Our week in pictures

The roads are slick this morning, so I’m waiting  on a little daylight to help me get to work safely. With Ella in the backseat, it can be a looong daunting drive when the roads are icy. Anyway, I wish that someone would come in my room and tell me to just go back to sleep for awhile when  the roads are bad, but instead I wake up, check the news, wait for the information I need, get on my email to let the appropriate people at work know, check the road conditions online … By this time I’m completely awake. So much for a little extra sleep.

Anyway, I mentioned some photos yesterday. Here they are …

Ella found a new hangout, right next to the crockpot.

She already understands that Oreos need to be dipped in milk to be at their best.

The housework is just never done.

I should have gotten an “after” picture of our watercolor painting experience. She did a lot of good work. She loved it.

We finally found something to do with all those address labels we get int he mail.

Ella enjoys the snow.

Why do I always look terrible when there’s a camera out?

Such a good helper.

Her little play dough roller was perfect for her to help roll out the cookies.

Getting warmed up for Christmas

I sorta took a break from realty last week. I didn’t do much cooking or cleaning or blogging. I was generally very lazy. And that’s OK. I needed it. But now I feel like being productive and busy again so I’m glad that funk has passed.

Anyway, we had a great weekend. Grandma stepped in to babysit while my husband and I had a needed date night. We went out for an awesome sushi meal and watched the movie Nothing Like the Holidays. I love all the home-for-the-holidays type movies. We also stopped by DeBrands Chocolate Shoppe for a little treat before the movies. Right before we gulped down a huge bucket of popcorn and huge Cokes. Oy. Was that a good idea to start pigging out nearly two weeks before Christmas? Not sure. But so good.

Speaking of, I need to get my butt back to the gym. I think part of the reason I lose motivation every few months is because it gets so BORING. And I don’t even see a difference either. I think my body’s getting bored too. So step 1 will be to find something NEW to do. Train for a 5k? Take a class? Buy a new video? Something.

Anyway, last night John and Kate Plus Eight (which I formally loved) came on and I just couldn’t really watch it. They were reading this book - The Tale of Despereaux - which is coming to theaters soon and they all had their little matching mouse stuffed animals. I’m guessing the movie paid for that plug. And they were at some hotel it looked like - probably doing some sponsored book or show tour. It just doesn’t seem like reality anymore. Hawaii, New York, plastic surgery, nothing normal these days … it’s just not really the same show anymore. I don’t blame them at all though. Who would not take all those awesome opportunities … but anyway, I think the show’s run its course. Besides, have you seen 17 Kids and Counting? The Duggars are about to have 18 kids. 8 kids doesn’t seem so crazy anymore.

Well I have tons of photos to post from recently. We’ve taken some great ones of Ella lately and have done some fun things at home. Funny because I was so worried about having nothing to do this winter and it seems like we’re nonstop. You’ll see soon …

Some photos, since I’ve been a slacker

First, thanks Steve for the sweet post about my awards. That was nice since I didn’t actually get to go to the award ceremony (still have to put out a paper!) And if I can find some samples of the work I’ll post them since one of my newspaper friends requested. In the meantime, here are a few recent pics, since I really haven’t been wanting to write much …

Ella with her cousin Rylan a few weeks ago. He was so funny. He was so excited to see her he immediately sat her down and took her shoes and socks off so she could go play.

Ella enjoys the hotel bed in Ludington.

Oh Denny’s, thank you for having rocket ship cups that made our trip home more enjoyable.

It’s really hard to get a good picture of a Christmas tree, in case you didn’t know.

Ella has some thumbsucking wounds on her thumb, but nothing that a million Hello Kitty bandaids won’t heal.

Erin’s Work Shines in State Contest

Hi - it’s the husband, Stephen. My brother-in-law hacked his wife’s site to compliment her Thanksgiving cooking, so I thought I would hack my wife’s blog to brag about her award-winning design talents.

She truly is an amazing designer, which is one of the reasons I got out of it and went into web design instead. Anyway, here is a story about her awards:

INDIANAPOLIS — KPC Media Group newspapers earned praises in the annual Hoosier State Press Association awards presented Saturday in Indianapolis.

The News-Sun’s presentation editor, Erin Doucette, won three awards. She took first place and second place in the best feature section category in the News-Sun’s circulation division. Her winning entries included Sunday Life sections on topics such as vegetable gardening, local coffee houses, traveling to Chicago baseball stadiums and a trip to China by tai chi practitioners. Those Life sections appeared in all three KPC daily newspapers.

Doucette also took first place for best use of graphics.

Doucette’s work helped The News-Sun to a first place for best newspaper design. Judges said, “There are papers larger than this one that don’t get good, clean, functional design like this paper does. … Excellent.”