To Do | 2012 | January Update

I want to make this post a little more entertaining so I'm going to add more photos in with my accomplishments.  Some may get their own post, but that's ok.  So this is my January...

1.  Take a monthly family photo.

2.  Do a 52 week portrait photo project.

                                                     

3.  Get a 'big girl' job.

4.  Make a dinner for a family who is going through a tough time.

5.  Plan a family trip.

6.  De-clutter my bedroom.

• Working on it.  Cleaned out my dresser and getting rid of clothes I don't want anymore.  (Didn't think that needed a photo :) )

7.  Clean/de-clutter my closet.

8.  Read a least 1 book a month.

• The You I Never Knew by Susan Wiggs.
• The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks.  Amazing book.  Read it in 3 days.  Definitely recommend. 

9.  Try 3 new recipes each month. (I'm editing this (already).  In attempts to learn how to cook better, cook 3 meals a month.  Some recipes may by new some may be old.  But at least I'm cooking.)

• Cinnamon Rolls from scratch.  So yummy! This recipe was new.
• Chicken Pot Pie.  This recipe is an oldie found on the back of Pillsbury pie box. 

10.  Do 3 projects in my craft list.

• Paper Hearts

11.  Finish watching 'Best Picture' oscar movies.  (I actually didn't start my 2011 list until March so I am still catching up on the 'Best Picture' oscar movie list.)

• Hamlet
• All the King's Men | Didn't keep my attention...
• The Greatest Show on Earth | This was a circus movie.  There were a few parts that were a little on the long side, but overall it wasn't too bad. 
• Marty
• Around the World in 80 Days
• Lawrence of Arabia | It was ok.  A little strange and hard to follow...
• Oliver
• Midnight Cowboy
• Patton | Pretty good movie.  (I think I like the war movies.  haha!) It was slightly on the long side, but then again anything going over 2 hours seems to be getting that comment...Oops!
• The Godfather Part II
• One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
• Rocky | I thought this would be a horrible movie, but there were some really funny parts.  Turns out it wasn't too bad after all. 
• Gandhi
• Out of Africa | Good.  Long.  Sad.
• The Last Emperor | Super long.  And some parts were quite disgusting.  
• A Beautiful Mind | Mom said it was long and boring, but I didn't think it was too bad.  I actually liked it.

12.  Watch 'Best Actor' oscar movies.

• Emil Jannings-Last Command
• Warner Baxter-In Old Arizona
• George Arliss-Desraeli
• Lionel Barrymore-A Free Soul
• Wallace Berry-The Champ
• Charles Laughton-The Private Life of Henry VIII
• Clark Gable-It Happened One Night
• Victor McLaglen-The Informer
• Paul Muni-The Story of Louis Pasteur
• Spencer Tracy-Captains Courageous
• Spencer Tracy-Boys Town
• Robert Donat-Goodbye Mr. Chips
• Jimmy Stewart-The Philadelphia Story
• Gary Cooper-Sergeant York
• James Cagney-Yankee Doodle Dandy
• Paul Lukas-Watch on the Rhine
• Bing Crosby-Going My Way
• Ray Milland-The Lost Weekend
• Fredric March-The Best Years of Our Lives
• Ronald Colman-A Double Life
• Laurence Oliver-Hamlet
• Broaderick Crawford-All the King's Men
• Jos Ferrer-Cyrano de Bergerac
• Humphrey Bogard-The African Queen
• Gary Cooper-High Noon
• William Holden-Stalag 17
• Marlon Brando-On the Waterfront
• Enerst Borgnin-Marty
• Yul Brynner-The King and I
• Alec Fuinness-The Bridge on the River Kwai
• David Niven-Seperate Tables
• Charlton Heston-Ben Hur
• Burt Lancaster-Elmer Gantry
• Miximilian Schell-Judgement at Nuremberg
• Gregory Peck-To Kill a Mockingbird
• Sidney Poitier-Liles of the Field
• Rex Harrison-My Fair Lady
• Lee Marvin-Cat Ballou
• Paul Scofield-A Man for All Seasons
• Rod Steiger-In the Heat of the Night
• Cliff Robertson-Charly
• John wayne-True Grit
• George C. Scott-Patton
• Gene Hackman-The French Connection
• Marlon Brando-The Godfather
• Jack Lemmon-Save the Tiger
• Art Carney-Harry and Tonto
• Jack Nicholson-One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
• Peter Finch-Network
• Richard Dreyfuss-The Goodbye Girl
• Jon Voight-Coming Home
• Dustin Hoffman-Kramer vs. Kramer
• Robert De Niro-Raging Bull
• Henry Fonda-On Golden Pond
• Ben Kingsley-Gandhi
• Robert Duvall-Tender Mercies
• F. Murray Abraham-Amadeus
• William Hurt-Kiss of the Spider Woman
• Paul Nweman-The Color of Money
• Michael Douglas-Wall Street
• Dustin Hoffman-Rain Man
• Daniel Day Lewis-My Left Foot
• Jeremy Irons-Reversal of Fortune
• Anthony Hopkins-Silence of the Lambs
• Al Pacino-Scent of a Woman
• Tom Hanks-Philadelphia
• Tom Hanks-Forrest Gump
• Nicolas Cage-Leaving Las Vegas
• Geoffrey Rush-Shine
• Jack Nicholson-As Good As It Gets
• Roberto Benigni-Life is Beautiful
• Kevin Spacey-American Beauty
• Russell Crowe-Gladiator
• Denzel Washington-Training Day
• Adrien Brody-The Pianist
• Sean Penn-Mystic River
• Jamie Foxx-Ray | Really good movie.  I think Jamie Foxx definitely deserved this win.  I read that he really did play the piano in the movie and he wore fake eyelids which made him blind.  His acting was extremely authentic and it shows.
• Philip Seymour Hoffman-Capote
• Forest Whitaker-The Last King of Scotland
• Daniel Day Lewis-There Will Be Blood
• Sean Penn-Milk
• Jeff Bridges-Crazy Heart
• Colin Firth-The King's Speech

*Note: The oscar nominations have been put out this month.  To be honest, I'm very surprised by a few of them.  There are some people who have been nominated that I don't think their work is oscar worthy.  But I'm looking more at the movie history, not just for this one particular role.  So I guess I shouldn't pass judgement.  

January | 2012

This month

...has been extremely warm, we have yet to get snow this year (at least more than a dusting)

...I got a new lens (which I love!)

...I lost another family member

...has been filled with empty days

...(or more this year) is filled with many photo challenges 

However, next month I vow

...to have more days full of laughter

...and to new beginnings (fingers crossed!)

Because I know God will bring me to good things this year.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday | January 29, 2012

Smile

Taken from my 52 week project.  Week 4.

Stand Alone

Rusty/Old

Railroad Track

Artificial

I struggled with this prompt so I choose a photo from the archives.  This was taken 4 1/2 years ago during my first college photography class.  This was taken with my 35mm film camera.  I processed the negatives and then printed the photo in the dark room.  A much longer process than how I take photos today, but it sure was fun learning.

Repeating Pattern

I love my family.

They are goofy and silly and just make me laugh.

I am sworn to secrecy to not share the other photos that were taken in the little photo shoot.  But take my word--they are fall out of your seat funny.  Dad was being ornery and and making the silliest faces.  

(And did you notice a blurry beige head?  Yep, that's right, Abby just had to be in the photo too.  One of these days I'll get her to pose in our family photos, but she was getting some loving so that wasn't going to happen.)

smile

Week 4

January 24, 2012

Scavenger Hunt Sunday | January 22, 2012

I am especially excited to see everyones post this week mainly because this weeks prompts were my idea. I had an idea in the back of my mind on what they 'should' look like, but I am looking forward to other people's interpretations.  I hope you enjoyed this weeks hunt!

Sunset

I almost missed the sun setting, but I just caught it at the very end.  I like the thin stripe of pink.

Black and White

A Day In My Life

Watching my shows at the end of the day.

(I've been doing a lot of this throughout the day too.  A habit that must be broken soon.)

Four

The flowers we got from my grandfather's funeral earlier this month are starting to go downhill.  So we separated the good ones and make them into their own little arrangement.

I'm so enjoying the little touch of sprig in the house.

Colorful

Through the Lens

Week 3

January 17, 2012

Finally got around to taking a photo with my new lens.

This was a {huge} event but I never got around to taking the photo

because life got in the way...

Cinnamon Rolls

I've had a few people asked about the cinnamon rolls I made from my scavenger hunt post.  So I thought I'd share.  However, I can't take credit for them.  I found the recipe on pinterest.

1 cup warm milk

2 eggs, room temperature

1/3 cup margarine, melted

4 ½ cups all purpose flour, sifted

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup white sugar

1 package active dry yeast

Filling:

1 cup brown sugar, packed

2 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon

1/3 cup butter, softened

Frosting:

3 ounces of cream cheese, softened

¼ cup butter, softened

1 ½ cups confectioners’ (powdered) sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1.       Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk in a large bowl. Mix in the sugar, margarine, salt, and eggs. Add the flour in quarters and mix well. It will get a little tough, but keep at it until it’s well mixed! If it starts to get way too hard to mix anymore, dust your hands with some flour and finish mixing it by hand.

2.       Knead the dough into a large ball and put it back into the bowl. Cover it with a dish cloth and let it rise in a warm place for about an hour, or until doubled in size.

3.       Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

4.       Roll dough into a large rectangle (Make sure not to roll it too thin, or it will rip when you roll it up). Spread dough with the softened butter and sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture evenly over it. Roll the dough up and cut into 10 rolls, discarding the two end bits. This will leave you with 8 good sized rolls.

5.       Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about thirty minutes.

6.       Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together the ingredients for the frosting. Spread or drizzle it on warm rolls before serving.

I hope you enjoy!  (We sure did!)

Scavenger Hunt Sunday | January 15, 2012

I apologize, these photos don't have much variation.  I took all but one in the kitchen while I was baking.  But hey-that is kinda what a scavenger hunt is, finding random things in your surroundings that you won't necessarily notice.  

These are my week 2 findings.

Hope you enjoy!

Stacked Up

Winter Wonderland

We have not gotten much snow this year, well scratch that, we haven't gotten any snow this year.  And by year I mean this winter season.  However, we did get just a few snow flurries this week and they were beautiful! 

Sweet

Baking cinnamon rolls from scratch for the second time this year.  They are heavenly!

(I know I shouldn't put in my opinion, but this is by far my favorite photo in the set.)

Hole

Frozen

I know--it's cliched, but I kinda like it.

just because

"just because something isn't happening for you right now doesn't mean that it will never happen."

12of12 | January 2012

It is the first 12of12 this year.  And I am so excited to be starting another year twelves.  

It always seems like I am extremely busy on all the days surrounding the 12th, but never have much going on on the 12th.  I promise, I do have a life!  

Last month I graduated from college and I have yet to find a job.  That is why my day looks like an uneventful weekend day.  But with everything going on lately, I'll take it!

So, without further ado, here is my January 12th, 2012.  

01.  Good morning.  It's my first 12of12 using my new graduation gift to myself, aka, my new lens!
02.  Snow!  We were suppose to get 1-3 inches and as you can see we didn't get that.   But it is the first real snow fall of the season.  (It has been incredibly warm here lately...like close to 60 degrees warm.)
03.  Putting away Christmas decorations.
04.  Our morning bathroom break.  Have to check out what's going on in the neighborhood.
05.  Abby prints.
06.  Dad looking at photos of his parents.
07.  Abby being extremely needy and wanting attention.  "I think I will lay here, right on top of the photos of grandma and grandpa...sound good?!  Mkkk!"
08.  Our visitor.
09.  Flag from grandpa's funeral.  (He passed away on January 5th and we just had his funeral on the 10th.  For those of you who follow through the 12of12 link, yes, I have had yet another death in the family making this number 3 in 4 1/2 months.)
10.  More snow.  So pretty!
11.  My instagram daily photo.  (Check back at the end of the month to see them all together!  Or you can follow me @trulymegs.)
12.  Sunset.

Heavy Heart

Week 2

January 10, 2012

I have a heavy heart tonight.

It really puts into perspective on how fragile life is when

your family experiences

3 deaths and 2 terminal illnesses

in a very short time frame.

(20 months to be exact.)

I realize that every life ends at some point.

But it just doesn't make sense

when 3 of the 5 mentioned above comes way before their time.

It just doesn't make any sense.

So tonight,

I have a heavy heart.

{P.S. I'm really tired of doing these types of photos.}

Scavenger Hunt Sunday | January 8, 2012

One Color

This was to focus more on the bowl of peanuts, but I got a new lens and I'm still trying to adjust to it.

Laundry

This one is from the archives, but we have been doing a lot of laundry around our house lately.  And it's mostly all my clothes...Oops!

Empty

This photo was meant to have it's own post but I never found the strength to look at the photos after I took them.  These are my grandpa Hower's shoes.  I took this photo a few days after he passed away back in November.  He always kept his shoes under the bed, just barely hanging out.  I don't remember if this is something he has always done, but it is one quirk that I remember about him in his later years.  I miss him so much.
Along with all the other people I've lost in the last 5 months.
(3 in total).

One Dozen

One dozen thank you cards for graduation gifts.

Soft

Holding On And Letting Go

Week 1

January 7, 2012

In the last year I have learned that life is one big balancing act.  

There are some things and events in life that are worth holding on to with dear life. 

And then there are other things that you don't have any control over.  

Things that are better off if you just let go of them.

This year I hope I live in a way that I let go of the little things that don't really matter.

This year I hope I live in a way that I hold on to the things that really truly matter.  

And never let those go.  

Robert H. Bailey, Sr.

1989

2007

Robert H. Bailey, Sr.

December 3, 1929

January 5, 2012

You have got to be kidding me. This can't be happening again....

I had really high hopes that 2012 would not bring heartache.  And I kinda believed this to be true.

Guess I was wrong.

We are 4 days into the year and we are continuing our downward slope.  Part of me has to laugh at it all even though it is not funny.  I think it is part of the survival instinct in me.

Around 3:30 this afternoon my dad got a call saying that his father had low oxygen levels and that they were sending him to the ER.  It wasn't until 2 1/2 hours later did we get another call from my dad saying that they put my grandpa on a bypass breathing tube.  He also has pneumonia, along with a few other things, and it isn't looking too good.

The reason I can't help but kind of laugh at all this is that my family has experienced a death in the family every 3 months since August....And all of these deaths come right after the person's birthday.

In August my Uncle turned 50 and 5 days later he was in a bicycle accident.  In September my grandpa Hower celebrated his 90th birthday and on November 1st, he passed away.  In December my grandpa Bailey had a birthday.  Here we are, a month and a day later, and he is in the hospital and it is not looking good.

Coincidence?  Who knows.  But I can't help but see the connection.

So I ask you this...
Please keep my family in your prayers.
Because we kinda need it.

Thank you!

Top 11 of 2011 | Abby

I'm linking up for the Top 11 of 2011.  I do not have any kids, but I do have my baby Abby.  She is spoiled rotten and I love her so much!

1. January | I think this might be one of my all time favorite photos of Abby this year.  It was taken during one of the many snow storms we got in January.  She loved running up and down the drive way while mom and I shoveled all the snow.  (Well, mom shoveled, I took photos :) )

2.  January | Laying in the sun.

3.  February | Sniffing the flowers.

4.  March | Morning snuggles with Abby.  (Part of my 52 week photo project.)

5.  April | Nap time.

6.  July | Abby's 10th Birthday.  (Also part of my 52 week photo project.)

7.  July | Another birthday photo.

8.  August | Abby loves car rides!

9.  September | Abby got a new toy from a friend.  Giving Rocky kisses, but baby (the white polar bear) is still her all time favorite.

10.  December | This isn't a favorite photo, but it sums up Abby perfectly.  She ALWAYS thinks she can lay on me, whether it be my lap, on or in my arms, on my computer, or on my head.

11.  2010 | This wasn't taken this year, but it was taken a few days after my world came troubling down.  Abby knows how to bring a smile to my face and I thank her for that.  She is my sweet baby girl and I love her.