t.g.i.f and Happy {Lunar} New Year! :freebie too:

Thank goodness it's Friday. And Happy New Year - year of the Ox. My sister Gina was born in the year of the Ox. Moo.

Synopsis, my friends? Life is good. :)

-met up with some new friends at a local Chinese buffet for Lunar New Year
-Amanda's homeschooling is going swimmingly. It's exciting to see my little one grasping the concepts of fractions and geometry so readily. Amanda's latest interest is astronomy, as you will see in this drawing she made:


(do you need a translation? clockwise: Mars, Uranus, Moon, Pluto {she says is now a little dwarfy planet}, Daddy Planet, Abby Planet, Amanda Planet, Neptune, Sun, Mommy Planet, Saturn, and Venus)
-Abigail is now an adoring fan of the shows Caillou and Curious George
-made an astoundingly delicious balsamic vinegar reduction sauce the other day. It made for an even tastier chicken and veggie pasta! Ah, the wonderful internet is my favorite cookbook...
-finishing up post-processing on my first wedding shoot
-sore from yesterday's weight training class - it's aptly called "Chisel". Since I have shelved my goal of running the Race to Robie Creek because of my knees, I'm focusing on strengthening my knees and ankles. And core. And arms. Who am I kidding, everything. I've found a good 11-year-old running partner too. Jeremy, are you reading this?
-Ron set up the new 52" in our family room. TV has not been this fun in a long time! Abigail is able to unpause the Media Center (DVR) already - another nerd is in our midst!
-gearing up to paint the rest of my kitchen
-finishing up some projects for friends
-one of my projects was featured in a publication, The Daily Scrapper. You can snag this freebie there:







-some layouts from the past month or so:











-made a "feelings" notebook for Amanda, so she and I can communicate about things that are on her mind. The rule is that she can write in it whatever she wants when she's feeling a certain sentiment, whether she's angry with me over something or excited/nervous/happy with other things. Then I respond to her. Occasionally, I add entries too:












(created for the hybrid feature in ScrapMatters' January newsletter)

Whew, this is one loooooonnnnnnng post. You deserve a good weekend for plodding through my mind's mumbo jumbo~