tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60983936159784166162024-03-05T17:11:02.002+00:00Kelly KFormerly Kelly K in the UK. I know.Kelly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09326867272851806954noreply@blogger.comBlogger244125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098393615978416616.post-51936239078467595972012-03-02T02:50:00.000+00:002012-03-02T02:50:21.178+00:00Music ManCaleb had his first piano lesson tonight! He seemed to have fun, and the piano teacher is very enthusiastic, fun and patient and perfect for Caleb. <br />
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This was taken through the studio door. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6799221946/" title="First Piano Lesson by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="First Piano Lesson" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7207/6799221946_c4d80244e8.jpg" width="332" /></a><br />
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I hope he continues to enjoy it! :)Kelly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09326867272851806954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098393615978416616.post-36971934031626582942012-03-01T03:14:00.000+00:002012-03-01T03:14:25.634+00:00February Photo A Day - All The Rest!Capping off my leap day with catch up on the last of the Fat Mum Slim's February Photo a Day challenge. <br />
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Friday - Inside your bathroom cabinet. This is actually a sliding shelf unit that fits right in between our cabinets and the wall. (What's up with not just carrying the cabinets all the way to the wall, builders?)<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6936802507/" title="030 by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="030" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7048/6936802507_4146dd93a7.jpg" width="332" /></a><br />
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Saturday - Green. This was some cilantro I chopped up for dinner. How much do I love cilantro? How did I live so many years without eating it on a regular basis?<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6936801391/" title="023 by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="023" height="332" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7051/6936801391_c208bf6dff.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Sunday - Night. A streetlight in our neighborhood.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6936800681/" title="014 by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="014" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7046/6936800681_ff76e3af8e.jpg" width="332" /></a><br />
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Monday - Something you ate. My friend Liz posted this recipe to her blog, Butter and Onions, and this is my second time making it. I LOVE it. Asian Chicken Noodle Soup. Easy and delicious!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6790682552/" title="011 by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="011" height="332" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7041/6790682552_127f90492f.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Tuesday - Money. This is my emergency caffeine stash at work.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6942734493/" title="001 by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="001" height="332" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7045/6942734493_42074a2c2c.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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And finally, today! I've been enjoying this song. :)<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6796622540/" title="004 by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="004" height="332" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7058/6796622540_00171b71d5.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Okay! There! Not exactly posted every day, but a picture for every day of February! Yay me. :)Kelly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09326867272851806954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098393615978416616.post-71238828682147059082012-02-24T02:46:00.000+00:002012-02-24T02:46:07.199+00:00February Photo a Day - Work, ShoeFor yesterday's photo theme, where I work, I submit the full color marquee that everyone sees as they drive onto post. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6778511740/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="FJ by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="FJ" height="332" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7205/6778511740_1488cdbaf8.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Did you know that Fort Jackson graduates more than 50% of incoming soldiers every year? Roughly 1,000 soldiers graduated Basic Training every week! So Wednesdays (family day) and Thursdays (graduation day) are busy days on post. As in, don't bother trying to eat at the PX. And definitely get gas at the small shoppette. <br />
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Anyway, it took me a while to get used to working for the Army. Having grown up an Air Force brat and then marrying into the AF, it was a difficult transition. But I enjoy my job and my coworkers and am proud to serve soldiers at Fort Jackson in the tiny capacity that I do! After all, Victory Starts Here! (Sorry. I couldn't resist.)<br />
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For today's theme, Shoes, here is the pair of sparkly flats that I wear probably more than any other shoe. I got them last summer on sale at Dress Barn. They are starting to get a little worn out though, so it may be time to invest in another pair of every day flats.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6778509984/" title="Sparkly Shoe by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="Sparkly Shoe" height="332" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7061/6778509984_e7705c3366.jpg" width="500" /></a>Kelly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09326867272851806954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098393615978416616.post-87886591712938573992012-02-22T02:01:00.000+00:002012-02-22T02:01:03.279+00:00February Photo A Day - Drink, Hate, Handwriting, FaveI'm actually doing well at taking my daily photos. However, I'm pretty lousy at making the time to upload them. FatMumSlim has a March Photo a Day challenge I'd like to participate in, but I might have to rethink my strategy. It's just not realistic for me to blog daily. <br />
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Having said that, let me catch up on the February Photo A Day challenge!<br />
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For the 18th, Drink, here is my morning cuppa from this past Saturday. I'm not sure how I ever functioned before PG Tips.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6919202003/" title="Cuppa by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="Cuppa" height="332" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7207/6919202003_810a678dcc.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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For the 19th, Something You Hate to Do, here are the burnt pancakes I made for my family. I consider myself a pretty decent home chef, but for some reason, I straight suck at making pancakes. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6773086592/" title="Burnt Pancakes by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="Burnt Pancakes" height="332" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7062/6773086592_fd3166c57b.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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It's kind of a rubbish picture, and I almost did some editing. Then I thought, "The pancakes sucked. Why shouldn't the picture?"<br />
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For the 20th, Handwriting, here is a snapshot of some notes of mine at work. When I put my mind to it, I have pretty decent handwriting. I actually hand addressed all of our wedding invites. And to blatantly toot my own horn, I think I did a good job! But my day-to-day handwriting is nothing specialy. Some days it's barely legible. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6773087590/" title="Handwriting by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="Handwriting" height="332" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7062/6773087590_662b9d4eb3.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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And for today, A Fave Photo of You, here is a self-portrait taken while laying beneath the Chicago bean. A great trip, and one of my favorite pictures of myself. I think it pretty much sums up exactly who I am, which is mostly just a big goof in a hoodie.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6919204637/" title="Chicago by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="Chicago" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7070/6919204637_c6816a0e5d.jpg" width="375" /></a>Kelly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09326867272851806954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098393615978416616.post-77776044482050742692012-02-18T03:30:00.000+00:002012-02-18T03:30:44.816+00:00February Photo A Day - TimeIt's been a long week. Lots of late nights between Valentine's Day prep and the Quicken transition. So I was happy it was Friday. Especially since Monday is a holiday! Thank you, presidents!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6894511803/" title="Time by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="Time" height="332" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7195/6894511803_db6ae12dcd.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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I had a short day already because I was out in the morning accompanying Caleb's preschool class on a field trip to the zoo. In spite of that (or maybe because of that!) I was eagerly counting down to the weekend by mid afternoon. <br />
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A trip to the zoo with 1 four year old makes me tired. A trip with 34 four year olds just plain wiped me out! At least they were well behaved kids! Those preschool teachers are doing a good job of keeping them in line!Kelly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09326867272851806954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098393615978416616.post-86780478977321225802012-02-17T00:15:00.001+00:002012-02-17T00:18:37.412+00:00February Photo A Day - Something NewOoo! I'm excited for this one. <br />
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My Valentine took me to Best Buy this week for a bit of upgrading. First, we picked out Quicken. I've been a Microsoft Money user for years, but my version is outdated and getting buggy, so it was time for an update. Apparently, Microsoft is no longer making Money, so I've switched over to Quicken.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6888870457/" title="Upgrade! by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="Upgrade!" height="332" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7189/6888870457_358282b04c.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Let me qualify this. I'm in the process of switching over. The accounts are synced up. Now to transfer the bill reminders, etc. I think I'm probably at about 50-60% complete with the transition. <br />
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And I got a new camera! Whoop whoop! I'm super excited about this baby!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6888855657/" title="Oh, baby by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="Oh, baby" height="332" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7207/6888855657_d0244d98a0.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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It's a Sony NEX 5N, and I pretty much adore it, so far. It's compact enough to still make it convenient to use, but advanced enough to take some pretty awesome pictures (without being so advanced that I'd be lost!) <br />
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I'm not a photographer by any stretch of the imagination. But I do like to think of myself as a bit of a documentarian. I love to document things...whether it's on Facebook or my blog or with pictures. I just want to remember. So I'm pretty excited to put my busted up, taped up Nikon S-51 back on the shelf and to move on to bigger and better things with my Sony!<br />
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Happy Valentine's Day to me!Kelly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09326867272851806954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098393615978416616.post-44930213399625140592012-02-16T00:14:00.000+00:002012-02-16T00:14:05.046+00:00February Photo A Day - PhoneI keep a charger at work because I tend to forget to charge my phone overnight. I also have a charger in my car.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6883612731/" title="011 by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="011" height="332" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7198/6883612731_9d4947b0b9.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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In spite of having three charges, I still occasionally forget to charge my phone at all, much to my husband's irritation. <br />
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Silly electronic leash.Kelly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09326867272851806954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098393615978416616.post-25255506362634184922012-02-16T00:11:00.000+00:002012-02-16T00:11:58.100+00:00February Photo A Day - HeartIt isn't a heart, but here is Caleb's Valentine for this year. Thanks for the inspiration, Pinterest!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6883669149/" title="028 by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7037/6883669149_14f8e9d0fe.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="028"></a><br />
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For the record, his head wasn't cut off in the original picture, but it printed that way. Bummer! I still love it, though. :)Kelly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09326867272851806954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098393615978416616.post-52427003555602588582012-02-16T00:05:00.000+00:002012-02-16T00:05:03.589+00:00February Photo A Day - Blue<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6883614261/" title="017 by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="017" height="332" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7049/6883614261_b28834b7d5.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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The most beautiful set of baby blues I've ever laid eyes on.Kelly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09326867272851806954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098393615978416616.post-85764484493919475492012-02-16T00:03:00.000+00:002012-02-16T00:03:31.505+00:00February Photo A Day - Inside Your ClosetOne of my favorite things about this house is my closet. First of all, it's huge. Second of all, it's all mine! <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6883620285/" title="026 by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="026" height="332" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7047/6883620285_8d2e21de64.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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I knew this house was a serious contender when I saw there were seperate closest in the master bedroom!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6883618041/" title="025 by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="025" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7059/6883618041_b9f245ef81.jpg" width="332" /></a><br />
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Honestly, one of our bedrooms in England was about the size of my closet here. There's a lot about England I miss. That tiny bedroom ain't one of those things!Kelly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09326867272851806954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098393615978416616.post-35360392138595802142012-02-16T00:00:00.002+00:002012-02-16T00:00:17.997+00:00February Photo A Day - Makes You HappySaturday was my neice's 3rd birthday party. This is Caleb and his cousin Sophia showing some love to the birthday girl, Krista!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6883610313/" title="Krista Birthday 2012 026 b by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7177/6883610313_b8b664db5d.jpg" width="500" height="363" alt="Krista Birthday 2012 026 b"></a><br />
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I love how much Caleb loves his cousins! I only wish we lived closer to the rest of them!Kelly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09326867272851806954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098393615978416616.post-64411658721599314912012-02-15T23:58:00.000+00:002012-02-15T23:58:51.697+00:00February Photo A Day - Self PortratI haven't forgotten about February Photo a Day. But I have gotten a bit too busy to sit down and blog. So pardon me while I catch up on the last few days!<br />
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Here's a self-portrait from last week. Friday we took Caleb to his very first monster truck rally, which he loved! Everyone warned us about the noise, so we invested in some inexpesive hearing protection. Thank goodness we did. It WAS loud!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6883611065/" title="008 by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7184/6883611065_4661e9e5f0.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="008"></a><br />
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However, nobody warned us we'd be sitting in a cloud of noxious exhaust fumes for two hours! My eyes were burning in the beginning! I wished I had brought my onion goggles! Maybe next time!Kelly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09326867272851806954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098393615978416616.post-40671642610172489062012-02-09T02:15:00.001+00:002012-02-09T02:18:48.401+00:00February Photo A Day - Front DoorI'm cheating by sneaking this one in a day early. But tomorrow is going to be a long day, and I'm not sure I'll be home before 9. I turn into a pumpkin around 10, so I figured if I was going to do this at all, I better do this today!<br />
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This is the front door to the very first house we've ever owned! (You know, the one we live in now!) We typically have some ferns on the porch, but they are inside for the winter. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6844032639/" title="Knock Knock by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="Knock Knock" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7056/6844032639_756103c735.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
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And then, just because that was a really boring pic, here's a picture of the front door of our house in England. When Tommy was deployed, Zeus used to spend a good portion of every night sitting by the door, whining, waiting for him to come home. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6844233303/" title="Waiting by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="Waiting" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7068/6844233303_424000fecf.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
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Now Zeus spends a good portion of every evening trying to get into the trash in hopes that he'll find a snack. Bad dog!Kelly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09326867272851806954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098393615978416616.post-74316956621419852622012-02-09T01:31:00.001+00:002012-02-09T01:32:03.196+00:00February Photo A Day - SunSunrise over Gate 2 at Fort Jackson while waiting to get on post this morning. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6844030779/" title="Sunrise by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="Sunrise" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7177/6844030779_28e27ded48.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Sheesh, I have to get to work early.<br />
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Also, not taken today, but because I love this picture for all the memories it brings back, here's a sunset off the veranda of our room on the Disney Magic on the Disney cruise we took two summers ago.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6844064643/" title="Sunset Disney Cruise by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="Sunset Disney Cruise" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7210/6844064643_5c92469891.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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I believe we were leaving Corsica when I took this one. I took a sunrise/sunset pic almost every day on the boat. Every time I see this picture, my heart squeezes up a little missing that boat.Kelly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09326867272851806954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098393615978416616.post-33170343768540393772012-02-08T00:01:00.000+00:002012-02-08T00:01:12.519+00:00February Photo A Day - ButtonToday I'm going to use the February Photo a Day theme as a verb instead of a noun. Hope you don't mind!<br />
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Caleb recently learned to button and unbutton his own clothes, which is a pretty big deal. He tends to get very frustrated with tasks that require fine motor skills, and dressing himself has been a sore spot in our mornings for <em>months</em>. The only reason I've still encouraged it is primarily because I know he needs that skill. Trust me, I'd rather avoid the tantrum and save myself five to ten minutes of my morning by just dressing him myself.<br />
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Fortunately, his preschool teacher has more patience in this area than I do. Between our work at home and his work with his teacher, Caleb has come a loooooong way in the last six months. Not only is he buttoning and unbuttoning shirts and pants now...<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6838313387/" title="Buttons by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="Buttons" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7143/6838313387_7f0115787e.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
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He's also putting on his own shoes! (Shoes have been a nightmare in the mornings!)<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6838314265/" title="Shoes by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="Shoes" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7144/6838314265_2f034f5610.jpg" width="375" /></a>]<br />
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No, I do not know what that is on the bottom of his shoe. Yes, it does look like gum.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6838304663/" title="Putting on Shoes by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="Putting on Shoes" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6838304663_f5c9645da6.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
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But notice that intense look of concentration! The firm set of the jaw, the dark gaze, the smoke rising! ;)<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6838303841/" title="Did it! by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="Did it!" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6838303841_440b8dbb49.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Yeah, buddy! You did it! What a good start to the day!Kelly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09326867272851806954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098393615978416616.post-9835570055815932362012-02-07T01:10:00.001+00:002012-02-07T01:15:49.782+00:00February Photo A Day - DinnerSo yesterday I spent approximately four hours in the kitchen making homemade tomato sauce that, quite frankly, was mediocre. <br />
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Now it's not my first time making a less than stellar dinner. In fact, I've become pretty good friends with mediocre meals over the years. But to have spent FOUR! HOURS! on my feet in the kitchen to produce something that I didn't LOVE was, to this home chef, devastating. It literally put me in a funk the rest of the night. I woke up this morning and made a boring bowl of oatmeal because I was so heart broken at not kicking that sauce's butt, I couldn't even find the energy to fry an egg.<br />
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(I think my two biggest issues were a.) it's not tomato season, and b.) this recipe really wasn't what I was looking for in a tomato sauce.)<br />
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Anyway, I have good news! I have redeemed myself in the kitchen! Thank goodness, because I was almost ready to hang up my apron. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6832908341/" title="Eating by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="Eating" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7160/6832908341_2df4aa3d67.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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I've been on a huge Pinterest kick lately. Pinterest just speaks to my soul. It makes me want to TRY things all the time! I realize I'm still relatively new to it, so I'm experiencing the honeymoon/novelty phase of it. But if every honeymoon phase produced as many good recipes as I've found on Pinterest, I'd be thrilled!<br />
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Tonight I made <a href="http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/06/chicken-and-white-bean-enchiladas-with.html" target="_blank">Chicken and White Bean Enchiladas with Creamy Salsa Verde</a> from SkinnyTaste.com with a side of Spanish rice from Rice-a-Roni. (Hey, a girl's gotta eat sometime before 8 pm!) While a tad time consuming for a weeknight meal, the results were worth it. <br />
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I loved the chicken and bean filling, and the salsa verde on top was delicious. I think the recipe could use a bit more heat, but that might be because my jalapenos were a bit mild. The only thing I'd do differently is saute the jalepenos with the onions for the sauce, instead of adding them in at the end. I wasn't a huge fan of crunching down on my jalapenos. <br />
Unfortunately, I was so hungry by the time they came out of the oven, I forgot to snap a picture of it in all it's glory before I started shoving my face full of food! D'oh! So you'll have to settle for this, the leftovers.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6832907549/" title="Yum by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="Yum" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7013/6832907549_a00e980742.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Oh, man, leftovers, I can't wait for tomorrow! Enjoy your rest tonight, 'cause I'm gonna tear you up at around 12:00 in the office break area while watching Steve Harvey host Family Feud! It's on like Donkey Kong!Kelly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09326867272851806954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098393615978416616.post-59204568822133652212012-02-07T00:53:00.001+00:002012-02-07T01:14:48.468+00:00February Photo A Day - 10:00This is where I was at 10:00 am yesterday.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6832906569/" title="10:00 by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="10:00" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7143/6832906569_b7d6354933.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
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But due to a particularly depressing result from a new recipe, I couldn't be bothered to actually post it yesterday. I was in a post-cooking funk. <br />
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This isn't related at all, but it did make me laugh. Spied at the local Food Lion while waiting to check out. I was WONDERING where they had moved the disco balls!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6832909309/" title="Ha! by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="Ha!" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6832909309_511cbac242.jpg" width="500" /></a>Kelly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09326867272851806954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098393615978416616.post-83630685607336069172012-02-05T02:00:00.000+00:002012-02-05T02:00:31.474+00:00February Photo A Day - StrangerI'm cheating. I chickened out and didn't take any pictures of strangers today. I almost did the grocery store, but I felt creepy, so I didn't.<br />
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So here's my cheat picture instead. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6820217793/" title="Relaxin' by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="Relaxin'" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6820217793_f33ee674a1.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Made Caleb pose today for a Valentine's Day card idea I got from Pinterest. This one won't work for the card, but it was too cute not to share. <br />
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Tomorrow's theme is 10:00. We'll see if I can do better sticking to the theme!Kelly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09326867272851806954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098393615978416616.post-78453047782930021022012-02-04T03:15:00.000+00:002012-02-04T03:15:12.951+00:00February Photo A Day - HandsCaleb struggled with his fine motor skills for a while. Just in the last 2-3 months, he's really made great strides in this area, including drawing and writing. His preschool teacher has really been working with him on things like writing, button shirts, zipping pants, putting on shoes--all things that have brought on melt downs at home when we try to tackle them.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6814927045/" title="Caleb Drawing by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="Caleb Drawing " height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7028/6814927045_74bb44a298.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Watching him write his name (albiet backwards) is still amazing to me. That little marshmellow of a baby has grown into such a big little boy! At school this week, he counted to 40 for me! Fourty! At karate tonigth, he counted to 10 in Japanese with no assistance from his Sensei!<br />
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Those little hands are getting so big. At least they aren't too big to hold my hand yet.Kelly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09326867272851806954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098393615978416616.post-65508675289954672122012-02-03T01:31:00.001+00:002012-02-03T01:33:26.980+00:00February Photo A Day - WordsI went to a luncheon today in which we took the True Colors personality test. I took this test just a couple of years ago while overseas, and I tested the same this time. I'm a blue.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6809546839/" title="True Colors by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="True Colors" height="363" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6809546839_6f020def12.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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It's strange. I took a conflict style assessment last summer that really threw me for a loop. At the end of the assessment, I ranked really low in assertiveness, which I never thought I had a problem with before. But I do tend to value harmony, and will sometimes feel like a confrontation is just not worth the fuss. Conflict takes a lot of emotional energy, and sometimes I just can't be bothered. <br />
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Having said that, I have noticed that while I may not address the issue at the time, sometimes it continues to bother me later. I mean, this isn't news to me. What is news is how often it occurs. 'Cause I'm assertive, gosh darnit! Aren't I? At leat, I thougtht I was...Kelly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09326867272851806954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098393615978416616.post-22869364019669687632012-02-02T02:30:00.000+00:002012-02-02T02:30:38.596+00:00February Photo A Day - Bird's Nest Breakfast Cup<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Since my committment to blog more in 2012 has not generated as many blog entries as I had hoped, I'm reaching for another photo challenge in the hopes that this will bring back my blogging mojo.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">So as stolen from a friend of an internet friend, I'm jumping on to Fat Mum Slim's <a href="http://www.fatmumslim.com.au/search/label/photo%20challenge" target="_blank">February Photo a Day challenge</a>. I like that this one has some guidelines/suggestions for shots, so hopefully I can make it 29 days!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6804532915/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="FatMumSlim by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="FatMumSlim" height="400" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7150/6804532915_7016bc9a91.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Today's guideline was "Your view today." I thought about taking a shot at work, but the dry, dead field outside my window is less than picturesque right now. And I'm a bit weirded out about sharing a photo of my desk on my blog. (Private Facebook picture while desk is decorated for Christmas? Yes. Public blog? Not so much.) Tonight flew by and I realized, "Nuggets! I need a pic for today!"</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Fortunately, my Pinterest obsession is saving me today. This morning, I snapped this shot of a <a href="http://littlebirdiebaby.blogspot.com/2011/10/tutorial-tuesday-linky-party-trio-of.html" target="_blank">Bird's Nest Breakfast Cup</a> I made. Pinterest has really be spurring the kitchen creativity again and making me enjoy cooking. It comes and goes in waves for me, and having a new, interesting recipe always inspires me to throw on my apron!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6804513747/" title="Breakfast Nest by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="Breakfast Nest" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7009/6804513747_5e54af7e1a.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This one was pretty good. I think next time I'll use my hand seasoning standby, <a href="http://www.tonychachere.com/" target="_blank">Tony Chacere's</a> creole seasoning (family favorite) instead of standard salt and pepper. And I heartily beleive that each cup could use a splash of hot sauce, but this is easy to remedy at the end of preparation. Also, I'll probably make these ahead if I do them again. Too time consuming for a weekday morning, that's for sure. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Having said that, I liked them enough to eat them for breakfast <em>and</em> dinner today! Hey, anytime a recipe calls for bacon <em>and</em> cheese, I know I'm heading to a happy place!</div>Kelly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09326867272851806954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098393615978416616.post-3253334982308412702012-01-18T22:34:00.001+00:002012-01-18T22:34:12.081+00:00Buddies<div><p>Watching The Goofy Movie with Zeus after preschool.</p>
<br/><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6KdjZyfh3xlwS9YcSc6089iXH_ps4v2JUgijrwWHs4MDCxVu2qfK6eh4aisAotfZpnptrDp1LPs6WkqVBQ7dw6vdAMz2yoXerxOCAv8kKOUqUe_sWANWSqJlM1OwtJzu1YdltAWjCbDnL/' /></div>Kelly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09326867272851806954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098393615978416616.post-39180653909673924352012-01-10T03:46:00.000+00:002012-01-10T03:46:32.447+00:00Good-night, PJCaleb has never been huge into stuffed animals, but recently they've become more popular. I think this started this summer when he won an ugly stuffed cow at the state fair that he named Pomas. He's constantly reminding Pomas to mind his Ps & Qs and generally does a good job of parenting that inanimate bovine! <br />
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Recently the new found enthusiasm for stuffed animals has found its way to bedtime, where he is often joined by upwards of five different plush friends in his tiny, toddler-sized bed. <br />
However, nothing pulls my heart strings quite like when he makes room for PJ.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6671006287/" title="Sleepy Time by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="Sleepy Time" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6671006287_fc404c8132.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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PJ has been my teddy bear since third grade and has been around the world with me. I still remember when my grandmother gave him to me. Perhaps at 8 years old I should have been on my way to outgrowing stuffed animals, but I knew PJ was special, and not just because he was a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLhw5yxFaVE" target="_blank">Heart to Heart Bear</a>. He was my buddy, my friend. <br />
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Growing up, my dad used to do this bit called Talking PJ Time, which came with its very own theme song. He would hold his hand behind PJ's neck and make him "talk." Of course we knew it was Dad talking, but we loved Talking PJ Time and would beg for it! <br />
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I'm tempted to speculate about PJ's place in my life at that time as I was quickly leaving childhood and heading for the scary pre-teen years. But to be honest, that feels a bit too serious for the affection I had for PJ. And the fact of the matter is, I've never been the most mature person and was a bit of a late bloomer in many ways. <br />
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Pop psychology aside, I just loved that bear. And still do. So to see Caleb cuddled up with the bear that held all my secrets brings a smile to my face. Good-night, Caleb. Good-night, PJ.Kelly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09326867272851806954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098393615978416616.post-63915017156814896662012-01-08T03:11:00.000+00:002012-01-08T03:11:13.983+00:00I Have Wall Tracks<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Caleb is at a funny age. He's hyper aware of his age now, and really wears it as a badge of coolness. At his preschool, the kids "sign in" by putting a laminated picture of themselves on a chart on the wall. And they will kick up some serious fuss if someone has already taken the number fours spot on the chart. Because FOUR is the COOLEST number, obviously!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">While cars have <em>always</em> been cool with Caleb, suddenly he's convinced that none are cooler than Hot Wheels. He'll even flip a car over to show you the logo, like it's a Hallmark cards from about ten or so years ago! But you know what's even cooler than owning Hot Wheels? Having <a href="http://www.hotwheels.com/walltracks" target="_blank">Hot Wheels Wall Tracks</a>, of course!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6656722505/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title=""I have Wall Tracks." by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt=""I have Wall Tracks."" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7025/6656722505_9697443ae6.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Wall Tracks, for those of you who don't have kids this age, are attached to the wall using Command Strips that can be easily removed when the kid outgrows the toy or you move or whatever. It's a nice way to give him a race track that literally has no footprint in his room. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">He's super proud of his Hot Wheels Wall Tracks he got for his birthday last year. In fact, if he introduces himself to you, he'll say, "I'm Caleb. I'm four. I have Hot Wheels Wall Tracks."</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I'm always particularly amused when this is the beginning of his conversation with a girl. 'Cause I'm fairly sure most four year old girls don't care what kind of race tracks he has. But boy, he sure does think they make him a big deal!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Of course, I'm his mom. So I already think he's a pretty big deal!</div>Kelly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09326867272851806954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098393615978416616.post-38663966559546561202012-01-02T03:36:00.000+00:002012-01-02T03:36:46.192+00:00Hello, 2012!I'm pretty good at breaking resolutions, as I suspect most people are. So while the type A/box-checking side of me really wants to set a goal for blogging a certain number of posts a week or month, I'm going to refrain from setting myself up for failure. But I do want to commit to being a more consistent blogger this year. (Of course, that's a pretty low goal, considering I blogged less than 30 times in 2011. But, hey! Low standards are better than no standards...right?!)<br />
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We spent the last hours of 2011 with family, and that is a great way to ring in the new year, if you ask me. Caleb and his cousins ran the house and wore each other out, which was very convenient for us adults! All three kiddos were down by 9! Of course, we made sure they got in some minor firework fun before we sent them off to the land of quiet movie time. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6616803459/" title="018 by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="018" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6616803459_139c8e96e9.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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A year ago today, we boarded a plane in London Heathrow and said good-bye to our time in England. I've been thinking this week about what that means. When you've been somewhere a year, people stop asking, "Where did you come from?" After about a year, you've been somewhere long enough that your not-so-distant past becomes less relevant. You can't pull the New Kid Card anymore. And while you can't really say you are "from" your new location, your old location is used less and less to identify and classify you. The new location becomes more and more a part of the fabric of your every day life. <br />
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It's been a good year. I started a new job working for the Army, which has been a lot of fun! Tommy's kicking butt in the new avenue of his job. Caleb has learned to dress himself (finally!), and is learning to write his name. Zeus and Zoey survived the trans-Atlantic relocation, and Zeus recently discovered the trick to getting into the new kitchen trash can. (Drat!) We bought a house! And we survived one more move. <br />
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It's been a year of change, which was challenging at many times. As many times as I've moved as a military brat-turned military wife, I tend to think I can organize the chaos and stress out of the transition. Unfortunately, you can't do that. (Or at least I can't. Yet. But it won't stop me from trying next time!) But in spite of all the change this year, it was a good one. <br />
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Here's hoping 2012 will be even better! So from our family to yours, Happy New Year!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellyangelo/6616800977/" title="013 by kellyangelo, on Flickr"><img alt="013" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7175/6616800977_ed6260c04b.jpg" width="500" /></a>Kelly Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09326867272851806954noreply@blogger.com0