Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Project Life 1/30-2/12 2011

In the spirit of "keepin' it real" here... I've got to admit: this winter has been hard for me.  While I have still been able to tend to my responsibilities, I have really felt like I was dragging myself through my days and had very little interest in even the things that I typically *love* doing like photography, sewing and garden planning.  Still I persevered and for the most part continued working on those things that I always tell other people that they should be doing when they are "down" like exercising, getting plenty of rest, spending time in God's Word, listing my blessings, etc.  All to little avail many days. 

When our oldest married daughter Micah fell at the beginning of January and fractured her arm in multiple places lab work revealed that she was very low on vitamin D.  As you are probably aware, low vitamin D can cause bones to be more fragile.  Hmmmm, I thought, "I wonder what my vitamin D level is?"  Last summer I spent many, many weeks (actually almost 3 months) on crutches trying to get a stress fracture in my hip to heal.  I finally ended up having three screws placed in my femur to stabilize my hip.  I had my vitamin D level checked and (surprise!), my vitamin D level was very low as well!  Turns out that in addition to bone weakness, one of the side effects of having not enough vitamin D is depression.

Now that I have been supplementing with extra vitamin D for the past month I am beginning to feel better.  (I think the warmer weather we are having this week doesn't hurt either!) Moral of the story~ those of us in the Northern hemisphere are very prone to having inadequate levels of vit D.  If in doubt, have some lab-work done.  Here are two very helpful articles about non-synthetic sources of vitamin D.  Click here or here.

Still totally enjoying my Project Life album this year.  Two more jam-packed weeks have passed since I last posted pages from my album.  We had several visits with dear friends, a real-deal blizzard, a road trip, some fabulous long runs with Tom (in spite of the cold and snow), and lots and lots of everyday life crammed in there too~ whew!

Here are photos of the pages for those two weeks.  Some of the photos are blurry, in some the color isn't right, etc, but they all tell a story.  And that is what I am primarily looking for.  Life is what it is here.  If I wait until I have all of the photo taking skills, the beautiful handwriting and Lightroom expertise that I desire, life will continue to zip by and I'll miss so, so much.  I am learning to embrace what "is" and go with it.

The Lord is so, so good to us.  How very quickly I'll forget if I don't document the everyday here.

First up: the week of Jan 30- Feb.5.

Not only was this a fun week due to visiting with some dear friends, but it was an exciting week as we experienced a "real" blizzard this year here.  The 12" of snow that we received was so fun!  Plus our older boys were able to go out and shovel driveways.  They love helping other people and earning money that way.
 Here's a closeup of the left side....
 And the right side.
Here's the week of Feb. 6-12.  This was another full week~ several visits with some dear friends who are now missionaries in Fiji~ home on furlough. Honestly I think I take super-goofy pictures, but hey, it is what it is, so I went ahead and enlarged the photo of Amanda and I and slipped it in an 8 1/2" x 11" page protector.  On the other side I added some journaling including some thoughts about our friendship with those good friends.
 Here's the left side of that spread.
And the right.
When the page with the enlarged photo is turned, this is what you see.  Yep, we have our first batch of baby Nubian goats for 2011!  Such cuties!  Love this time of year~ not only for the chances for the children to pitch in and help, but also for the extra fresh organic milk!  Yummy!
 The journaling....

I've heard from several friends recently that they are beginning their Project Life and/or their Thankfulness Journal!  I *so* appreciate hearing that.  You will *love*, *love*, *love* having those to look back on.  I promise!

Enjoying the warmer weather here,



Linking up with...


10 comments:

  1. Hello, so glad all of you are doing good and enjoyed the blizzard. This winter is crazy for everyone this year. I actually want sprint to come this year. Love all your snowy pictures and love little lambs. Thank you so much about the vitamin d information, didn't know about that. I have started a thankful/art journal and sometimes forget to put something in it till I'm already in bed, need to make the time. Thank you for sharing your beautiful family with us. Have a good week, love the blog header hope spring comes.

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  2. I love all your pages. I think the realness of the pictures just adds to the realness of your life :-)

    Love the journal. I though you hand wrote all that!! I thought 'wow!! beautiful writing!"

    What a fun time with friends and sharing memories~

    I love my week in the life, even if I only did one week I cherish that now that John is overseas. It was YOU who sparked the idea~ Thank you~

    ~Cinnamon

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  3. I can't wait, it comes tomorrow!!! Your picture inspire and help the recovering perfectionist in me see just how someone else does it.

    Do you write on your cards and the back of that 8x10 or type. It looks so neat!

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  4. Lovely. Thanks for sharing the pics, and your heart. Vitamin D. I think I will look into that.
    Take care and know that God loves you so dearly and so intimately. He cares, he listens, he knows. He replaces our burdens with his joy. I'm learning this too. God bless!

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  5. Susan, You are such an encouragement to me! I have started a Thankful journal and I so love it! It is fun to decorate and to write down all the ways that the Lord has blessed me.

    I would love to start Project Life, but life seems to busy to start. I know that is the very reason to do it, so I can document all that is going on. Right now it just seems like "one more thing"! Maybe soon. Plus I am one of those people "if you can't do it right, don't do it at all (and in this case I can't start at the beginning of January). So who knows. maybe I will let go of my perfectionism and start in the middle of the year.

    I was pleasantly surprised to see a photo of you and the visiting missionary. I spoke with her at church a few weeks ago and had one of their sweet boys in my Sunday School class. He was a real blessing.
    Love, Kathy

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  6. ~Dawn... Hey there! You'll *love* your thankfulness journal~ so glad that you are working on that. Even if you don't get to it every day you'll still cherish those things you do list.

    ~Cinnamon~ LOL! Yep, not my handwriting~ it is a free font called Ali's hand from CK media (it is Ali Edward's handwriting)~ if anyone is interested, just Google it. Enjoy your new little snuggle-buggle for me, ok?

    ~Michelle, as I mentioned above, it's not my handwriting on the back of the large pic, it's a free font. I'd have to practice that a lot!

    ~Pam~ thanks, friend. {{{{hugs}}}} to you too!

    ~Kathy~ I didn't know that you know the Balls too~ how fun! I think you are right about PL~ I know that I'd enjoy looking back on my PL album from last year no matter what month it started in! You'll love having it to look back on~ seriously *love* it!

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  7. Just got caught up with you Susan! What great information you provided about Vitamin D...thank you!! :)

    Your project life albums are looking beautiful!! Well done! :)

    Many blessings,
    Camille

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  8. what a great way to document your life! so glad you found the vitamin D 'secret'...i discovered that two years ago, when i was so down and tired and couldn't figure out where I had disappeared too....hope your foot heals up quickly! darci :)(found you off another blog, off another..you know how it goes. :)

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  9. Hey There, Darci! It's amazing the difference a lack of "little ol' Vit. D" can make! I appreciate your encouraging comments~ welcome and glad that you stopped by!

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  10. Hey There, Darci! It's amazing the difference a lack of "little ol' Vit. D" can make! I appreciate your encouraging comments~ welcome and glad that you stopped by!

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