I.ROCK. One full Year Completed!

I completed something from beginning to end...(and beyond as I intend to continue this journey). I stuck with it.  Granted, there were some unique paths to get here but I GOT HERE.  Perhaps I'll make a book: "A Year in Review" type thing.  That might be for another day, but for now, without further adieu, my final 12 of 12 of 2012!  I'll also slip in... 

A Merry Christmas to All!

12.12.12

1. Rise and Shine!  My alarm is called Morning Madness although we really try to keep things calm.  Sometimes it is calm and sometimes it's not!
2. This is so how it goes in our house.  Satchel bounds down from his top bunk and Pres remains in bed for as Long As Possible. (Opposite on weekends however!)
3. Unfortunately my day was greeted with a migraine.  Thankfully I don't get them often but when I do it changes my day. :(  Tried to help get the kids off to school & then back to bed until I could sit up again. 
4. Migraine attire:  no makeup. soft, comfy clothes.
5. Migraine food:  crackers and...
6. Toxic Caffeine!
7. Winter Calendar ~ A tradition that the boys love!(and so do I!)
8. In today's door there was a trip to the Library!  We love outings!
9. Not Christmas books but Satchel has been waiting for his Guardian of Ga'Hoole books that he had on hold!
10. A calming hot chocolate bedtime snack.in our Winter mug.on our Christmas place-mat.  Mmmm.
11. Boys in bed. Time to relax near our beautiful Christmas Tree.
12. A little me time:  Holiday Toe Nails ~ I'm now ready for Christmas!

On the Eleventh Month of 2012 the camera gave to me...

...a houseful of boys!

It's Veterans Day and sadly I don't have one picture pertaining to veterans.  Not to say we don't have conversations about honoring those who serve our country.  In fact, we watched some incredible documentaries and we talk of such things not just on this day but random days when it's just time to think about others.  This day, as the boys were out of school, shows a lot of them for when they are home, little office work gets done and more hanging out with the boys happens. 

11.12.12

1. started the day with racquetball with the Dan Man
2. the boys sleep in and stay in pj's a bit longer today
3. teenage boy always plugged in!  BUT, I appreciate his help and taste in music
4. what the day looked like outside
5. homemade cream corn - why have i always bought it in a can?
6. lunch time with special stay at home plates
7. getting dinner ready
8. our thankful leaves on the wall.  we have kept some from every year and boy is it fun to see who's been around our table!  
9. a little work scheduling residencies
10. starting exciting projects for Dakota Plaeyrs
11. ending the night with some great reading!  Preston and I have started The Phantom Tollbooth
12. We Love It!

The Last Day of the Month

Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' 

Into the future 

It's the last day of the month for goodness sake and I am determined to get this DONE! The photos WERE INDEED taken on the 12th it's just taken me this long to get them HERE.  Please enjoy!

1. Packing lunches for Dylan for his many marching band competition trips.  He is a busy boy these days!
2. Waffles for breakfast
3. Look closely!  Baby Fish....lots and lots of Baby Fish!
4. Sometimes we are messy.
5. X is for Zebra - Dakota Players new show and it is Adorable!  We had a super great crew on board to create it!
6. Jen, our new Education and Outreach Director!  The team was at Satchel's school and Jen and I were there to help out.  
7. Getting Costumes ready
8. Eric getting the set ready
9. And it's up!  The beautiful set was designed and painted by Molly Wilson and Becky Moser.
10. The teachers gave me flowers after the show to thank us for coming to their school!...How Nice!
11. And no night is complete without a visit from the Tooth Fairy!  Preston lost a tooth DURING the show!
12. FINALLY relaxing in bed watching a little Tele after a super busy and long day.  Ahhhhhh.

  And it is DONE...with time to spare!

Back Home & Adjusting to a new schedule

   9.12.12

1. Breakfast for Dylan who has to be at Marching Band at 6:30am
2. Preston finishing breakfast, lunches packed
3. Lincoln Logs still on floor from last night
4. NINE inches cut off!
5. New favorite earrings from Custer!  Love. Them.
6. Office supplies can make me happy
7. Files Files who has the Files...back. to. work.
8. Dylan "working" next to me
9. The day is winding down, boys in bed.
10. Time to knit.  Ahhh
11. Dan relaxing and working.
12. BEDTIME.

IT'S ABOUT TIME!

The Great Outdoors

8.12.12

1. Pres & Satch on the new roof of Ding Lee.
2. Cousin Jon and the boys.
3. Going for a morning hike before brunch.  Jon, Satch, Pres & Linda
4. Linda & Pres trying to identify birds with the help of the Bird Book
5. A hole in a tree.
6. Two beautiful Forest Flowers.  Daisy and Preston
7. Sisters!  I love that Linda!
8. Hiking through the rocks
9. Skipping rocks at the lake
10. At the top of the dam...that was dry
11. Climbing the rock wall
12. BRUNCH BY MYRNA!

Summer Time

7.12.12    

1. Stephen Landon.  Amazing friend & artist.  I will always miss him and am so glad I knew him.
2. Knowledge Blocks:  new programming at the BHP for company members.  I'm very proud of this  program.  Yoga with Patricia was offered and I so enjoyed it.  It might have even changed my life.
3. Maggie Rose-beautiful young lady who've we've known since she was tiny.
4. Hannah Breen...another beautiful young lady who worked magic on the kids in camp keeping them busy having fun.
5. Dylan Romeo and Kristy Bauer - coworkers!
6. The cash register. They Worked!  I spent much time programming them.
7. Popcorn - mmmm.
8. Choreographed some dances in The Three Muskateers.  I loved working on that show!
9. Pretty ice from the ice machine.  Ice is very important in the middle of summer and it's pretty how it forms in sheets!
10. Banking out each night after the show.
11. SNACKS!  A wonderful gathering of the company after each show. "Hungry, Hungry we're all hungry.  Snack Bar Beckons here we come..."
12. Kids playing on the dirt pile...where all the cool kids hang out!

Living in a Forest

 The Black Hills Playhouse is where Dan and I met 20 years ago.  Needless to say it's a very special place for us.  We feel so lucky to be able to share our passions for life, art & love with so many as we all pass through this magical place.

We also don't have steady, reliable internet connection there.  No cell service, no tvs and sometimes no time to do things such as blogging.  It's an adjustment when nowadays everyone is so used to being "connected" at all times.  Can I tell you, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!  It can be frustrating but at the same time it's freeing.  It reminds you there is life without a phone in your hand. Very important lessons for all!
   
        6.12.12

1. View from our window every single morning.
2. Satchel snoozing the morning away as we leave for staff meeting.
3. Preston sleeping on his Bunny. 
4. Where we live.  Our door is the one on the right. The chairs are what we call our "living room" or "common area".
5. The kids of camp playing volleyball before lunch.  
6. Cousins!  We get to hang out with the Anderson Clan.  Dylan and Jake (& Linda) were roommates all summer. Quality cousin time!
7. Dan Dan the Workin' Man!
8. Forest Flowers.  Ahhhh.
9. Katie Bauer and Preston = same age, great buddies!
10. Mmmmm, cookies in the Snack Bar!
11. The Black Hills Playhouse Cafe.
12. Otis Spunkmeyer COOKIES!!

It's About Time...

It's about time on so many levels.  Time passes quickly.  Time runs out.  Time keeps moving.  Time stands still.  I don't always know what to think of Time.  The older I get the more important that time is.  That's also why I love this project.  I love being able to look back to a moment in time.  Just a typical day time. 

So now to catch up on the 12 on 12...

Our summers are lovely & chaotic all at once.  We disappear to the Beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota.  The Black Hills Playhouse in Custer State Park to be exact.  Getting everything ready to go is crazy.  School is ending which takes us to many concerts and gatherings, we have to get the house ready for  our summer dwellers and get us packed up.  In the midst of this chaos landed the 12th of May...

        5.12.12

1. Planning outfits for the summer.  We have VERY limited space where we live in the Hills so we take ONLY what's needed.
2. Of course on the weekend the sink gets clogged and no matter how we try to fix it, it results in a plumber visiting.  He was very nice and we were very thankful. 
3. My very first Groupon for a free session at Dakota Stained Glass!
4. A tulip plate is what I get to make!  It was great fun!  I so seldom just go and do something for myself and by myself.  
5. My Tulip Plate is ready to bake!  This journey took me back to my childhood where our neighbors Dorothy & Grant Larson did stained glass work.  Such special people that I sadly lost touch with as they moved to a different part of town and i moved into adolescence.  Special memories though.
6. The swing set we got from some of our new neighbors.  How nice is that?  
7. Flourishing plants in our yard!
8. Stunning green - I love plants!
9. Rock landscaping.  The previous owners really did some nice things!
10. Red Flowers!  More yard plants.  
11. Blocking Scripts for our employees.  Pretty colors, huh?
12. Some Serious Legos with some Silly Boys.

Some Days are Just Like That.

It was a dark and stormy day.  The wind was a blowin, the trees were a shakin' and I was late getting out the door.


Ok, ok, so it was actually a beautiful spring day with a light to moderate rain.  But it started out a little rough...and then got better...and then got rough...and then got better...and ended with a splendid calm.  Some days are just like that.


4.12.12

1. test.  stayed up till 2am studying and by george i think i failed it.  seriously.it.was.hard.  these are the days i question going back to school BUT, it's not about being perfect. i have learned stuff. moving on.
2. a messy work space.  when one comes back from failing a test, one can never really be happy in their messy space.  rough energy, soooo...
3. culvers for lunch!  sad to say, but it was delicious and it made things better.  i know! i know!  that's called emotional eating but fast food made for an attitude adjustment and a more productive afternoon!
4. it's also hard being six sometimes.  he had to put on his own jacket and open his own car door and carry in his own backpack and then wait for me to help him get his shoes untied from the double knots. (which were actually like 50 knots!)
5. getting brighter! how can you stay in a bad mood when you're greeted by  SPRING FLOWERS!
6. and the trees are blooming.  our neighborhood has beautiful white, pink and purple trees - lovely!
7. snowing?  no.  but that moderate rain I spoke of earlier made it look like snow at times.  the white tree all over our driveway...and still beautiful.
8. allergies.  with all the wonders of spring comes miserable allergies for the little guy and they hit harder than usual this year. morning noon and night meds.
9. fun people.  Erin our Tour Manager doing some *fun* filing when greeted by Satch.  We love Erin!
10. to cut it all off or not to cut? that is the question.  
11. pudding cake for bedtime snack!  first time trying it and i believe they liked it.  we used color changing pudding though and it ended up green, kind of looking like slime on the cake...awesome!
12. People are Nice.  People Love Me.  I Love Them.  And The World is Good. My niece who is more like a cool, hip little sister made this for me.  She'll never know how much this means to me and Look Its Hanging On The Wall! 

My night couldn't have ended any better!

The Ides of March...or a little later.

Ok.  Here we are.  And look what day it is!  My calendar is full, which is good, but that sometimes makes it difficult to get to everything.  


But Never Fear, The Twelfth Was Here!...and here are the pictures to prove it!


3.12.12

1. My lovely Satchel Cade. matter of fact. literal. punctual. responsible. loving. and laughs till he cries. 
2. Grey Converse All Stars.  This kid (Satchel) is right out of the 1950's.
3. Dad & Mom heading home to Pierre after a delightful stay.  Just can't get enough of these people.  We love them so.
4. Having Milk and Oreos with my Honey!...I love that mug...and that man!
5. A favorite place mat. Textures are great!Wish I had made it but I bought it.
6. What's left of our Chalk Obstacle Course after a heavy rain.
7. Our New House.  We love it here!
8. After school routine:  Yogurt Supreme, spelling words and reading.  I love spending this time with them.
9. Another FAVORITE time of mine. Dylan playing piano as I cook dinner.  
10.  I never want it to end.
11.  Monday night at the Mall! We go to the play area while Dylan goes to his piano lessons. Always new friends to be had!
12.  My Text Book. Holding My Homework. For My Finance Class. Makes My Head Spin. I Love It.

That Second Month

So I thought I was late for a very important date, but looking at the date of my last post, I'm right on time!

Another exciting month gone.  In a blink.  Makes my head spin.  BUT, thanks to the SuperWoman
Ms. Laura helping my Oblivious Mind, I got my 12 on 12 done!  The day was busy, slightly blurry and was gone with only 12 topics so here we have it...

2.12.12

1. To start the day with coffee and yoda I like.  Yes, hmmm.
2.  Sunday Morning.  a favorite.  mom got me watching it and i always think of her when we're watching it every sunday morning. and then I call her to discuss what we just watched.
3.  Whitney Houston.  a Huge musical influence growing up.  what passion.  what a voice.
4. Legos.  this i'm sure will be in every month as it occurs every day.  they didn't even have time to get dressed before playing.
5.  Strawberries.  preston and i could live on strawberries dipped in chocolate!
6.  Valentines.  for a boy we don't even know fighting cancer who can't go to his class party due to the fear of getting sick.  i had sent one to the little boy and was telling satchel and preston about it and they too wanted to send some.  awwwww.
7.  Dirty Dishes mulitiply.  the story goes like this.  i saw a few dirty dishes in the sink and thought to myself "if i quick do these dishes ALL of the dishes in the house will be clean for at least a moment!"  so clean them i did...and then turned around to see this pile on another counter snickering at me with the cascade.
8.  Veggie Pizza & Wine.  nothing better.
9.  Reuter.  a great friend visiting.
10.  Boys...playing with their toys. "...and then it does this...and then it does this...and Look!  it can do this!"
11.  Treats for Creativity.  which leads us to number 12
12.  X is for Zebra.  readthru #2 of the new children's theatre script.  we have cool jobs.

A Great Day to Start

So here I start again.  And this time I have it all under control.  For the moment.  I'm going to start simple - maybe stay simple - maybe get crazy.  One never knows.  

I'm starting a second blog only because I couldn't figure out how to get in and manage my old blog which consisted of a whole 2 posts!  So here I start again.

12/12.  I call it 12 on 12.  My fine Niece,  who feels more like a super hip cool little sister than a Niece has turned me onto this simple, manageable, delightful challenge of documenting a day (the 12th) with pictures (12 total) of my life.  I can so do this! I can't get fancy yet but hold on to your hats because I'm sure fancy is right around the corner!  For now, enjoy my 12 on 12!
1.12.12

1. Dylan came home sick from school yesterday.  Headache, sore throat, body aches.  Dan & I woke up to the same thing so together started our day with pain relief.
2. The aforementioned sickness calls for a strong dose of OJ...for the entire family!
3. Department of Labor.  I can handle the Department of Labor when it involves giving birth.  When it comes to reporting statistics and I have to re do it THREE times because the website is picky, I almost can't handle it.  But I do. And the report has been successfully submitted.
4. The sky and trees. Ahhh.
5. Coupons & Sales.  LOVE THEM.
6. A pantry starting to fill up!  We must be settling in to our new home.
7. Dylan at his 'new' 'desk' which used to be a typewriter table of Grandma Workmans.  We are very good at recycling!
8. Satchel reading the Harry Potter series for the 2nd time.  He sees & hears nothing when reading.
9. Preston playing Legos...every day...he loves them.
10. The time & temp.  It's time to start dinner and it's cold.
11. Soup it is!  A good hearty pasta soup!
12. Homemade donuts.  Got the recipe off Pinterest - it's dangerously easy and dangerously delicious!  Preston's first taste of donuts!  He loved them.  Maybe more pics of that later...

So here I start again!