Another Year

When I started this project back in 2010, I thought it would be fun to try it for a year and then I'd move on.  The end of the year rolled around, and I figured I had come so close - only missing four days - that I might as well try again.  2011 came and went, and I missed just one day, so I thought: why not give it one more shot?

And I did it!  In 2012 I managed to take at least one picture every single day.  I may not have done the best job keeping the blog current, but I never missed a day, and I'm very proud of myself for that.

So, now that I've successfully met my goal, is the project over?

No way!  I've discovered that not only am I addicted to it, but I now have a fabulous record of the day-to-day goings on of my family for the last three years.  And that's priceless.

Who knows what 2013 will bring, but whatever it does, you can bet I'll have pictures of it!

If you're interested in joining me in this project (and don't feel like you've missed out if you didn't start on Jan. 1.  Pick any date and start there!  The point is to take pictures for 365 consecutive days, not necessarily a calendar year), feel free to stop by the Project 365 Central blog and get started!

Day 366: Fun with Old Friends

December 31

We got together with a group of Chris's old friends this afternoon (well,  now they're my friends, too!)  Vicki and Elani have been friends since Elani was born, and the two of them (and Elani's little sisters) had a great time playing Just Dance 4.

Day 365: Creationary

December 30

We got this fantastic game for Christmas and tried it out tonight with my parents.  Definitely a keeper!

Day 364: Skiing!

December 29

This girl loves to ski.  All three did great and had a blast.

Day 363: Cousins Again!

December 28

These three have a blast playing together whenever we visit.

Day 362: Snowman

December 27

The girls built this little guy as soon as the snow started to fall on Christmas Eve.  He has since been covered in even more snow, but I think it just adds to his cuteness.

Day 361: My Favorite Gift

December 26

You may have to enlarge the picture to be able to read it, but this is part of the girls' gift to me.  Vicki went through my blog and found some of the most absurd phrases to have ever come out of my mouth.  I plan to frame this for my desk.

Day 360: Merry Christmas!

December 25

It was a very happy Christmas, and that 20-hour drive was definitely worth it.  We even got a robot.  It was, in theory, for the girls, but this picture is a pretty good indication of who is really enjoying it.

Day 359: Christmas Eve Cousins

December 24

These girls spent the whole of Christmas Eve dinner trying to be as fancy as possible.  They put their napkins in their laps, drank with their pinkies out, and used all the correct utensils, in the correct order.

Day 358: Finally Almost There!

December 23

Even though we still had over three hours to go at this point, I have never been so happy to see this sign in my life.  20 hours is WAY too much time to spend in a car over the course of just two days.

Day 357: On the Road

December 22

This picture was taken 3 hours into what was supposed to be a 12-hour drive.  Two minutes after I took it, I realized that we'd left ALL the girls' presents at home.  The 12-hour drive turned into a 20-hour overnight adventure for Chris & me, but fortunately Uncle Blaine & Aunt Mel were only an hour ahead of us in their drive down from Seattle, so after several frantic phone calls we were able to hand the girls off to them before heading back to Portland.  If you haven't already, you can read the (very long) full version of the story here.

Day 356: Blue Screen of Death

December 21

Despite packing like a madwoman and spending a fun-filled evening with friends, this is the only picture I took.  I was not pleased to see this when I walked into the office.  Hopefully this won't cost us.

Day 355: Now the Waiting Begins...

December 20

Today I dropped off the first of a handful of applications to nursing programs.  Fingers crossed!

Day 354: Surprise!

December 19

Lexi and three of her friends showed up in their PJs this morning to surprise their friend Anya for a 10th birthday pancake breakfast.

Day 353: Food Drive

December 18

This is a terrible picture, but it's the best from today.  Our school has a food drive each year, and the amount of food that is donated is truly amazing.  At the end of the food drive, a "store" is set up in the cafeteria, and families can come "shop" for food to help tide them over during the holidays.  I love our little community and the selfless efforts that are made to help others.

Day 352: Hopes, Wishes, and Prayers

December 17

These "hope, wish, prayer flags" were made by the children at the girls' elementary school and will be sent to Sandy Hook Elementary.

Day 351: Pants

December 16

I proudly wore pants to church today.

If you don't understand why this is a big deal, see here and then here.

Day 350: Piano Showcase

December 15

I was busy with the video camera when Vicki was playing, but here is my dear friend Rachel playing a duet with her son Daniel.

Day 349: December in Portland

December 14

You need a parka and an umbrella.

Day 348: Another Christmas Concert

December 13

Vicki has been busy this year.  Here she is with her middle school choir.

Day 347: Christmas Can-Can

December 12

Ellie and friends practicing their dance one final time before this weekend's performance.  They danced to this song, which is pretty hilarious and also a royal pain in the neck to get out of your head.

Day 346: Caroling

December 11

As part of their community service, Vicki and her NJHS friends went caroling at a local retirement center.

Day 345: Colorful Street

December 10

Our trees seem to change later than all the rest, so we get to enjoy fall colors a little bit longer.

Day 344: Sisters

December 9

Most of the time it's like this.

Day 343: Concert

December 8

Vicki's school choir, along with the high school choirs, was invited to sing with pianist Michael Allen Harrison at his annual "Coming Home" concert. Vicki is the shorter of the two girls in white behind the piano.

Day 342: That Time of Year

December 7

This is a frequent sight around here in November and December.

Day 341: Bookish Presents

December 6

A pile of presents at my book club's (second) annual Christmas gift exchange.

Day 340: Tin Man

December 5

One of the ornaments we brought home from our friend's party.

Day 339: Bees?

December 4

I would like to know if this is true, but I'm not brave enough to lift the lid.  Are there really live bees in WinCo?

Day 338: Her Rolling Pin

December 3

I opened the drawer to put away some cookie cutters, and this is what I found.

Day 337: New Toy

December 2

I got an early Christmas present this year - a new laptop for my schoolwork!

Day 336: Party Time

December 1

Our friend Margo throws an ornament exchange party every year.  Despite all the fantastic food and good friends, the only picture I took is this one of her explaining the rules for the exchange.  We came home with ornaments shaped like the White Rabbit (from Alice in Wonderland) and the Tin Man.

Day 335: "Slumber" Party

November 30

We finally got around to celebrating Vicki's birthday with her friends.  This is a great group of girls, even if they were up 'til 4:00 in the morning.

Day 334: Band Concert

November 29

We attended Vicki's first band concert of the year this evening.  I took a few shots of the band playing, but none really turned out.  However, I also took this picture of Ellie plugging her ears during the opening number.  I guess it was too loud for her...

Day 333: Waiting in Line

November 28

The girls are forever rearranging this Nativity set.  I like how, in this arrangement, everyone is waiting in line to meet the Christ child.

Day 332: Shopping

November 27

During Lexi's dance class, Ellie loves to walk over to Whole Foods and push a little cart around for awhile.

Day 331: Bike in the Back

November 26

This bike probably has well over 10,000 miles on it, so every once in a while it needs a little bit of work.  We have a rack on the car, but I can't get it up or down from there, so when I pick it up from the shop, into the back it goes.

Day 330: Book Tower

November 25

So many books, so little time.

Day 329: Dinner

November 24

The girls asked if they could make dinner tonight, so we turned them loose in the kitchen.  The end result: pasta with Alfredo sauce, peaches and raspberry cream with raspberries and blueberries, and "fancy" drinks made of strawberry nectar with cream, raspberries, and blueberries (can you tell what fruit we had in the freezer?)  It was not bad.

Day 328: Video Chat from the Future

November 23

Uncle Britton moved to Australia, which puts him 18 hours ahead of us.

Day 327: Thanksgiving Tradition

November 22

Every year we go bowling in between the turkey and the pie.  This year we were joined by Blaine and Mel, and our friends the Grobeys.

Day 326: Best Mom Ever

November 21

No school today means no morning rush, which means there was time to bake banana chocolate chip muffins.  Which makes me, at least in my daughters' eyes (at least for today), the best mom ever.

Day 325: To the Beat of Her Own Drum

November 20

I love that the one piece of artwork framed differently from all the rest belongs to my kid.

Day 324: Apples to Apples

November 19

There's nothing like a family game night.

Day 323: More Choir Practice

November 18

Singing the Hallelujah Chorus is one of the highlights of the Christmas season for me.

Day 322: Twoo Wuv

November 17

I'm re-reading this right now for my book club next month.  I love revisiting old friends.

Day 321: Her Gallery

November 16

Lexi brought home a stack of artwork from school and hung it all up in the hallway.

Day 320: Clara Bear

November 15

Ellie loves this giant bear that stands guard where Vicki has piano lessons.

Day 319: Helper

November 14

Ellie's been helping me with my once-a-week morning crosswalk duty.  Mostly she just swings the flag around and whacks me in the head with it, but she feels helpful, and that's the most important thing.

Day 318: Ready

November 13

I'm loving my new job!  I tutor four kids in reading, one-on-one, three mornings a week.  It's fun and challenging, and perfect for a mom/student.

Day 317: Farm for Sale

November 12

We're trying to downsize a little bit and get rid of things that are just taking up space, so the girls and I spent the afternoon taking pictures of all of our Little People playsets so I could post them on Craigslist.  It's a little sad to let these things go, but they're just collecting dust here.  Time to move on to other children who will love them as much as mine did!