Flying Heritage Collection

Dad and Mom

As part of my Dad's Christmas present, we visited the Flying Heritage Collection in Everett, WA. My Dad is a self professed old plane nerd.  So, a place like this is his mecca. The heritage flight Museum did not disappoint. This collection was put together by Paul Allen. What is unique about the planes? The majority of planes in the collection are flyable.   They have frequent fly in's.

Even Sherman Tanks are 12th Man Fans

They also have a tank collection as well. 

 

 

On the way home, Charlie drew this picture of a plan going down.  I thought it was pretty good.

 

 



What I learned in 2014

I have been participating in "What I learned" each month with the blog Chatting at the Sky.  Since it is the end of the year, I am doing a 2014 wrap up of what I learned.

I strapped on a FitBit and my friend tried to walk me and her dog to death. (love ya Mrs Epi) I did think the fitbit made a difference.  It made me conscious of my lack of movement and  to get moving. Who knew such a little device could make such a big impact?

I really gave my one little word a workout.  My one little word for 2014 was Evolve.  I learn I could evolve.  I even did Zumba.  I was way outside of my comfort zone. I was even was a crew leader for VBS. The whole family got to help with a haunted forest as well.  I can't even watch scary parts of movies without shutting my eyes so I am glad I was able to assist without freaking out.

I read a lot of great books which reaffirmed reading is my form of relaxation.  I participated in Life as Mom's booking it. My year of booking it roundup.

Cody standing with a pile of Ivy he pulled
at the Larrabee Park CITO

We geocached a lot. I know we are totally nerdy. Love it! We also participated in a lot of great geocaching events - North Kitsap Cache Machine, Great Balls of Fire, Mount Vernon Geocoin Challenge, Point Roberts Cache Machine, CITO Larrabee State Park, 12-13-14.

I did 31 days of blogging and discovered it is hard but worthwhile. 31 Days of Adventure

I got to discover the joys of having a 1st year Trumpet player.  It reminded that all of us start as beginners. I appreciate my son's tenacity. 

My husband and I started a little business venture.  We make picture frames from reclaimed wood target frames.  We call them matchstick frames.  So far we haven't been monetarily successful but we haven't invested much and we have learned lots.

shot up heart

One Little Word 2015

So it begins...

I choose the word (insert drumroll)

LAUNCH

 

I have known for a couple of weeks this was going to be the word for me.  For a number of years, I have participated in Ali Edwards one little word.  Basically you choose a word instead of a resolution to represent that year.  Last year 2014, my word was evolve. 

 

What the word LAUNCH means to me

 

 Less about talking about doing things and more about doing things

 

My oldest will be a senior at the end of this year.  Because of his unique situation and awesome abilities.  I will need to help him launch himself.  This calls me to do things that I am not skilled at and be a much bigger advocate than I am . So launch is also scary but necessary.

 

I also think the word launch requires a certain kind of boldness and jumping in.

 

Launch also represents that all the preparation has been done and now is time to put those skills into

practice.

 

Launch also involves risk and possible failure as well.

 

 

 

 



A Very Bookish Linky

Stitch the Bear Reading

 

Christmas Book Flood - Iceland's Tradition of Giving Books at Christmas

Need a Reading Challenge for 2015 - Check It Out

Need a Best Reads List of 2014 - Library Reads Favorite of Favorites- Goldfinch and All the Light We Cannot See are included and I read and liked in 2014

Merry Christmas

 



MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a Merry Christmas from our family to yours. We took this impromptu on the beach near Semiamhoo.

Wrapping Up Booking It 2014

After 5 years, Jessica is ending her Booking It link up.  Please check out her favorite reads from the last 5 years.  She has done a marvelous job and I will sad to see this linky end .  But make no doubt about it the reading will still be happening in 2015.

*** I decided to link up to Modern Mrs. Darcy's favorite books of 2014

I read 44 books in 2014!

My favorite Books I read in 2014
( in no particular order)

Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman
Home is a Roof Over a Pig by Amnita Arrlington
A Memoir Hungry by Darlene Barnes
Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Sample
All the Light You Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
The Accident by Chris Pavone
The Smartest Kids in the World by Amanda Ripley

Stitch Mischief 2014

We don't have an elf on the shelf but we do have a very mischievous bear. The Bears name is Stitch.  He hasn't been as busy getting into stuff this season but did have a few tricks up his sleeve.

He had to get into the act and build his own gingerbread house. Granted he didn't come up with the idea entirely by himself.

Of course, he got in the act right of way.  He climbed the tree as soon as we put the tree up.

Who knows what Stitch will do next?

"It tis the Season" Linky Love

Needing some Christmas Inspiration?  It a season of busyness.  Here are some links to love


I am not sure why there is a cactus included in the show but it is interesting.

Good Life by Jason Wright on Becky Higgins Blog is about Christmas Jars

Why We Still Send Holiday Cards by the Artful Parent

A Sequential Date!

Kevin made the large SeaHawk. We are holding it in the back - Kevin, Me, and Cody.
Charlie is holding the green sign.

Today we participated in a geocaching flash mob in honor of 12-13-14.  The actual event was held at 10:11 on 12-13-14.  We were way sequential.

A sequential date pattern won't happen again for 89 years -- until 1/2/03 ... in 2103!

Cody hold the sign-
Tis the Season to Be Sequential

Adventures in takng Family Photos

At Thanksgiving, we were at Nonna's and Pappy's so we decided to take a family pic.  That is when the adventure began. We were all sitting and posed when MY HUSBAND tried to hide behind the tree. There always has to be a joker in every group.  His mother asked him to come here or something like that.  Well, the wrong person responded.

Tigger who was actually sitting nicely before this jumped up on the couch on all of us.  Love my expression.

We managed to get a couple good pictures.  (Yes, the dog even cooperated.)

Darn You Foreign Tree Makers!

I am in awe or something with the Chinese Innovation in our pre lit tree.  We set it up and only one small section lit.  Our tree would of been great for a red neck Christmas tree, though Meanwhile  brilliant me, thought we will simply pull off the lights and re-hang lights.  

It is OK if you start laughing right now.  Well let's just say it wasn't as easy as that.  It seldom is that easy, by the way. It took 4 of us about 2 hours to undo the lights and wire cutters as well. 

In the end, we rehung LED colored lights that took about 20 minutes. I have a whole new appreciation for the foreign laborers who made this bad boy. I might mention that I am convinced that  a few of them might of been disgruntled workers because some of the wires were so well knotted.

Booking It November- Better Late Than Never

I am going through a book dry spell.  I have picked up a few books only to abandon them.  I need my books to be easy to read and to be relevant. I actually said to my friend I ONLY read three books this month.  She laughed. 

Last month, I read Astonish Me. by Maggie Shipstead.  It was OK.  I am a sucker for books about ballet and this was a compelling twisty read. 

Astonish Me is the irresistible story of Joan, a young American dancer who helps a Soviet ballet star, the great Arslan Rusakov, defect in 1975. A flash of fame and a passionate love affair follow, but Joan knows that, onstage and off, she is destined to remain in the background. She will never possess Arslan, and she will never be a prima ballerina. She will rise no higher than the corps, one dancer among many.- Amazon Review

This month I read " All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr.  It did indeed live up to its hype. The ending wasn't quite right for me but I definitely enjoyed the read.

A book about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II. Amazon Review

Dandelion Hunter by Rebecca Lerner was my last read of the month finished it at Thanksgiving.  Ever considered urban foraging.  This book gives a lot of insight of what it would take to live by only foraging. It was fascinating. I found it thought provoking. 

In this engaging and eye-opening read, forager-journalist Becky Lerner sets out on a quest to find her inner hunter-gatherer in the city of Portland, Oregon. After a disheartening week trying to live off wild plants from the streets and parks near her home, she learns the ways of the first people who lived there and, along with a quirky cast of characters, discovers an array of useful wild plants hiding in plain sight. As she harvests them for food, medicine, and just-in-case apocalypse insurance, Lerner delves into anthropology, urban ecology and sustainability, and finds herself looking at Nature in a very different way.  (Amazon Review)

What are you reading that is relevant? Got a suggestion for a hurried blurry mom leave it for me in the comments.

Clothespin Wreath

I thought I would attempt a new wreath for the Nester's Wreath DIY Party. Please check out all the wreath eye candy over at the Nesting Place.

I made mine out of clothespins from the dollar store and the wreath form is a wire hanger.  I simply wired the hot glued clothespin stars to the wreath form with floral wire. I was inspired by the clothespin snowflakes I made last year.

At the center of the stars are red buttons I had on hand. This was a last minute craft and I will probably rewire and maybe include some smaller clothespin stars as well. I am forever tweaking. It is a crafting disease.

Hey Nester, I am embracing my lovely limitations and not worrying about this wreath being perfect. Because it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful!

Check out some of my other unusual wreaths of the past.

The required SEAHAWKS wreath made with Coffee Filters.  GO HAWKS!

Popsicle Snowflake.  I think Giant Popsicle Snowflakes make a terrific wreath.  I have white doors so I made mine blue.