Day 365

Every New Year's Eve is spent in the same spot: Orange Grove Blvd. (in between Ellis and Maylin.) You really can't put a price on the entertainment that comes from watching the different walks of people. It's quite fascinating at times. For instance, we saw E.T. stuffed in the back of someone's car (2nd pic. on top row).

It's a pretty friendly atmosphere! This year we were entertained by a Jehovah revival and their singing: This is Jesus' party and he's inviting us all to come...Jesus is my friend...and so many other wonderfully repetitive songs. Friendly marshmallow wars were a plenty. It's really not that cold when you have your sleeping bags and outdoor heater. It's been a very fun tradition but it takes me a few days to recover.

Day 364

as part of our ROSE PARADE ritual, I got out to the street at 4:00 p.m. on the 30th. Legally, you are not suppose to be out till 12:00 p.m. on the 31st, but by then the good side is taken. It had been raining and was just letting up. I was able to park my car in the driveway (you see in the picture) till about 10:30 p.m., the rest of the time I had to pace the street and occasionally I would sit down (until the police told me to keep moving). There were a handful of other people so I wasn't completely alone, but boy did it get cold. When I went to my car to grab a blanket at 2:30 a.m., some lady tried to snake my spot. I politely informed her that was our spot and she said, "well, no one was standing there!" I thought to myself..she did not just say that to me? I informed her I was getting a blanket and my neighbors to my right told her the same thing. Fortunately she responded, "You're lucky I'm nice.." then she moved down to the next spot. AWKWARD! Jim arrived around 7:30ish and I quickly found myself a bathroom and some hot cocoa.

Day 363

Feeling absolute guilt with all the wonderful and plentiful goodies that had been delivered to us this Christmas, my non-baking self (I bake, I just don't do it often or very well) decided to pass out a Happy New Years' bottle of bubbly (mormon style) with a package of rolaids attached (to help aid the digestion of all those decadent desserts) along with a poem about the week after Christmas and all through the house, nothing would fit me, not even a blouse...you get the idea.

Happy New Year to all, and to all a good diet!

Day 362

(picture taken on my cell phone)

Made brownies tonight for fhe with the Brays..I used my new Perfect Brownie Pan (click for more info) that Jim got me (after I had a bad run in with a batch of brownies that just wouldn't come out of the pan right). Can I just tell you, it worked like a charm. I have never seen such perfectly cut brownies. I am a believer. I haven't had a bad experience yet with "AS SEEN ON T.V."! Why can't I come up with these ideas?

Day 361

Slab bacon is delicious...but it's a ridiculous amount of work trying to slice the dang thing. I broke one of my nice knives (trying to separate the 2 slabs) and the electric knife just about blew up. It took me over an hour to cut up 1 slab. I should have just gone to the butcher at Ralphs and had him slice it up. Lesson learned: I'll do that for the next slab.

*made candied bacon for the first time..pure heaven. Slathered bacon with a mixture of brown sugar and a little cayenne pepper and baked in the oven until done. Pure indulgence. We couldn't stop eating it.

Day 360

Jenniffer came into town for Christmas and we threw together a very impromptu breakfast at Richies. Good food, Great friends!! (again a blurry picture because I had to go and exchange the camera Jim got me for a slightly different one later that day!)

*Only 5 more days till project 365 2009 is complete..and yes, I'm going to do it again in 2010!!

Day 359 {Merry Christmas}

A blurry picture, yes..but it was the best I could do with my broken camera (thanks ryder) {of which is no longer because Jim got me a new one that actually focuses for Christmas!} and a tripod and 4 boys who hate having pictures taken.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Day 358 {Christmas Eve}

The annual WATKINS Christmas eve party at Brian & Cindi's. (sadly minus my brother Rob & family who are in Korea, and Mike & Stephanie)

Day 357

We got a knock on our door and opened to find 3 large containers shipped to us from one of Jim's co-workers (who totally spoils us like this every year). When we went inside and opened them up we found A LOT of swine: 6 pork sausage ropes (mild & hot), 3 lbs. Canadian bacon, and 2 slabs (9.84 lbs.) of bacon! This was a meat lovers paradise, a vegetarians nightmare...or is all this SWINE a secret ploy to infect Jim with swine fever aka: H1N1?

Day 356

I joined Jim at the temple for our wards' youth baptisms. It was a small group, but a beautiful experience!

Day 355

Movie night with my peeps! {we saw "Did You Hear About the Morgan's?}

Day 354

Jim's Southern Region Administrators' Family Christmas Party. (Patricia and her husband snuck out before the camera appeared). This is an amazing group of people who we consider to be like family!

FYI: tonight was the first time I ever tried PRIME RIB, and it was delicious, and probably my last time eating ham...there were still little pig hairs attached to the area in which something was sawed off! NASTY!!

Day 353

I'm asking myself...Why can't all PANDA's be drive-thru? Not only was it convenient, but it was FAST!

Day 352

We were going to have a very last minute party at our house but as Friday rolled around, we realized that it was going to be too crazy of a night. Another friend was having her birthday party, there was another little gathering in our ward..so we decided to just go out to eat with whom ever could make it! (which was so much nicer than worrying about party planning) Sue, the birthday girl, had to leave a little early for her own b-day party so we had Kristen play the roll of Sue for the singing and free dessert. We hammed it up with loud singing and photos..who wouldn't believe it wasn't her birthday.

Day 351

Kinda weird, but the boys last day of school was today, THURSDAY! It was chalk full of singing and parties and of course the traditional teacher's gifts. I figured 2 new teachers..there was no need for me to create another gift. I would do the same thing I did last year. "If it aint broke, don't fix it!" It's original and I figured they most likely would not be getting 2 of them.

Day 350

As a culminating activity for our Science activity badge, I took our Webelos to the Temecula Children's Museum. Believe it or not, in the 6 years we've lived in Temecula I have never been there! It was so incredibly clever inside..I think I liked it just as much as the boys!

Day 349 {Happy Birthday Dad!}

I was rummaging through my jewelry drawer and came across this necklace...this was the necklace I wore on my very first date with Jim (to the BYU-H winter ball) over 13 years ago. Good times!

Day 348

For family night we had a couple families over to build and decorate gingerbread houses. It was pure chaos..but it was fun!

Day 347

Having terrible photo block..nothing terribly picture worthy today so you get our front door. We can play a guessing game: guess how many colors this "G" has been!

Day 346

Our ward had it's Breakfast with Santa this morning! Ryder had been gearing up for it all morning. He usually hides when he sees Santa but this time he was excited...well, at least until it was his turn. There was a little resistance at first, but then with a little coaxing, he got up on Santa's lap. There was quite a long line so it was a brief photo opt. then off you go. Ryder felt a little jipped when he received his broken candy cane and replied, "I didn't even get to tell him what I wanted." I guess we'll just have to stick to a letter.

Day 345

Tonight was the night of endless baking!! I think I made over 7 dozen cookies. Some for Skyler's piano recital and the rest for our Stake Nativity Festival.

Day 344

I am soooooo sick of LOST clothes. Skyler has lost 3 soccer shirts (one of which he lost the first time he wore it) and Jayden has not only lost a couple sweatshirts at school but a pair of shorts! SHORTS? (it had to be when he was changing into his costume for a play). The sad thing is, both were not in the lost and found, basically meaning, they were a bit nicer than other things you find in there and were probably snatched up pretty quick. Any day they wear a sweatshirt now they hear me exclaim, "don't leave your sweatshirt at school!" Today Jayden came to the car after school in tears. He had lost his brand new sweatshirt (that we had just taken the tags off that morning). Wasn't what I needed to hear right then! I got everyone out of the car and headed for the Lost & Found bin. Fortunately for us, it was right on the top! Seriously, I don't know what to do with these kids!!

Day 343

Came across this fun and easy project HERE and thought it was a perfect usage of all my extra ornaments. (I loved his colors better..but alas, pinks, silvers, and purples would not go in my house.)

Day 342 {Happy Birthday Rob!}

arrrghh!! my boys {jayden} has a terrible habit of using baby wipes and flushing them down the toilet. we tried everything to clear the clogs but nothing was working so we had to call the professionals. the plumber had to snake over 75 ft. and out came a wad full of wipes on the end. On the bright side, I should be happy that Jayden takes such pride in his cleanliness and actually does wipe. On the other end, it's my own fault for still buying wipes (which I will not do anymore!)

Day 341

How I loved the rain today! It's about time..our poor little earth has been so dry and needs this so badly. It felt so cozy and warm inside with our fire glowing, cookies baking in the oven, Christmas tree lights on all day and Christmas carols blaring throughout the house. The forecast says it should last throughout the week..maybe by weeks end I'll be sick of it, but for now, I love it!

Day 340

We had a great 4 year run, me and my razor, but it was time!! It was time to retire my archaic relic and move into the world of high-tech (all I really thought I needed was a keypad). So this is my new toy: the Motorola Droid. I had wanted an iphone but refused to go back to AT&T so this was the next best thing. All I can say is: WHY DID IT TAKE ME SO LONG? I love, love, love it! I'm amazed that I lived without instant internet accessibility for so long. Now I understand why people never get off their phones. For someone as "untechy" as myself, this phone has been surprisingly simple to learn. I would give it 2 thumbs way up!

Day 339

The St. Regis {why am I seeing so many upside down Christmas trees? Is there any symbolic reason as to why?}

Day 338

Jim's work Christmas Party weekend at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Hotel: Dana Point! It was a gloriously restful weekend!

Day 337

Oh happy day!! It felt so good to send these down the shoot before our weekend get-away! {125+ this year!}

Merry Christmas to all!

Day 336 {Happy Birthday Jim!}

Happy 39th Birthday Jim!! You still don't look a day over 29! {Next year this time...BRASIL!!}

Day 335

December 1st! Every year a sweet friend has always given us a chocolate advent calendar. We learned quickly that 1 would not suffice so we usually get one for each boy (thanks Cindy for beating us to the punch). Let the countdown begin!