When I'm Not Sure What to Write...I Write Everything

As always, the most "cooperative" photo subjects around.  Ha.

I have done a dozen or more of these kind of "general update" posts in the past and I'm afraid that's what you're going to get from me this time.  I have such writer's block lately!  So for those of you who like to know basically what's going on with our family currently, this is a post for you.

Weekend Recap

I am just sitting down at my computer for the first time since Friday.  I am excited to tell you about our weekend.  What a fun way to begin our December!

Journaling: Day 30

I can't believe I made it!  Start to finish ... thirty whole days of journaling.  This has been an incredible and fun experience for me. 

So let's not waste more time getting #30 out here.  Here's Janel's final prompt this summer and here is my entry...

Journaling: Day 29

I can hardly believe there is only one more day of this 30-day Journal Challenge.  The time has literally flown by!  I think because I had so much fun doing this project, but also because in general, June was a busy month for our family.

Anyway, here's the prompt for today from Janel and here is my journal entry...

Journaling: Day 28

I had so much fun with this journal entry today.  If you know me, you know I can usually come up with lots of ideas pretty well because I'm a "starter."  Finishing projects is more of a challenge for me.  So Janel's prompt today allowed me to focus on my strength of developing ideas or starts for things...

Journaling: Day 27

I can hardly believe we're nearly done with this Journal Challenge.  I have had a blast using my mind this way all month.  I can't wait till next summer to go again and I think I talked J into doing it with me, too, because she's been so fascinated with all my journal pages!  She'd be great at it.

Okay, so today's prompt was about something that touched my heart today.  I'd been reading through this book I got recently at a consignment store called, Wisdom of Meerkats.  It's a quick read because it's mostly a collection of famous quotes (not spoken by actual meerkats) and lots of darling photos of my second-favorite animal.  But there are some really neat quotes in the book and I found myself laughing out loud when I read the one I used for my journal entry today (which is why I used it).

Journaling: Day 26

Today's prompt is about recording what happened today.  Unfortunately for me, my "day" started very early and therefore, I ran out of room before I could get to the end of the actual day.  So according to this journal entry, everything was done by 7:30pm (the truth is, anything can happen between 7:30 and 11:59pm in this house!).

Journaling: Day 25

Today's prompt led to a journal entry that came very naturally to me.  There are so many things I wish for our children.  But the hard part is selecting just one to highlight for my journal entry.  Here is what I decided on...

Journaling: Day 24

Okay, Readers, I apologize if you're closely following my journal progress and were left holding your breath (as if), but I fell behind yesterday.  Sundays are usually a pretty busy day and yesterday was no exception.  After church, I was getting S and H ready for camp (including last minute purchases), plus cleaning out the van so the youth group could borrow it, plus attending a Partylite party at my sister's house.

So here is yesterday's prompt and my journal entry for it -- a day late.  If we're lucky, I'll find time to do today's today, and I'll be all caught up again!

Journaling: Day 23

Today's prompt was a free choice.  That's a lot of pressure!  I was really lacking in creativity, too.  But S came to my rescue, when I explained to her I couldn't think of what to do, so she said, "Why not do a page about New Mexico?"  Yes!  That's a great idea.

Journaling: Day 22

Today's journal prompt was all about what we're looking forward to (in big and small ways).  I love anticipation!  It's almost always better than the actual thing.

Here's my page...

Journaling: Day 21

When I read that Janel wanted us to write about our favorite story of the day, I was thinking it was going to take me all day to decide.  But no.  I had my story by 9:30 this morning and I knew it's very unlikely anything will top it.

First, here's my journal page (and then I'll explain)...

Journaling: Day 20

Two-thirds of the way through this journal challenge!  And Janel keeps coming up with fun ideas for journal entries.  Today, was no different.  In fact, you'll probably enjoy it more today because for once, it's not my work.  I had to give up the control to someone else to do the journal page for me.  Giving up control is not very easy, but I did it!

Journaling: Day 19

I made it, folks.  C is away at the OHUG conference in Las Vegas all week.  He said his presentation went very well!  This is all good news, but it's little comfort for us at home who miss him desperately.  But we're surviving. 

Journaling: Day 18

Going along with a combination of today's journal prompt and the one from the other day requiring the use of my imagination, I came up with today's journal page.

Journaling: Day 17

Hello again.  Okay, so for today's journal page, I was supposed to dedicate the page to a special dad or man in my life.  Well, since I've recently posted so many wonderful things here about my husband, I thought I would use the opportunity to brag on my dad a bit.

Journaling: Day 16

One skill I'm not particularly good at is imagining.  I'm not really good at fantasizing about things that aren't actually happening and I don't get the hypothetical.  These are important skills for writers and artists, alike, but no matter how hard I try, I am lacking in this area.

For that reason, this was the first journal prompt that I nearly gave up on.  However, I dug deep and reflected on things that are real and true in our life right now and tried to figure a way to tweak them to think about how life would be if just one thing was changed.

That's how I came up with today's journal page...

Journaling: Day 15

Here we are, Readers; half way through the challenge.  Only 15 more days of tolerating my horrible artistry and handwriting! Ha!  I know some people might think to continue on, journaling like this forever.  But for me, while this has been fun, I know some of the joy is knowing that it's a project with a timeline.  Knowing that in 15 days the pressure to keep up is off.

This whole year, our family has endured a little and a lot of sickness.  Even now as a stomach bug makes its way through our family members for the umpteenth time, I am reluctant to give in and say that we are defined by our sickness.  I jokingly call it the "Year of the V" or the "Year of the Doctor" (in my blog and in real life), but truthfully, there is a lot of other stuff that better defines us and our year.

Journaling: Day 14

Janel made today's prompt nice and easy, so I tried hard to put in some extra effort.  Here it is...

Journaling: Day 13

Note to my kids: If/when you ever see the following journal page you don't like how I've depicted you, please don't think I don't love you or think you are beautiful.  I'm just a really, really horrible artist.  I'm following the assignment today, though, and I gave it my best shot.  Please take seriously the part about you inspiring me, but do not take seriously my artwork.  Thank you.