Take 12 Project - December 12 and a Look Back on 2012

With it being the last day of 2012, it seems like a good time to finally share my December Take 12 Layout.

Digital Supplies: Splendid Fiins (Classic Album Templates).

December 12 was an amazingly happy day.  That was the day that Justin came home to San Diego for the beginning of his Christmas leave (aka vacation).  We had two insane weeks in San Diego together where we celebrated Christmas and Charlotte's birthday, played at Disneyland, mourned my grandfather's death, laughed and cried with both of our families, and packed up the rest of our belongings into A LOT of suitcases before moving to Hawaii just a few days ago.  

I think I've mentioned this before, but being part of the Ella Publishing Take 12 Team has been so rewarding.  Looking through all my layouts, documenting just one day each month, truly did provide an accurate snapshot of my life - from my daily routines as a work-at-home mom to the difficulties of having a premature baby while Justin was on deployment.  I think 2012 might just be one of the hardest years of my life.  But I am so grateful that I now have 12 layouts that document this journey.  

To Elizabeth Dillow and Ella Publishing, thank you so much for the opportunity to be a part of the Ella Publishing family.  It has been an honor.

And because I love seeing all the layouts in one place, here are the rest of my 2012 Take 12 Layouts.

As always, thanks for stopping by!!  Wishing you and yours a very Happy New Year and looking forward to new and exciting things for 2013!!!

Take 12 Project - October 12 and November 12

Since my September Take Twelve post, so much has happened.  Benjamin is home.  Justin came home then left again.  Movers came to pack up our belongings.  Charlotte is getting potty trained.  I still can't believe that Thanksgiving is this Thursday.  For the record, I am cooking/ baking nothing this year.  I'm lucky to sneak in a shower in the morning before the kids are awake (or finish a shower without having to jump out dripping wet because either Benjamin or Charlotte is crying).

While both of these layouts are "late" for posting for the Ella Blog, I wanted to share them with you and keep up with the challenge.  Of all the scrapbooking things I've done this year, this challenge has been one of the most fulfilling.  It truly has been a reflection of our crazy life this year.

Here is my October Take 12 Layout.

Digital Supplies:  Carina Gardner (Photocuts Vol. 6); Design by Dani (Happily Falling); Liv.E Designs (Needs + Wants Stitches Vol. 1).


On this day, Justin spent the morning with Charlotte at Bates Nut Farm to visit the pumpkin patch.  Charlotte had a BLAST!  Before Benjamin was born and all this crazy started, Charlotte told me that Daddy was coming home to take her to the pumpkin patch.  I would gently remind her that Daddy was still on the ship but would be home by Christmas.  Apparently, the joke was on me.  :)


And here is the layout for November 12 with Daddy gone again and Ben finally home.

Digital Supplies: Splendid Fiins (Template 7); Glitz Designs (Yours Truly); Jenni Bowlin Studios (Vintage Stick Pins).

Make sure you visit the Ella Blog to see November 12 layouts created by the other Take 12 Team members!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Take 12 Project - September 12

In last month's Take Twelve layout, we said goodbye to Justin before he left on deployment.  While our family had already been separated for a few months because of Justin's training schedule, his deployment overseas brought a whole new set of fears and challenges for our family.  But I know that he was eager to get to sea, which he absolutely loves.  

This September, the 12th fell on a day dictated by a new routine for our little family.  September has presented new challenges and blessings which have forever changed our lives.  On September 7 at 11:50 pm, we welcomed into the world our beautiful baby boy, Benjamin.  He weighed 3 pounds, 3 ounces and was 16.75 inches long.  His gestational age at birthday was 30 weeks plus 6 days.  

Ben thankfully had a strong cry right out of the gate.  My sister was able to snap this photo of him before the doctors and nurses brought him down to the NICU.

Part of me feels like I jinxed myself celebrating 30 plus one not so long ago.  But I know that there is so much to be grateful for.  Baby Ben got almost an entire week longer than Charlotte did in the womb.  I was able to get 4 hours worth of steroids (to help with Ben's lung development) before I delivered.  And even though Justin was not there, I did get to speak with him both before and after the delivery.  My sister was also at my bedside during delivery.

Talking to Justin after delivery.  

Ben is currently in the NICU and being cared for by an amazing team of nurses, corpsmen and doctors.  It is the same NICU that took care of Charlotte once she was transported from Arizona to California almost three years ago.  Right after I delivered, the attending neonatologist (who was also there when Charlotte was at the NICU) said to me, "You make strong preemies."  Sigh...

My favorite photo of Benjamin to date.  Taken on September 13 after his oxygen tubes were taken off, with his IV hiding behind his head, and his light mask off.

So on September 12, my photos reflect this new reality of constantly pumping, household chores, parenting Charlotte, visiting Ben in the NICU, and trying to keep some sense of routine and normalcy for our family...on my own, without Justin.  I know that I am strong enough to do this...to get through the days and take care of our children.  But there are moments, especially when I'm driving back and forth from the hospital on my own, that I cry and am dumbfounded that here we are again.  In the NICU.  With a preemie.  I honestly and genuinely thought that I would carry this baby full term.  But it just wasn't meant to be.  And this time around, even though I am surrounded by the familiarity of the hospital, many of the same amazing nurses, and an understanding of what to expect as Ben continues to grow, I don't have my husband's shoulder to cry on.  And this entire experience, by the time Justin comes home, will only be mine and he won't be here for any of it.  

I am exceedingly grateful for what we have and am overjoyed by our new baby boy.  However, there are fleeting moments during the day or in the middle of the night where I feel that I am left chasing for rainbows in what sometimes feels like a rainstorm.  But I know that there are rainbows out there.  I just have to keep my head held high and be strong.  

Here is my layout for this month:

Supplies:  Patterned Paper, Cardstock, Stickers, Thickers by American Crafts; Punches (EK Succes, Martha Stewart Crafts; Stamps (Studio Calico, Technique Tuesday); Twine (Twinery); Epoxy Sticker (Epiphany Crafts); Xyron Mega Runner; Homemade Foam Tape.

The inspiration for the title came from here.  

For the photo page, I simply created a 12 photo collage in Picassa and printed it as a 8x10 photo on my home printer.  

And here is a close up of the September 12 subtitle area.  

Play Along.  If you are playing along this month, make sure to upload your Take 12 layout to your blog or any photo-sharing service, then link it up to this blog post by midnight EST, September 18 for a chance to win a spot in this year's Big Picture Classes Boot Camp!  

Also, as some of you may already know, Ella Publishing Co. is now a part of the Big Picture Classes family!  Big Picture Classes is the leading online education program for creative classes worldwide.  Their focus is to teach inspiration-based scrapbooking while making the creative process of scrapbooking fun and easy for everyone.  

GIVEAWAY!!  To celebrate the new relationship between Ella Publishing Co. and Big Picture Classes, I will also be hosting a giveaway - a seat in a Big Picture Class taught by Tracey Clark, Picture Color.  This is a 30 day self-paced course that will encourage you to turn your lens towards the colors that delight you the most.  To enter my giveaway, make sure that you "follow" the blog and leave a comment on this post.  I will draw a name and announce a winner on Sunday, September 22.  

To our friends and family, thank you for your constant prayers and words of congratulations and comfort.  And to everyone else, as always, thanks for stopping by!