January 29, 2012

Here we are...two days from the end of January! One more month of winter under our belts and into 29 days of February! Yup...it's a leap year!

January has been a pretty good month! Despite one week of nasty winter cold, the trend has been milder than usual...I LIKE that! The days are longer and brighter and with that my energy seems to be increasing! YAH! I love leaving work at the end of my day and driving home in daylight!

Taylor finished his last exam of his 1st semester on Friday. I know he is glad to have the monotony of studying and writing exams done, I am anxious to see how his marks come back!  New Semester starts this Wednesday...with Chemistry, L.A.,  Social & Mechanics! A  full course load indeed! May he stay focused as the weather starts to improves!

Bill has been busy as usual with work and spending much of his limited spare time practicing on his keyboard! I think he's doing great considering the length of time since he last played {35+ years!}. I can recognize what he is playing...and Camp Town Races rocks our family room most nights!

I have been getting some scrapbooking done after a month or two of very little time! It continues to be a hobby I love! It just falls so nicely in place with my love of taking pictures. I'm happy to have a purpose for new and old pictures, instead of just throwing them in an album to collect dust! Bill pulled out some old albums from the basement a few weeks back and I have been trying to re-purpose some of those memories! Many of the pictures no longer have any meaning, so I have also gotten rid of lots! I love to throw out unnecessary garbage! Feels so good! Here are some pages using the "found" pictures! Way more interesting to look at now than in an old dingy album!

January 12, 2012!

Hello 2012! And look, you're already almost half way through your first month! Go figure, looks as if we are all back on the roller coaster of life! Here's to a good ride this year!

Bill, Taylor and I are all back into our normal routines again. Taylor's will shortly change as he has exams soon and then will start a new semester of subjects! I always remember liking that change in a semester system, a sense of renewal always seems to feel good! I think as individuals we love the "illusion" of new beginnings, new ideals, new motivation...I know I do!

Bill will resume the next level in his Spanish classes this month as well as test his ability with the keyboard! Taylor and I bought him 4 private piano lessons and surprised him with a keyboard to bring home at his first lesson! He is the toughest person to buy for as "practical" is his middle name. He never wants for anything, so I think we pulled the wool over his eyes on this one! Next Christmas we expect him to play us some Christmas carols!

Mexican Mariachi Christmas Band

We broke from tradition this Christmas and spent a wonderful week in Mexico at the Mayan Palace! It was a perfect balance of lounging around the pool, getting out to see some sights and taking in a bit of Mexican food and culture! Bill did a great job at putting his Spanish skills to work, while I worked my new camera to record the memories! Now the process of going through all those pictures is a task on my never ending to-do list! Fortunately it's a labour of love!

Mayan Palace pools were amazing to say the least!

Chips, salsa & margaritas

Excaret

Tulum

I look forward to whatever 2012 wants to share. It will continue to involve coffee with friends, scrapbooking retreats, Taylor's sporting events, work, a trip to Nova Scotia in the summer, good wine and who knows what else! My goal for 2012 is to Move More & Eat Well...no more dieting! I will share this year long goal with a group of like minded people online at Big Picture Classes...our Motivator in Command is Cathy Zielske - a breath of fresh air!