30 June 2012

Jack Richard...

On June 28, my sister and her husband welcomed their sweet baby boy into the world.

8 pounds 1 oz.
21 inches long.



(these top three pics were jacked from the hospital's image gallery)

I am now the VERY proud auntie to little Jack Richard.


Check out his hair!!  He was born a rockstar :)  
We are all so smitten with this little guy.  He already has my heart.
Amelia loves her new little cousin...


I am so proud of my sister.  She looked so beautiful and strong, and amazing when it was all said and done.   I am so proud to be her sister.
What a blessed little addition to our family.

xo
janel


Prompt 30


It's the last day. sad face.
I have had such an amazing time journaling with you all throughout this challenge.  I have really enjoyed the new friendships made, the inspiration, and the wonderful journals that we have all created together this summer. This is just the best part of having a blog you know?, all of these new friends.

Journal Prompt:  Today's prompt is all about saying thank you.  Think specifically about this past month and someone who deserves a big thank you for something that they have done for you.

My Page:

My page is dedicated to all of you for everything that you have done this past month during this challenge.
Thank you all for everything.

xo
janel

29 June 2012

Prompt 29


Hello friends!!
Thank you so much for your patience today and yesterday during our very exciting days :)
We have a very healthy and happy and ADORABLE new addition...Jack Richard!!  I will be sharing some photos of him soon.  Here is today's prompt!

Journal Prompt:  What are some of your goals for July?  Remember to make about 3-5 attainable goals.  I can't believe it's almost July already!

My Page:



I had written out a list of goals that I had for July on the back of a piece of "junk mail" and had been carrying it around in my bag for about a week.  I then decided that I wanted a more permanent place for my list of goals so I created a pretty page and taped it in!!!

xo
janel

28 June 2012

Prompt 28



Good Morning Friends!!!
My sister is in labor as we speak so I did not get my page photographed yet and I have to run out the door. I did want to sneak over here quickly and give you the prompt so that you would have it today. I will be back later with my journal page...promise!!

Journal Prompt:  Today I want you to make a list of 10 journal prompts that you could possibly use in your journal, after this class is over.  This is a tricky prompt :)  Sometimes it is really hard to come up with journaling prompts on your own so I think this will be a good way to get our minds ready for it.

If you come up with some really good ones, feel free to share them in the comments section on this post!!  That way we can give ideas to our friends who are having trouble coming up with some.
Alright, Im off to the hospital.  Keep my sweet sister and her family in your thoughts today!!!  Thanks!
xo
janel

27 June 2012

Prompt 27


Raise your hand if you are going to keep up with the journaling, even after this challenge is over?
I know I am!  Another cool thing to note is that I have done this challenge the past 2 years as well so there are many more prompts to find on this blog if you look into the archives :) That way, if you need the prompts to stay motivated, you have them!!!

Journal Prompt:  What is something that touched your heart today?

My Page:


I have heard this song many many times and each time I hear it, it almost makes me cry.  This song really speaks to my heart, especially this line.  It's so true and beautiful and it makes my heart happy. 

xo
janel

26 June 2012

Prompt 26


Good Morning Sunshines :)  Day 26 is here, and that means that this is our last week together for the challenge.  Crazy!!!
Are you ready?

Journal Prompt:  This is another oldie but goodie.  Journal about your day.  Illustrate it, write it out...whatever.  Sometimes even the little mundane details of your day are just as special to document and commit to memory. 

My page:


I actually created my page Sunday night when I was sitting at my desk.  This is my normal journaling routine a lot of the time.  I like capturing all of these small moments.  Adam left for Massachusetts on Sunday so I had the whole day with my girl :)  There was lots of snuggling and playing involved.
Alright, happy journaling!!

xo
janel

25 June 2012

Prompt 25


So, you all have been inspiring me so much with your pages that I have been really trying a lot of new things in my journals!!  Today I used a lot of watercolor paints due to all of the watercolor painting I have seen in our little Flickr group!! You all rock!!!

Journal Prompt:  "My wish for you..."  We all have dreams for our children, significant others, friends, and family.  Some of these wishes we can share with them while others we keep silent.  Today you are going to write out your wish for a specific person in your life.  You can be vague and keep in anonymous, or you can wish it out loud for them to see.  It's up to you!!

My page:

This is my wish for my sweet little Amelia.   This little blessing is so special and amazing and my wish for her is that she will always know that.  I can't wait for her to read this someday :)

xo
janel

P.S. Don't forget to vote :) All it takes it two little clicks. Click To Vote For Us @ the Top Baby Blogs Directory! The most popular baby blogs

24 June 2012

my rock collection


Adam and I have made it a goal this summer to walk, as a family, every night that we can.  These walks have quickly become our favorite time of the day. 


We have started a tradition to where we pick up a rock every time we walk together.  I have a huge antique jar that we are collecting these rocks in.


One of the rules is that we can't pick up the rock until the very last lap of our walk so that we HAVE to keep walking :)  Adam made that rule up, he's a smart cookie.


I love this tradition and I LOVE the collection that is coming from it.  I am learning that I want the things that decorate my home to be special and meaningful and this little collection is just that.


What have been some of your favorite traditions this summer? 
xo
janel

Prompt 24



Awesome job on your free choice pages!! It's always good to throw one of those in the mix because you obviously won't always have someone coming up with the prompts for you.  As I mentioned before, I journal this way, almost every day.  I have volumes and volumes filled with this style of journaling and almost all of my pages are "free choice" pages because I am doing them as they come to me!!  I hope all of you attempt to keep your journaling going after this 30 day challenge too!

Journal Prompt:  Alright, today we are creating a Top 10 List.  This Top 10 list can be of anything!  This can be a Top 10 List that has already been established but that you want to document, or it can be a Top 10 list that you think up right this second!!

My page:

I am a huge fan of Ghandi and all of his peace-making ways.  I have always loved his list of Fundamentals for Changing the World.  I have wanted to right these down so that I could look back on them from time to time so I figured that this would be the perfect time to do just that!

xo
janel

P.S. Don't forget to vote :) All it takes it two little clicks. Click To Vote For Us @ the Top Baby Blogs Directory! The most popular baby blogs

23 June 2012

Prompt 23


It's so good to see so many of you all are still in the challenge.  Your emails and comments and Flickr pages are just awesome!!  Keep it up :)

Journal Prompt:  Today is a free choice page!!!  A free choice page means that you can create a page using whatever you want and journaling about anything you want!!  Have fun with this one guys! 

My page:  

This page started out like so many of my pages.  I was sitting there in bed, hanging out with Adam and Amelia and I was clueless as to what I wanted to journal about for a free choice page.  Anyway, I was looking at Amelia's little hand wrapped around Adam's giant hand!  I thought it was so cute.  I asked Adam  if I could trace his hand in the journal and then I traced my hand inside of his and then Amelia's inside of mine.  I love seeing the contrast in the sizes of our hands and it's such a cute little symbolic picture of our little family!!  After that, the doodling took over :)  I love this page and I am thinking that I want to do something similar on a canvas to hang in our home for sure.  I can't wait to see what you all come up with!!!

xo
janel

P.S. Don't forget to vote :) All it takes it two little clicks. Click To Vote For Us @ the Top Baby Blogs Directory! The most popular baby blogs

22 June 2012

Prompt 22


Can you believe that this journal challenge is already coming to an end??  It has gone by so fast!  I am just LOVING the amazing journals that you all have put together and it makes me so happy to think of the future generations who will be able to look back on them someday!!  So cool!!

Journal Prompt:  What are some things that you are looking forward to?  These can be monumental things or they can be silly little things too!

My Page:

I had filled my page with these thin washi tape arrows to try and spur a journal prompt in my head.  This is how my pages come together most of the time.  I will either find something cute to add to a journal page and then journal based on it or I will be doodling or something and then a journal prompt will come to me. This is such a BIG month for my family so there are a lot of fun things that I am looking forward to.  Another extension of this page could be things that you are NOT looking forward to.  I can definitely make a whole list of those too (dentist appointment :P).  I hope you all are enjoying this challenge as much as I have been.  Leave a comment on this post checking in!! Are you still keeping up??
Hope to hear from you soon!

xo
janel

P.S. Don't forget to vote :) All it takes it two little clicks. Click To Vote For Us @ the Top Baby Blogs Directory! The most popular baby blogs

21 June 2012

retired.


Yesterday was my dad's last day of work....ever.
My dad worked for 43 years and never called in sick (well, until Amelia was born and then he called in for three days just to spend time with her every day).
He started working with the phone company before he was drafted and returned to the same job a few years later when he got back from Thailand.
He worked his way up the ladder (sometimes literally as a lineman) and finished his years there as a pretty big deal :)
When my sister and I were embarking on college, my dad made the decision to use his retirement money that was being put away to pay for our college tuition so that we would never have to pay student loans.  That is something I will NEVER forget.  He worked many many years past his retiring date so that he could do that for us.   He ended up having to work until he was 62 (HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!) so that he could get social security.
It was a huge sacrifice, but that's just the kind of guy my dad is.
My heart is so full with the love and support he has shown my family through the years.  My sister, mom and I never wanted for anything.  He worked hard to make sure that we always had a roof over our head and food on the table.  
I feel so blessed to have such a hard-working, loving, and kind dad.
I feel blessed to have him here with us every single day.
I feel blessed that Amelia has such an awesome grampy that talks to her non stop, and sings silly songs to her, and teaches her how to roll over.
My dad is my hero.

Dear Dad,
Happy Birthday today.
Happy Retirement yesterday.
I love you so much and I am so proud to be your daughter.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything that you did for our family and for everything that you continue to do.
You are the best.
I love you.

xo
janel


P.S. Don't forget to vote :) All it takes it two little clicks. Click To Vote For Us @ the Top Baby Blogs Directory! The most popular baby blogs

Prompt 21


I am in a super rush today so my page was simple and sweet.
Here we go.

Journal Prompt:  What was your favorite story from today??


My Page:

This is my sister, for some reason my brown colored pencil looks red :)
Have a great day!!
I am off to try and do about 1000 things.

xo
janel

P.S. Don't forget to vote :) All it takes it two little clicks. Click To Vote For Us @ the Top Baby Blogs Directory! The most popular baby blogs

20 June 2012

Prompt 20


Today is another fun one!!  This is another journal prompt that is "outside of the box."  I loved doing this one :)

Journal Prompt:  Today your journal will be hijacked!!  Today you will give up control of your journal and let someone else create a page for you!!  

My page:


This prompt came to me when I was letting Amelia hold my new crayon sticks from Target's Kid Made Modern line.  She was flopping them around and I decided to put my journal up to the crayon and let her scribble on a page in my journal . After she did this for a few minutes, with different colors, I began to get super sentimental.  I love that my daughter is creating art already at 3 months!!  This was definitely something that I wanted to treasure in my journal so I decided to create a page around it :)  I added a little photo that my husband took of her coloring that shows just how much fun we were having together.  This may be my newest favorite page!!  Let someone hijack your journal today, your child, husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, best friend, dog, cat, anyone!!!

xo
janel

P.S. Don't forget to vote :) All it takes it two little clicks. Click To Vote For Us @ the Top Baby Blogs Directory! The most popular baby blogs

19 June 2012

Prompt 19


Was yesterday's prompt fun or what?  I loved seeing what you all did with it!!  So cool.  Sometimes its really fun to just mix it up in your journal and try something new and different.  Today we are going back to a traditional "making you think" type of prompt :) Are you ready?

Journal Prompt:  Should you be doing something different with your life right now?  why or why not?


My page:



If money wasn't an object, I would be traveling the world doing mission work and helping those who need it.  It's definitely what my heart wants so much!!

xo
janel

P.S. Don't forget to vote :) All it takes it two little clicks. Click To Vote For Us @ the Top Baby Blogs Directory! The most popular baby blogs

18 June 2012

Prompt 18



Okay so today's journal page has been one of my favorites to do so far!!  I am super in love with this one!

Journal Prompt:  Today is all about altering a repeat image :)  Copy an image, or images, multiple times using a copy machine, or scanner and print the images in black and white.  Use different writing tools to alter your images in many different styles.  (If you don't have access to a copier of any kind, alter images from a magazine or old pictures, do it your way and it will be awesome).

My page:

I scanned in a photobooth strip that my sister and I took at a wedding.  I changed the image to black and white in iPhoto and then I printed it out in four different sizes.  After that I grabbed my pen and began altering the images.  I love the way this turned out. I have so much fun doodling all over things so this was perfect for me :)

xo
janel

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17 June 2012

Happy First Father's Day!


Dear Daddy,

Thank you so much for being MY daddy.
You are the light in my life.

Thank you for:
* making up new songs for me every day
*  dancing with me
* reading the Bible to me
* praying over me every night
* pushing me in the stroller every night on our walks
*  singing my name in songs that already exist 
*  loving me.

I love you very much and I hope you have the best day.

Love,
Amelia Bedelia

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Prompt 17


Good Morning, and Happy Father's Day to all of the Fathers out there!!
Today's prompt is going to be dedicated to all of those wonderful men in our lives.  Here we go.

Journal Prompt:  This prompt is all about our Fathers (or any significant man in your life).  Dedicate a page to them.  You can decided any topic or theme for your page just make sure that it centers around that special guy!!

My Page:

 (my dad and Amelia)


I decided to make a list of some of the things that my dad is awesome at :)  There are obviously so many things that he is awesome with, like being a dad of course, so I decided it would be awesome to document it.
Happy Father's Day dad, I love you so much!!!

xo
janel


P.S. Don't forget to vote :) All it takes it two little clicks. Click To Vote For Us @ the Top Baby Blogs Directory! The most popular baby blogs