Fashion Shoot

Spent the day with the girls taking "fashion" pictures.  They were very creative and we got some good ones.

Michele

Michele is on bed rest following her IVF implantation...not supposed to be up for three days. She's 42 and they've been trying for about 6 years.   (Edit:  On New Year's Eve they found out she is pregnant...yippee, hooray, yahoo!!!)

Abby's 9th Birthday

Exactly what she wanted...soooooooooo cute...the girl and the bike!

Happy New Year

Still very cold here. The snow from New Year's Eve is still on the ground...melting slowly. Jessica has moved into the basement apartment...probably here for a couple of months while she gets a job and finds a place to live. Here are some more pictures from Christmas. Michele and Emma.

Emma and Abby helping dad get the sugar on the creme brulee...his world famous Christmas Eve dessert...well, if it isn't world famous, it should be...absolutely the best I've ever tasted.

Will and Abby.

This year's Rock-Paper-Scissors winner...Stef...first female winner...yea!

Year 2 - January 1

Happy New Year! Lots of thoughts about things I'd like to do differently...we'll see. Emma and Abby with their calendars...I give them one every year.

These pictures are from the 2010 annual Haines Christmas party. Lots of fun!

Rock-paper-scissors is a game we play every year...we even have a trophy now...I'll put that on tomorrow.

Day 357 - 365

As I looked back over my first year as a blogger, I was VERY prolific in the beginning, then pooped out at the end. Even so, it was fun to look back. I'm hoping...no, let's say planning...on being here more often in 2011.

I've had these carolers for about 20 years...love them.

Emma and Abby with one of their big "wants"...a stand-up mike and sparkly costumes.

Took this on a walk through one of our local "natural" areas.

New Year's Day in Fort Collins.

Goodbye 2010...hello 2011...can't wait to see what develops!

Day 355 - 356

Michele came by and we went walking around the lake at City Park. LOTs of geese...I think they're from Canada and we're one of the first warm...well, warmer than Canada...places they stop. In fact, that's one of the signs fall is coming...you hear the geese as they fly in.

There was something about these bushes that said, "Take a picture".

Day 352 - 354

I HATE to walk...hate it, hate it, hate it. I know it's good for me...that I'll sleep better...and I keep trying positive thinking...I love it, I love it, I love it...nope, doesn't work. So now I'm trying walking in new and different places...and taking my camera...maybe this will help.

Here's my first expedition...to a natural area just a couple miles from my house. This lady is waiting for snow so she can hitch up her team and go sledding...sounds like fun!

I keep trying to take "photographer's" pictures...they seldom turn out like I'd hoped...maybe practice will make me better.

Day 351

Wow...publishing two days in a row...this is exciting. More cards for the Veterans Hospital.

Day 348 - 350

Okay...I think this is going to work better...writing in the morning instead of at night. Now that the summer market is over and I have no place to sell my cards, donating them seemed like a good idea...c'mon Jacque, it would be a good idea year round. So these are going to the local veterans hospital. And a confession would be a good idea at this point...I really don't have many original ideas for cards...I wander around the Internet and see cards I like and then I copy them...maybe not exactly but pretty close. So, a HUGE thank you to all the talent that inspires me.

Day 306 - 347

The original goal of this blog was to create a record I could look back on in 10 years. Well, I certainly haven't done a very good job...huge holes in the record. I tried putting pieces of paper all over the house so I'd have a place to record my thoughts during the day and then put them here...guess what, I don't have that many thoughts because I haven't written a single word anywhere.

So, now I'm going to start writing here in the morning instead of at night...we'll see how that goes. Winter pictures.

This adorable trio is me and two Carol's. We decided to be in the Senior Follies so we chose Singin in the Rain, created a tap dance and voila...Broadway here we come. Had a great time! And if you're REALLY interested, here's the link to our video on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXTk-XLSmjw

Day 287 - 305

Every time I get back here, I'm amazed at how much time has gone by. How do those people do it who post almost every day? And I know they have busier lives than I do....hmmmmmmmmm, a mystery.

Fall has finally arrived here in Fort Collins. We had such a nice warm fall that the trees were stubbornly remaining green. But now color has arrived and it's beautiful.

This is the tree in my front yard...it's the tallest one on the street and I just love it...except when ALL these leaves fall.

Day 264 - 286

This post is going to start with the most recent happenings and go backwards...just the opposite of what I usually do because that's the way I loaded the pictures.

My sister, Karen, and I just took a GREAT camping trip to southern Colorado...Durango, Silverton, Aspen, etc to see the fall colors. Spectacular...wow...awesome!! If you've never taken a fall vacation in an area where the leaves change colors, I urge you to do it at your earliest convenience. These pictures are VERY poor substitutes for the original.

We took the Durango/Silverton train...great fun. We went ATV riding...a first for me...sometimes fun...sometimes scarry. We camped out in my camper...roasted hot dogs over the campfire, laid on the picnic table and marveled at the stars, and played lots and lots of games. A terrific time and I will definitely be going somewhere next autumn.

Brianne had her baby September 16...Rilee Allen Simmons. I suggested that that spelling will lead people to think she had a girl when in fact she had a boy. Whatever...he's adorable and mom and baby are doing great.

The last French Nest in 2010 is in 10 days. My vacation burned up several of my "getting ready" days...but it was sooooooooooo worth it. Here are a couple of fall notebooks.

And here are a couple of new cards.