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Top Ten Memories from 2010

In no particular order...

Jovie as a puppy, when she still looked like she was wearing footie pajamas that were a few sizes too large. I had to keep checking her belly for a zipper.

My last Girls' Weekend with my nieces before they packed up and moved to Mesa, Arizona. I miss my girls! (Pictured: Haylee and Breanna gathering up the courage to pet a stingray at the local acquarium.)

My Grown-up Girls' Weekend with Wendy Smedley and Elizabeth Dillow, who was visiting from scenic Cheyenne. (Photo hijacked from Elizabeth's blog, as I was too intimidated by her mad photo-taking skills to even pull out my camera.)

 

The surprise Travis Lucas 40th Birthday Bash with nearly all of his favorite people in attendance--a major undertaking as this man is (almost) impossible to surprise.

The great haircut of 2010 (donated to Pantene Beautiful Lengths), which landed me and my sister-in-law on a local morning show.

 

Sailing the California coast with my sister's family. (Pictured: my 5-year-old nephew, Thomas.) Well I didn't sail, due to anti-nausea-medication-induced pupil dilation in just one eye. But the boys had fun!

 

Our four-wheel-driving adventure through Colorado's back country—Silverton to Telluride to Ouray and all sorts of places in between. (Pictured: two pesky marmots peering at us through the rocky terrain.)



The release of my second eBook, Journaling that Matters: Simple strategies for finding the right words. This one was co-written with Kelly Jeppson, with whom I've been friends since we were fellow English majors at Utah State University.

 

The Deseret News 24th of July 10k that had me on a 24-hour high. (Pictured: me with running partner, Kelly Jeppson.) It was such a fun race! So fun that I haven't run more than a mile since. But that can be blamed on the entry that follows...

 

And now for the memory that rules them all: the arrival of miss Keira Jane Lucas. This event could easily fill ALL ten spots and then some, but I decided it was only fair to share the love with other events, too.
Keira Jane at 3 days old.

Keira's First Santa Encounter

Can you believe she wasn't one bit afraid to sit on Santa's lap?

It probably helped that this particular Santa was about her same size--and that his belly didn't shake when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly.

Clearly, this little elf had a jolly old time with jolly old St. Nick!

But let's be honest, THIS is how she spent most of Christmas Day. Sleep in heavenly peace, indeed.

Merry Christmas

Miss Keira Jane loves to gaze at the tree. What will we do when it's time to take it down?

Christmas Eve snack celebration.

Peppermint-cocoa cookies. (Recipe here.)

Big brother. Very little sister.

Traditional extended-arm family group shot in front of the Christmas tree. (It's nice to know we can fit four in the frame.)

Ready for Santa.

Christmas Card Keeper

As promised, behold my solution for storing and organizing Christmas cards, both sent and received.

I adapted an idea shared by Donna Downey in Simple Scrapbooks magazine years ago. Her project was a handmade album for saving children's school artwork using 11 x 14 manila envelopes.

For this Christmas card keeper, I used the 7.5 x 10.5 manila envelopes instead and created a sturdy chipboard cover to fit the size, which I covered in patterned paper. (Stamps are by Technique Tuesday; patterned paper by the now-defunct Scenic Route.)

You could bind yours however you like. My cover is hinged and folded over on itself (secured with book-binding tape). Then I punched holes through the cover flaps and through all the envelopes, securing them with ribbon. Simple! (I think the Japanese book binding technique would also look cool.)

On the inside front cover, I included a photo showcasing when this card keeper starts--which is the year after we were married.

I include my family's Christmas card on the outside of that year's envelope.

And I fill each envelope with favorite cards from friends and family--just those I know I'll want to save.

I've prestamped my envelopes through 2015, which seemed VERY far away at the time. But now...not so much.

As mentioned in my last post, no Lucas family Christmas cards were sent out in 2008 or 2009. Whatever will I do with the covers of those blank envelopes (which will still be filled with cards I received)? I'll include a family picture (the one I might have chosen had we sent Christmas cards), plus an explanation of why the Christmas cards didn't go out that year. And luckily, I've already written those explanations in yesterday's blog post! Just copy and paste, baby.

Six Years of Christmas Cards

We Lucases started a tradition in 2005 of eschewing the long, rambling family letter in favor of a quick list of family facts: just one tidbit or event per month. It's fun to come up with our list of events, and while it's a challenge to write quite so succinctly, it's a worthwhile exercise to boil down an entire year into twelve little sentences. Behold:

(Click the images to view them larger.)

2005

Designed by Travis in Photoshop, this is a 7 x 5 file printed in a standard photo size (5 x 7) at a local photo developer and mailed out in leftover 5 x 7 wedding-invitation envelopes. Photo: self-portrait (Trav's exgtending his arm) at Beaver Mountain Ski Resort in northern Utah.

2006

Also designed by Travis in Photoshop. Also printed at a standard photo size (4 x 6), but properly-sized envelopes were difficult to secure, so they were sent out in envelopes that were a bit too large for the card. Photo: self-portrait (Travis is again extending his arm) taken on vacation to Bryce Canyon, Utah.
 

2007
Designed by Travis. (Are you beginning to notice a trend?) Printed in a standard photo size (6 x 4) through a local photo developer. Envelopes were no easier to secure this time around. Photo: Taken by fellow tourist on Kauai, Hawaii, near the Kilauea lighthouse.

2008 

No Christmas card. This was the year I realized that sometimes life gets in the way of the Christmas card, and that's okay. I was dealing with a sister-in-law's breast-cancer diagnosis, my mother's mysterious and scary debilitating illness (that necessitated at least one spinal tap), extensive family employment struggles, the writing of a book that would never be published, massive stresses at work just before being laid off from my job, etc.

2009

No Christmas card again.  I realized that the world did not stop turning in 2008 when I failed to send holiday cards, and I couldn't quite get it together still. I had happy memories to share, alongside some continuing difficulties, but I let this go by the wayside with everything else on my plate: a brand new business to run, recent death of beloved pet, funeral of an uncle, and renewed emotional struggle regarding infertility. (The holidays can sometimes bring this on.)

2010

This was my first year using a card template found online, and I love the results!

I ordered through cardstore.com (a great source for holiday cards and photo cards). From all the sizes and styles available, I chose a 7 x 5 double-sided postcard, and I uploaded my addresses right to the site, so they'll be printed directly on the cards and mailed from there. (Surprise, family and friends!) This is such a time-saver! And I can feel good about saving paper, since this uses half the paper of a folding card with no envelopes.

Photo of the three of us: taken by Travis (that good old extended-arm shot) in the hills high, high above Silverton, Colorado. Photos of Keira: taken by Elisha Snow. Photo of Jovie: taken by Travis.

Read a complete review of my experience at cardstore.com AND enter to win a $25 gift certificate to cardstore.com by visiting The Daily Trumpet today (as part of Ella's 12 Days of Christmas celebration). And feel free to use the code CSHOLIDAY20 to receive 20 percent off of your first order at cardstore.com!

 

p.s. Do I regret not sending those Christmas cards in 2008 and 2009? A little, since Jeremy made quite a transformation between 2007 and 2010, but I've come up with a solution to overcome my angst about this, and I'll share it next week!

Firsts

Baby Keira's first cold. (Thank you for lasting less than 48 hours.)

Keira's first smiles.

Keira's first actual tears.

Keira's first trip to Idaho.

Keira's first overnight stay—at Uncle Matt's house in Preston, Idaho (home of Napoleon Dynamite).

Keira's first time being showered with attention by cousins Haylee, Breanna, Brock, and Derek.

Keira's first visit with her second cousin, Hadlie, who's just 33 hours older. (More on this cool story another day.)

The first major snowstorm of the year.

The first warm, crackling fire of the year.

The first of the Peeps (the ones we've saved since Easter) to be roasted in our fireplace.

Our first pot of homemade hot chocolate (cocoa + sugar + milk + a splash of vanilla) this season.

Baby's first dress. (Paired with authentic, hand-knitted-by-a-little-old-lady booties.)

I love firsts.

Halloween Scenes

Baby bug ladybug.

Spooky window decor.

Spooky window decor, in the dark.

Sweet treats and decorations.

Homegrown cinderella pumpkin (with baby in the background).

Dinner in a Pumpkin, a Lucas family tradition since 2005. (I've tried several recipes over the years, and this one is our favorite.) And we love sweet & salty pumpkin seeds, too.

Scrappy friends who come over for a mid-week potluck. (From left: Aly Dosdall and Faith, Wendy Smedley, Ali Monson holding Keira, Elisha Snow, Rachel Gainer and Shelby, Kelly Jeppson and Gabe.)

Fun party favors brought by Kelly Jeppson. (Don't you want to be the sort of person who always remembers to bring homemade treats to any gathering? That's Kelly for ya.)

One more shot of Keira bug because I simply couldn't resist.

Speaking of Halloween treats, you should know that Ella Publishing Co. is having a Halloween sale! Use code ELLAWEEN at checkout before midnight on October 31, 2010,  to receive 31 percent off of any (or all) of the following ten eBooks:

Vintage Hip Christmas Crafts

Design Workshop

Picture Perfect

Stretch Your Sketches

A Year in the Life

20 Simple Secrets of Happy Scrapbookers

Special Effects for Digital Photos

40 Top Tips for Better Photos

Quick & Creative Quizzes

Text Tricks for Scrapbookers

Boys Rule

Do you remember how fun it used to be to find an undeveloped roll of film? With no idea what was on it, you'd run it to the developer and excitedly wait for forgotten memories to emerge from the canister's cocoon.

Well, I just discovered the digital equivalent.

On an old memory card that had been sitting in the camera bag for months, I came across some photos from a father-son adventure that had never made their way to the computer. An unexpected delight.

Travis and Jeremy were "painting" with a flashlight, using a super-slow shutter speed (long exposure) on the Nikon.

Jeremy's initials.

A little frame for Jerm's face.

A freakin' AWESOME monkey!

My boys in the light of day, with Utah's West Desert stretching behind them.

Speaking of how much boys rule, did you catch this news?

Ella's Essential Guide for Scrapbooking Boys is now available for sale!

And, if you don't have a copy of the Girls' Guide yet, you can get both Ella’s Essential Guide for Scrapbooking Girls AND Ella’s Essential Guide for Scrapbooking Boys for just $9.99 if you buy them together—a savings of 17 percent! Use the code BOYSANDGIRLS at checkout by Tuesday, September 28, 2010. Shop here.

 

It's a Girl!!!

If there were ever a time to use multiple exclamation points in a title, this is it!!!

We've kept the news to ourselves for a little while, but I'm ready to share my miracle.

Baby Girl Lucas is due on October 13, 2010. And we found out just a couple of weeks ago that she gets to be ours.

We're not even done with our adoption paperwork yet (it's being fasttracked, of course!). We don't even have our "please choose us!" adoption profile completed. And the agency we're using (LDS Social Services) is very highly subsidized by the LDS church, which makes it highly affordable compared to other agencies, which means there are 900(!!!) prospective LDS couples on the waiting list and not nearly that many babies, which means couples wait for 2 years on average to be matched with a birthmom. Our situation is going to skew those statistics just a bit, I think.

Here's the story.

I'd been sitting on that infertility post I wrote for honestly 2 months. I'd been thinking about writing about infertility for even longer than that, but I couldn't muster up the courage. But literally within 24 hours of that post going live, I got a phone call out of the blue from a beautiful, young mother-to-be who wanted to meet us. (And she hadn't seen the post; she didn't even know about my blog at that time.)

I had about three hours notice to get my house ready for the visit, and I'm eternally grateful for that, because had it been any longer, I may have been a basket case by the time she arrived. Who knows what I would have attempted to remodel in time for the visit?

You see, the birthmom is a relative of a relative. She's not biologically related to me, but she is biologically related to three of my nieces and nephews. She's my brother-in-law's niece. And I loved her the moment she showed up on my doorstep. Not just because of the unimaginable gift she has chosen to give us, but because of the courage and character she has shown through an incredibly difficult time in her life.

And to make it even more perfect than it already is, I have no less than SEVEN friends or cousins who are either giving birth or adopting babies within three months of my baby's due date. And even better, six of the seven babies are girls! (Did you hear that? "My baby"??? I've been waiting for six years to say that about someone other than a 105-lb. French Mastiff or a 45-lb. Olde English Bulldogge.)

As the events of the last several months have unfolded, it has become more and more obvious to me that there is a larger plan at work here. Whether you believe in fate (which I don't) or in divine intervention and guidance (which I do), it's abundantly clear that even heart-wrenching, difficult, grief-filled situations can be made good and right. I can't even begin to express all the tender feelings that are in my heart right now. We've been walking on air for weeks. And as every day passes, it becomes more and more real.


Isn't she adorable? (I know the pictures aren't doing the frame justice. It's hard to photograph behind glass.)

About the Frame
There is so much more to this story than I'd ever have room for on this blog, but I have to share a few more highlights. The birthmom, Anneliese, created the beautiful frame you see pictured above. She's a scrapbooker. (See? I told you it was perfect!) And my sister is an ultrasound tech, so she was able to get a beautiful profile picture of the baby for Anneliese to give to us. And this, of course, meant that my sister got the privilege of hearing our news about a week before we did.

Anneliese and the birthdad both arrived at our house for their third visit with us, this time to meet and get to know Jeremy. We had planned a game night (Anneliese's idea!), since games can be a great way to get to know people's personalities and temperaments in a short time. We played Catch Phrase first, girls against boys. (And the boys won 2 out of 3 games.) Then they had brought the game Balderdash.

While Travis prepped the game, I stood up to open a window to let more air into the stuffy room. "Oh!" Travis says, "Maybe I should go get our version of this game. This one's wrapped up all cute." Then I hear Travis pause, "Uh, Angie, maybe you should open it."

Inside the box was the gorgeous frame and three darling little outfits. I was stunned into silence. (Sometimes, for people who talk a lot usually, as I do, they showcase their strongest emotions by clamming right up.) My eyes welled up, Travis hugged me, and I think I was able to stammer out, "Are you sure?"

She said they were sure after the first visit, but they wanted to find the right way and the right time to tell us. (And did you catch that the box says, "Balderdash: the hilarious bluffing game." How perfectly poetic is that? See, you love Anneliese already, too, don't you?)

So, in about 5 weeks, I'm going to be a mother. Or perhaps less than that, if Baby Girl Lucas decides to make her appearance a bit early. And although the nursery's not quite ready and we still need to find homes for all the stuff we're moving out of our spare room, I'd be fine with that. After all, Baby Girl Lucas sure has taken her own sweet time to get here!

Googly Eyes on Toast

Not too long ago, on a lazy summer morning, Jeremy excitedly summoned me into the kitchen to introduce me to "the perfect slice of toast."

No piece of toast, now or ever, could compete with this slice for its iconic and almost cartoon-like shape, its exemplary toastedness, its archetypal color and shading. If someone were to make a cartoon toast creature, this slice would be an ideal model to base it upon. You could easily imagine it sprouting arms and legs, grabbing a microphone, and beginning to croon a tune about breakfast nutrition for morning television.

"All it needs is a pair of googly eyes," Jeremy said.

"You got it," I said, heading downstairs.

"Wait..." He called after me, "You actually have GOOGLY EYES on hand?"

"For just such an emergency as this," I said, returning with a baggie of googly eyes in varying sizes.

"You're kidding," he said.

"What kind of a crafter would I be if I didn't have access to googly eyes when I needed them?"

And of course I pulled out the camera for an impromptu photo shoot.

"I think he looks kinda suspicious," Jeremy said.

"Nah, he's just shy," I replied.

But we both agreed that he is definitely male. Then Jeremy devoured him. (Sans the eyes.)

Incidentally, for the first time ever, I connected the term "googly eyes" to the popular search engine "Google." It makes sense! Both "Google" and "googly eyes" have to do with eyes—perhaps the act of looking or searching. They're both FUN. They share five of their six letters.

Of course, Google claims that the word is based upon "Googol," a mathematical term that means a 1 followed by 100 zeros. But I have to believe that someone at Google made the "googly eyes" connection early on, but it didn't sound quite sophisticated enough, so it was never included in the official story.

I just LOVE this definition of "googly eyes," found on Wikipedia:

"Googly eyes or wiggly eyes are large, bulging or rolling craft findings used to imitate eyes. The eyes traditionally are composed of a clear, hard-plastic shell, with a smaller, black plastic disk trapped within. The inner black disk is allowed to move freely within the larger clear plastic shell, which makes the eyes appear to move. Googly eyes are mainly involved in arts and crafts and are sometimes glued to inanimate objects for the purposes of portraying personification and humour."

Hilarious, right? Such a sober, academic, and accurate tone used to describe something as silly and inane as googly eyes.