) and he has been collecting signatures & photo's for it.

Mike's impression of Mickey Mouse!

We had our DINNER WITH GOOFY today.  It is at the Disney Hotel in Goofy's Kitchen and the food was actually not bad for a buffet.  Aidan is not a big fan of any Dressed up Characters and was made sure he sat in the corner behind Jessica so they could not get near them.  It seemed like most of the little kids were climbing all over the characters but he had a ton of fun watching them from a distance though ... 

Katy getting Chip's autograph

Aidan doing his 'Jedi Ballet' for us


- Day Three -
SeaWorld
 
The bus ride to San Diego ...

Aidan LOVED watching Shamu ...

We had lunch with Shamu and were able to sit beside the whale tank and watch while the whales did their morning exercises with their trainers.  It was very exciting ...


The Orca's got their lunch too ...

Then we went to the 'Believe' Shamu show.  Aidan was excited because we all sat in the splash zone! (click on each picture to enlarge)


After the whale show we went on our 'Behind the Scene's' tour and we were able to feed  turtles, touch some sharks and see many other behind the scenes stuff ...

Aidan - swimming with the manatee ...

Katy touching one of the tiger sharks ... not quite a great white but still




Mike & Katy looking for the dolphins ..

Jess & Kate looking for the dolphins ...
 
Aidan splashing the water trying to lure the dolphins down to our end of the pool ...
 

and finally they arrive ...

we also bought some sardines ...

so we could all feed the Bat Rays ...

I must confess - they were slimy & ugly ... disgusting!

A seagull came and tried to steal Kate's fish ...

We also went and saw the Anheuser-Busch Clydesdale Horses ...
 

They were beautiful in their Christmas blankets ...

We were pooped by the time we got home!

- N -

Disneyland - Day One ...

Okay, so we were all a little tired (and grumpy) about waking up at 5am and almost everyone  went back to sleep awaiting for the shuttle to arrive.

Well, here we are in sunny California at the Disneyland Resort and we are all LOVING it.  Aidan loved his very first airplane ride - he sat by the window and was amazed at the sights, especially the cars getting smaller & bigger when we took off and landed.

Our hotel is nice- surrounded by 'Birds of Paradise' and other beautiful plants ...

It just goes to prove that we are not born instinctively afraid to flying - it's only when someone tells you that 'its a big scary deal & the plane might crash' that we become afraid.  Pity - isn't it!  I hope nobody Aidan never becomes afraid to travel because he loves it! 

 
Me, Jess, Aidan & Kate in front of the fountain at our hotel
(Thankfully everyone seemed tseemed to wake up when we got here)

We arrived at the hotel (The Annabella) around 1:30pm - anxious to get going.  The hotel is very nice - very California resort - palm trees, birds of paradise and bougainvillea everywhere!  Beautiful.  Sun - Sun everywhere and zero snow to be found!

 

We wandered down to DownTown Disney for a look around, dinner and to pick up our Disneyland passes for the week. 

On our way to Downtown Disney ...

They never feed you at my house at 5am, they don't feed you on the plane anymore and apparently they don't feed you on the shuttle either so by the time we got to DownTown Disneyland we were STARVING ...

Kate, Jess & Aidan waiting at the Rainforest Cafe
Smiles, Chuckles & Cheers ...
 
Volcano Madness ...

 Crashing at the hotel ...

As you can see Katy & Aidan made special 'Disney' Build-a-Bears ... they have little hearts inside them that you can feel beating ...

Well off to bed ...
See you tomorrow

- N -

This is me ... "Getting Real about Resolutions"

 

I read an article this morning on how to "organize & plan" your way to be more successful in meet all your New Year's goals/resolutions.  I will be following because I know that most people who make New Year's resolutions never meet their goals! 

Below I have listed the 4 steps recommended to help me/us be successful this year!!

 

Step 1: Prioritize Your Goals

On a piece of paper, write the three to five goals you’d like to achieve this year, then rank them in order of importance. You might find, after some thought, that you’d rather lose some of your debt than that extra 15 pounds. This step gives you a chance to decide what’s most important to you.

It might look like this:
Goal 1. Pay off credit card debt
Goal 2. Lose 15 pounds
Goal 3. Go to the gym three times a week
Goal 4. Learn Spanish

MY ORIGINAL RESOLUTIONS:

 

1. Live a healthier lifestyle. (eat better, move more)
   
2. Volunteer more - Audubon or elsewhere!
   
3. Write more letters & cards - less emails.
   
4. Spend more time with friends (become more social & outgoing)
   
5. Go to Disneyland with Jessica & Aidan this spring.
   
6. Scrapbook more (digitally & with paper).
7. Visit Katy in Kenya this summer!
   
8. Continue on my one-year "Tradition Building" mission.
9. Continue organizing the 2008 "Family Reunion"
   
10. Spend Less - save more

Step 2: Ruthlessly Evaluate Your Goals

Give your resolutions a reality check. Ask yourself how committed you are to each goal on your list. Are you ready for the sacrifices they might require? Are they truly doable? Can you wipe out your $5,000 credit card balance this year if you also need to buy a new car? Can you really lose 15 pounds? Would 10 be more realistic?

OVERHAULING MY LIST

Well, after looking over my list I have decided to leave everything on it.  I believe they are all realistic & doable goals/resolutions for 2008!  I am determined to achieve each & every one of them.

Step 3: Winnow Your List

Take the survivors from Step 1 and Step 2 and rewrite them. Make each goal very specific. If you ultimately decide that reducing your debt is your number one priority, you might write "cut credit card debt in half," rather than "pay off credit card debt." If you really do want to learn Spanish, rephrase your objective: "Learn to hold a basic conversation in Spanish by the end of ’07."

REWRITING & RANKING MY LIST:

My new"Revised List" has been streamlined & ranked to read:

1. Healthier lifestyle.

2. Spend Less - save more!

3. One-year "Tradition-Building" mission.

4. 2008 "Family Reunion"

5. Volunteer regularly.

6. Socialize more!

7. Snail Mail Cards/Letters

8.Disneyland 

9.Kenya

10.Scrapbook more (digitally & with paper).

 Step 4: Create a Plan

Remember that change is a process, not an event. Take your carefully worded goals and come up with concrete steps that will help you achieve each of them.

Next, create a simple chart & place it someplace visible (over your desk, on your bathroom mirror, on the refrigerator) or carry it around in your bag and refer to it frequently.

Goal 1: Reduce debt
Action 1: Set up an automatic deduction from your checking account each month and add your saved money to your monthly debt payment.
Action 2: Tell your friends you’re trying to save money.
Action 3: Avoid clothes shopping for six months.
Reward: One new handbag

Written by: Lesley Alderman

MY ACTION PLAN:

Whew... it took a while to make my Action Plan but I feel good about it.  It's all do-able!
To view my ACTION PLAN check out my new Page "2008 Resolutions".  I have listed my step-by-step plan for attaining each resolution or goal.

- N -

 

This is me ... beginning the New Year with "Ten on Tuesday"

What are your Top Ten New Year's Resolutions?

1. Live a healthier lifestyle. (eat better, move more)
   
2. Volunteer more - Audubon or elsewhere!
   
3. Write more letters & cards - less emails.
   
4. Spend more time with friends (become more social & outgoing)
   
5. Go to Disneyland with Jessica & Aidan this spring.
   
6. Scrapbook more (digitally & with paper).
7. Visit Katy in Kenya this summer!
   
8. Continue on my one-year "Tradition Building" mission.
9. Continue organizing the 2008 "Family Reunion"
   
10. Spend Less - save more!

WHAT'S ON YOUR LIST - COME ON, I KNOW YOU HAVE ONE!

This is me ... "Counting Down to 2008"

Another year has come & gone - in the Blink of an Eye and offered proof, yet again, that there are no truer words than, "the more things change ... the more they stay the same" ...

2007 in Review - The Short version ...       

Did anyone close to you give birth?  Yes!  My niece Jenny had a beautiful baby boy, Max, last May.  I will also cheat and say that my other niece, Sarah, had an adorable baby girl on December 30, 2006 (technically not this year ... but just by just a hair!).  My friend, Becky, also became a Grandma again & my neighbor, Claudia, had her first child (a son) last summer.

Did anyone close to you die last year?  I am blessed to say that nobody close to my heart or family died last year.

Did you visit any new or exciting places last year?  Well, no where exotic but I did go to Peoria, Arizona for Mariners Spring Training, Dallas, Texas - for MK Seminar.  I also went to Pullman, Wa. for WSU-Mom's Weekend - Spokane, WA with Mike & again on a road trip with Sand and Lake Chelan, WA.  And, of course,  several trips up to Canada.  Fun trips and good memories!

What would you like to have more of in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?  More time with Mike - just hanging out and taking oodles of day trips around Washington, Oregon, B.C. - anywhere within 3 days driving distance.  More exercise, more good friends & more adventure would be wonderful.  Oh yah, more memory cells would be nice too!

What would you like to have less of in 2008 that you had excess of in 2007? Fat cells, fatigue & dust bunnies!

What was your biggest achievement of the year? Humm, not sure -  Making a commitment to walk every Monday with Therese & keeping it was a big one for me and while we haven't walked every single Monday we walk fairly regularly - I'm proud of that.  Learning to "slow down" has also been a struggle & big achievement for me.  Surprise ... everything doesn't have to be done yesterday -

What was your biggest failure of the year? Not getting my weight & eating habits under control for sure!  That has plagued me for so many years - here's hoping 2008 will be the charm.

Did you suffer any major illness or injury? Just the "same old same old" - life goes on & it is what it is!

What was the biggest thing you bought in 2007? Our week long vacation to Mariners Spring Training for our anniversary.   

What did you get really, really excited about in 2007? My Mom's courageous & successful battle against breast cancer!  She is continuing to grow stronger & get healthier every day and that is my biggest and best blessing of last year!

What song will most remind you of 2007? Kenny Chesney's 'Don't Blink'.  I love that song & played it so many times.  Sometimes it makes me cry, sometimes it makes me smile and sometimes I just nod at the end of it.  I also love Dirks Bentley's "Long Trip Alone" and I Love, Love, Love Faith Hill & Tim McGraw's duet, "I need you".

What do you wish you'd done more of in 2007?  Exercise, scrapbook & volunteer more hours!

What do you wish you'd done less of in 2007? Spend less, worry less & sit on the computer  less.

What was your fashion find of 2007? Croc's & Pandora (thanks Jess for both)

What political issue(s) did you caught your eye in 2007?  Anything that came out of Bush's mouth - he might sound like a uneducated hick  - but he controls the "hand that rocks the cradle"!  Mr. Putin, Ms. Gregoire & anything environmental.

Who was the "Best New Person" that you met in 2007?  Carrie - I look forward to getting to know her better in 2008!  She is one of the nicest person I have ever met - very smart, very interesting & very kind!  Claudia too - she is my next door neighbor and after 5 years I have only just started to get to know her.  She is great and I look forward to getting to her & her husband, Tom better.


What was the funniest commercial of 2007?  I'd have to go with the Pillsbury Cookie Mix commercial where the little boy (with his hair sticking up) catches his Dad eating Santa's cookies & he freaks out because now, "Santa won't come".  Too Funny - that little boy is great.  I also like the Bud Light Beer commercial where the man & lady are driving down the road and come across the guy with a case of Bud Light and an axe and hitch hiking and the guy  the hitch hiker carrying the chain saw.  LOL

What did you fall in Love with last year? Blogging & Monday Morning Walkabouts. ( Can you believe that on December 20th my blog turned 1 year old).

What was your favorite TV show(s)? Top Chef, Project Runway, Supernatural, & Moonlight.

What was the best book(s) that you read in 2007? Gosh - there were several - Ishmael, Mountains Beyond Mountains, Three Cups of Tea & every book I was lucky enough to read to Aidan!

What was your favorite movie of 2007? Hands down  - "No Country for Old Men"

Who was your musical discovery(s) of the year?  Michael Bublé , Taylor Swift, Colbie Caillat & Joss
Stone.

The most surprising thing that happened to you in 2007?    I discovered a much deeper, stronger belief in God that I had ever believed possible - this year marks the beginning of a very quiet & spiritual journey that I will continue on for the rest of my life and while I do not kneel & pray within the walls of any particular Church - my faith is now a powerful and ever present force in my life.

 

Please Stay Safe & Sober tonight and if you do Drink - Don't Drive

Wishing everyone a Wonderful New Year full of Adventure & Good Luck! 

- N -