The warmer and sunnier months of 2011





It was almost May when Katie and I flew to Maryland for the workshop at Angie's home.
What a trip!!



Cheryl came to the workshop. She picked me up at the airport.
She got to know the real me, super fast.
blush
I think she still likes me.





5-14-11

Graduation day!
What a crazy trip! The weather was horrendous.




5-15-11



The tulips didn't seem to mind.




5-21-11

I gave a workshop to a group of really wonderful women in May here in Wisconsin.





I pinned and pinned and baked and pinned.

6-1-11




Katie helped me experiment with lens lengths and facial distortion.

6-5-11



Asher found his voice...in the middle of a wedding where daddy was standing up.
Matthew, who never wants to offend or displease anyone, was horrified by his noisy baby.
Grandpa took him to the nursery.


6-10-11



I took Emily's Senior pictures in July.
She was just accepted to Wheaton and is super happy about that!
Her mom is AmyJ from the comments!!

6-29-11

A gorgeous visit to Chicago to see Emma in her new home and to go to the rescheduled Cubs game.



kathyb and I met and barely watched the game.









7-13-11

I started using the Instagram app on my phone.
And I went swimming.




Sue's son Kurt married Marysa. It was lovely. And hot.

7-16-11




7-21-11

It was 100 degrees out.





7-27-11

The tutu made a summer appearance.




Asher had a rough summer of many illnesses.

Katie and I jumped in the car on the spur of the moment for a visit to cuddle
the ailing tot.



8-1-11




8-14-11

August showed off.






8-20-11

Uncle Mel's birthday party in Wheaton at cousin Paul's house.
A great time of celebration and laughter and reminiscing.




8-25-11

family portraits with little boys with beautiful eyes.




8-31-11


and the most beautiful mom and daughter




A special trip to the hair salon for pretty back to school hair.

What a glorious summer it was.
Family. Sun. New friends.
Rich with memories.

Much to be thankful for.
Donna

The year in review.





1-1-11

black swan jr.



1-6-11

Yaya loves Asher




1-11-11

It was a snowy month.



1-27-11

my favorite country church



In Feb. the Packers won the Super Bowl.
The capitol of Wi. show off it's Packer pride.




Meeting Julieanne Kost was a wonderful highlight of the year. She is the Adobe Queen. And she is a lovely person.



Ferry Building. San Fran.

2-9-11



2-10-11





sweet newborn.
2-19-11





2-24-11

a typical day





3-10-11

editing with new MCP fusion actions




3-18-11

family session.



3-21-11

Emma Jean Jelly Beanie






3-25-11





we visit the Matthew, Melinda and Asher






4-15-11

we enjoyed the windy wind.




4-24-11

I mourned.




4-25-11

I loved.


to be continued

Love,
Donna

Hats. Family. A new camera.







Apparently I did not get the memo about making kooky faces.



Okay!
I'm in!

Sheesh.


****

Katie got a camera for her birthday. It is a Panasonic. It is pink. It has a leica lens.
This is why I bought it.

You can take pictures right out of the box.
But you can not take very nice ones.
Katie is fearless and willing to learn by doing. That's great!
I'd like to help her get the exposure looking nicer.

I'll let you know what I learn.

Happy day!

It's my dear friend Karen's birthday today! Happy Birthday Karen!


Staying in my pajamas as long as I can today. Puppy walking will bring the lounging to an end, I am sure.

Encourage one another,
Donna

It's apparently that kind of day...

Wish I could sleep like a puppy.

See ya round. like a donut.

Donna

Partial Sermon by Peter Marshall


Let's Keep Christmas



And finally Christmas morning will come. Don't worry - you'll be ready for it - You'll catch the spirit all right, or it will catch you which is even better.
And then you will remember what Christmas means - the beginning of Christianity . . . the Second Chance for the world . . . the hope for peace . . . and the only way. The promise that the angels sang is the most wonderful music the world has ever heard. "Peace on earth and good will toward men"
It was not a pronouncement upon the state of the world then nor is it a reading of the international barometer of present time . . . but it is a promise - God's promise - of what will come to pass.
The years that are gone are graveyards in which all the persuasions of men have crumbled into dust. If history has any voice, it is to say that all these ways of men lead nowhere. There remains only one way - The Way - untried, untested, unexplored fully. . . the way of Him Who was born a Babe in Bethlehem.
In a world that seems not only to be changing, but even to be dissolving, there are tens of millions of us who want Christmas to be the same . . . with the same old greeting "Merry Christmas" and no other.
We long for the abiding love among men of good will which the season brings . . . believing in this ancient miracle of Christmas with its softening, sweetening influence to tug at our heart strings once again.
We want to hold on to the old customs and traditions because they strengthen our family ties, bind us to our friends, make us one with all mankind for whom the Child was born, and bring us back again to the God Who gave His only begotten son, that "whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
So we will not "spend" Christmas . . .nor "observe" Christmas.We will "keep" Christmas - keep it as it is . . .in all loveliness of its ancient traditions.May we keep it in our hearts,that we may be kept in its hope.



Rembering God's promises on this beautiful day,
God bless you!

Donna

Happy Birthday Katie Gracie Boucher!

Every day you make the world a brighter and more wonderful place for us!

Happy 12 years old.

Aaron Rodgers will be wearing your age all year!

With lots of love!

Mom

Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas.
Dale Evans Rogers




Last year we had lots of snow for Christmas.
This year, just a dusting.

That's okay too.

It's a low key Christmas all around.
Our boys will not be home this year and yet,
Christmas day will come.

It will come,
and it will be nice.

As nice as I want it to be.
Being in the moment.
Enjoying what I have.

Being thankful for everything.

Especially loved ones.


Encourage one another,
Donna

It sure is nice having Katie home during the days.
Ginny is getting to know her and she is a help to me.



Every day we go thru the no bite- I'm the boss routine with Ginny. She is persistent but we are standing our ground.
Emma is coming home this afternoon so we will have to train Emma too. :o)

Consistency is the name of the game.



I've been setting my alarm for 2:00 am so I can take Ginny out to potty.

Last night I slipped (like doing the splits) and fell on my bottom.
I got all wet.
Ginny came to the rescue.
Then I put her right back in bed.

Can I tell you how very thrilled I am that it has been in the 30's this week. I can not believe our good fortune.


***

Katie and I are off to the grocery store now.

For Christmas eve we will have;

Pulled Pork
Ham
buns
salads
Fitchburg beans (see recipe blog)
and
chips
veggies and dip perhaps
sausage and cheese perhaps
Boucher bakery cookies
and...
perhaps a cake or pie...


I suppose I need to make Christmas dinner too.
Either tenderloin or steak bites....hum....
I am more confident with the steak bites...and my family isn't too fussy...
I'll probably do that.


What do you eat on Christmas day?

Encourage one another,
Donna

When we were in high school one of our favorite Christmas albums was....

the Beach Boys Christmas.

I was reminded of this the other day when I heard one of their songs on the radio.

You know, I taught aerobics for many years.
I made my own tapes.

At Christmas I made a Christmas tape. So many songs I hear on the radio, I can still remember the routines.

I used the Beach Boys on my Christmas tape.



Feel free to get up and dance!
The 'pony' works.









****

Katie has a half day of school today.
We are still Christmas shopping.
I'm planning and picking up things for our family Christmas eve gathering...
Oh! Yeah. Katie's birthday too.

Better start making my lists.

Emma comes home tomorrow.
She is a great help around the house.

Everything will turn out just fine.

All is calm.

Or is this sleep depravation talking?

Either way.

Merry and Bright it is....on the shortest day of the year.


Lots of love!
Donna

You will have to bear with me...or as Stephie likes me to say, bare with me. :o)

I've got puppy training and tending to do.
So I can think of little else.

Training Katie to be an alpha dog is hard.
Katie had two successes this morning before school so that was good...after that big bite on the had, Katie had to get tough and serious. We don't want Ginny to boss Katie.

Katie took fresh Boucher Bakery cookies to school this morning....and that makes for a special day.
She is celebrating her birthday with her class.

Ginny and I are going to the vet soon.

I played ringtones for her and she loved them.




I like her very soft ears.
Katie likes her whole head.

It's a cute head.

Happy Tuesday before Christmas.

Off to the vet.

Donna