All (well nearly all) the cousins

back row Kirsty (18), Andrew (19), Lisa (18), Kyle (19), Robert (K BF)

Doms (17), Beth (5), Sarah-Jayne (22), Kayne (1), Robert (18), Ethan (16)

Todays prompt on JYC was - Once a Year - what thing is a once a year treat at Christmas - well I have a slight slant on that - while I haven't done the page yet I will be doing it around that fact that once a year at Christmas time all of my neices and nephews come together at my Mums Christmas party. Cos I am their Aunt and they do as they are told for me! I am able to persuade kids who would not normally have a photo taken to sit there and do it even though there parents told me I had no chance - HUH!!

So for my page I will be using an old photo and the one taken today. Course there is one missing the eldest Harley-David (25) but I am sure he was there with us in our thoughts and his Daughter Beth proudly took his place. The youngest nephew Beau at only 4 weeks old was taking a nap and his Mum didn't want to disturb him so I didn't 'make' him do as he was told LOL. I also managed to grab Robert who is my best friend's son and has joined us at this party from the age of 3 so is classed as an honourary nephew by all. My nephew Andrew also brought his new fiance Lisa and a new edition was Kirsty's boyfriend also called Robert.

Of course I have left a space for a wonderful picture of 3 rather full stockings after Santa had been.

The Journalling is

The story of the Stocking.

Harley-David was the first to get a stocking. He was bought one of those huge stockings with his name on it. When Sarah-Jayne came along you could no longer get them so I made hers. The same followed with Dominic and then of course Beth had to have one too. Santa drops a pressie in it on Christmas Eve morning then of course he filles them on Christmas Eve when he does his rounds. They hold about 20 small gifts & they are opened on our bed very early in the morning on Christmas day

Once I get the picture of Christmas Eve below printed I will add it to the yellow side. The journalling reads:

"Because our Christmas Day is shared by so many when the children became old enough to buy us presents we started the tradition of having our private time on the afternoon of Christmas Eve to open personal gifts. This still continues and we love this hour in the madness that is Christmas."

Below this is the Quote from Clement c Moore: twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house not a creature was stirring-not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

Boxing day: A day to have a lie in. After that long day that is Christmas day there is no alarm and no hurry. We sleep till we get up and then we head for Martin's for a buffet and a lovely afternoon of chat, playing games and spending time with the younger children when they can just play.

With the prompt being sleep I maybe should have waited to do yesterdays LOL

Journalling: Christmas sure plays havoc with sleeping patterns. I am sure that leading up to the big day I live on nervous energy as preparations often go on late at night. A typical Christmas Eve means we finally sleep at about 2AM. negotiations mean we might sleep till 7am! Once the big day is over we look for opportunities to lie in or catch 40 winks when we can. This year I managed 90 mins on christmas day! not like me.

christmas pictures

Christmas Eve in the Hayton household :O) We lock the door and have an hour to open or personal pressies to each other.


christmas lunch
















The newest nephews and Beth our Grandaughter all in their new pyjamas and dressing gowns having a hug with Mammar/Great Mammar

catching up

Ok its Christmas Eve and yes I should have more important things to do but I feel like relaxing so here I am adding pictures.

21st - obviously is still awaiting the picture but the journalling states : mmmmm... me thinks we need less scrapping or at least tidier scrapping and more christmas cleaning up.

PS the picture is my dining room table covered in scrapping bits which incidnetly is exactly the same now as it was then oppsss

20th : the prompt was about the unexpected which I slightly twisted to cover the post I have been receiving. The journalling reads:

Postman's been and in among the usual bills and circulars some wonderful cards from friends. Both far and wide with cards arriving from Australia, the US and of course from England! I did use postage stamps with some US ones and a lovely one from Australia. The LH page is actually a card I was sent which I popped in cos I really loved it.

18th Food Glorious Food - while I still have the toothache I did catch up with this page.

The journalling reads Christmas is definately all about food. From chocolate on the advent calender to the tins of sweets you have to get. There is chocolate in the stockings and maybe a selection box if you have been good from Santa. There's special meals out and buffets at work. A christmas dinner with all the trimmings and christmas cakes and christmas puds. There's mince pies and corned beef ones too. Christmas is definately..................Food Glorious Food.

The picture is a hamper that our daughter bought my husband. She spent the time buying items that she just knew he would need to cater lunch with and some that he just loves like chocolate brazils.

22nd - prompt another to do list:

Still to Do: - no matter how much work y ou do in advance no matter how many jos you do - you can never be ready you always have one more

to do list

On the other side are three tags - Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with a list of to do's on it. So I wrote it monday and its gone a little bit awry as I haven't been too well - darned tooth! But with Alan at home today and help from my parents yesterday i am sure we will catch up - but if we don't I am sure that a little untidyness or one less thing to eat will not spoil our christmas!

And no I haven't done the 23rd which was all about stockings not 24th which is about what you do on Christmas eve. But I will catch up - after all Santa is sure to bring me some scrapping things isn't he?????

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone

Two more pages finished tonight. I seem to have done 17 and 19 - 18 was about food but a trip to the dentist to deal with a infection sort of put me off food!

19 - a letter to santa was the prompt. Again I decided to get the rest of the family involved so I made a title and 5 little envelopes (hope they don't want tooo much for christmas ) and I will give them a tag to write their letter on.

17 - was the perfect present. As you can see I found an excuse to use all the alphabet dies I had. I must admit I scrap lifted it from someone else but I loved it!

And as the journaling says - Yes that is a cow. Sassy loves all things cow and has a huge collection from crockery through cuddlies to even cow pattern bags and cushions etc. Mad child.

Hope fully the tooth will improve tomorrow and I will get two more pages done.

Preparing to surprise Beth on Christmas

We are finally letting Beth know on Christmas Day that we are taking her back to WDW, Orlando in September for a visit. Although she is a annual passholder to Disneyland Paris and goes a couple times a year she hasn't been to Orlando since she was 2. She often says when I am 6, 7 or 8 will you take me back to Walt Disney World (which by the way according to her is in Orlando but that isn't in America apparently LOL). So we are doing just that - she will be 6 when we go. Alan says its too far away but it will be 6 weeks after her birthday so I am sure she will understand.



I wondered and wondered how to do it - we needed something to wrap - something visable and finally it clicked - heck I don't have an artist for a daughter for nothing!



So Sassy took 2 hours out of her Sunday to paint a canvas for me - and I think you might agree with me (depending on the quality of the photo) its not so bad at all!!!!

Page 15 and I went with the rules and boy did it come together quickly.

Visitors: As Alan's brother John and his wife Anne are going away fro christmas they came to us for an early christmas. pressies, followed by a full christmas dinner. Prawns or soup to start, turkey with all the trimmings, christmas pud or trifle with cheese and biscuits to follow. Problem was we couldn't move BUT we had promised Beth a game of bowls on the Wii - opps. We then spent the evening chatting. Only 3 weeks till we meet again in Lanzerote.

----------------

I have worked today on 16 but its not quite finished. I think after yesterday's easy one I sort of went complicated and it took quite a bit of work with the ruler and knife.

Finally 10 mins to get some pictures uploaded. My book definately is now a joural than a scrap book as I am not taking pictures nor leaving spaces!

13 - prompt Music. I chose not to discuss a particular song - although there are lots but how music is interweaved with Christmas:

Music be it Christmas Carols at the school play, piped music in all the local supermarkets, christmas hits on the radio or our favourite CD's in the player there's definately more music round at this time of the year. We love to dig out those CD's that only get played this time of year and sing along to our hearts content.

Santa ususally includes the latest CD's in among his presents so christmas is full of lots of different bands playing.

A special event with music is Alan heading to the kitchen to cook lunch with his treat from Santa. He holds court in there with wine and merriement as all the males in the family gravitate to the party.

12 - prompt was Christmas Past. Not knowing what might be coming I chose to talk about family get together on Christmas Day.

Family - from my early days as far back as I can remember Christmas Day has always been about family. From being little and going to my Maternal Grandparents where all my cousins could congregate. To later being at home and having my parents and my trhree brothers around me. Thats why I foudn it hard when Harley-David was tiny - Christmas morning without my family wasn't right. So from there sprung the tradition of everyone coming to our house for Christmas Morning and openign presents and having lunch. At our largest 28 for dinner. But as my brothers gained families of their own and moved away this has finally dwindled to my parents and Alan and the kids and I............ boy will it be quiet..fun.. but quiet.

14 - prompt gifts.

Gifts, gifts and more gifts. From Santa's given on Christmas Eve when he brought a lovely storybook when the children were young which progressed to a video and then a DVD. Then comes the family gifts which are placed under the tree and opened, just us, on Christmas Eve to finally waking up on christmas morning to a full stocking and at the end of our beds. And downstairs a wonderful Santa's grotto with a sack full for each of us.


NOTE: yes I am still a day behind and I had planned to catch up today but Beth was ill and I had her with me. Between coughing fits and sleeps she wanted to scrap so we ended up making her a christmas journal - photos at a later date.

School christmas play

We were lucky enough to get tickets to attend Beth's schools Christmas play this evening. Mum and Dad had gone last year (we were in Orlando) and they said it had been very good. So I went along expecting the traditional Mary and Joesph and Angels, shepherds and Kings and lots of Carols.



We were disappointed. The concert had a modern twist to it and while they played songs the children did not sing along but they 'danced'. I can't really explain it - the nearest I can get to it is as if they were deaf and signing to it. I suppose it didn't help me in that it was in the Church itself and even with a sound system it was too quiet for me to hear properly.



We made not have enjoyed it too much but Beth did and that is what counts.



I tried to upload a couple of photos but as I took that at full strength dial up doesn't like them

JYC - 9, 10 and 11

Finally managed to get nearly caught up (still have todays todo but to be honest I am not being inspired.

9 Traditions

........ started the page with a definition of tradition and then I will add a photo. The RHS is based on a Pagemap sketch we used in my scrapping group and there are lots of little tags tucked in their each will document on tradition. No I haven't filled them in as I am going to get the kids to write on them.

10 wrapping

........... on the LHS are three peices of cardstock wrapped in the paper that I will use for each of the kids. I have written on the RHS about buying in the sale and then each person having their own design paper - and everything - sack, stocking, tree presents and all are wrapped in the same wrapper.

PS It looks great when the parcels are stacked - and you know what it means I don't have to put labels or tags on nothing!

11 Tree

- well I love this page. The green tree is made of felt and I stitched round the edge of it all in metallic green embroidery thread. I cut out the ornaments from a photo I had taken of them and then stitched them on too. The page documents that every bauble on the front of my tree is a Disney one! I would say all but Alan has a few Scooby Doo and Loony toon ones on there and Beth has the odd Dora :O)

I love the way my book is coming together. The only downside is that since I am trying hard to use embellishements it is getting really thick and I don't think the bind it all wire will work much longer. I am going to have to take it off and use split rings. Course since I punched all the holes I might end up having to buy 11 rings.

sadly have to report ..................

Despite Bren thinking I was up early yesterday its more a problem with the internal clock on this site than my timing. And today time just ran out its 23.41 and I don't have time to take a picture but the page is put together. Needs a photo of course and a bit of journalling but the basics are there.

Also sadly I have failed in my declaration -being tidy has gone out of the window. I haven't time to put away tonight. But my excuse I didn't start till late as we wrapped all of Doms pressies tonight and if you realise that there are 20 stocking stuffers for his stocking and that's before we start his sack you will be able to gauge what a huge job that is.

I am hoping that I don't fail on the page tomorrow as we take Beth to the office Children's party tomorrow. Fingers crossed that they may have changed the entertainer - its still the same one from when Harley-David and Sarah-Jayne started going which is 17 years ago and you know I could do his act for him!

days 6, 7 and 8

Page 6's prompts was Memories - good ones and bad ones. This of course sent me rambling away with pages of thoughts so the page had to be expanded. I did this by making a pocking and adding file cards in there.

"Christmas always provides the most special memories. It's one day each year when everyone concentrates on having a good time. Its family time with no external disstractions. We have had so many traditions built into our day that we can't help having fun. When the children where young we have built up our way of doing it. The new dress up outfit was our way of spreading the money. Even thought they were home made the boys loved being Captain Scarlett, Thunderbirds or Action Men and later having the football strip from their club. For Sarah we worked through Angels and Disney Princesses. Even now they still love getting a new outfit to wear on Christmas Day. For Doms it still includes a football strip or top, Sarah on the other hand prefers some thing more glamorous... ort does she. I still had to make her a Belle dress this year for a fancy dress party.

Alan and I have to help Santa set up his grotto and we usually finally wind our way to bed at 2AM. At 6AM we were worken to the sound of the children's voices ......."has he been" and the day started. Ohh what joy - We were tired but we loved it...........but hang on.......even though they are 17 and 22 we still get to bed at 2AM and woken at 6AM to voices ...." has be been" We love it. Long may they still have the joy and the pleasure that is.............Christmas..........

We were also prompted on our worst memories. While I don't have a worst one since Harley-David died there is a sadness and a lump in your throat that there are only 2 voices and not 3 asking if Santa's been. We will always miss him. I think Christmas Day is hard because it is full of family and sharing that day together. Christmas now involves trying that little bit harder as none of us want the other to see that sadness that we have that he isn't here to share the joy.

PS while you probably can't see the photos too well - I managed to find some old ones with Thunderbirds and Alice in Wonderland and then Doms as an Action Man and then finally the outfits from the year that Beth stayed here on Christmas Eve.



Day 7 - the To Do List prompt - more I focused more on shopping :O)


To Do!

I love to be organised early each year but it doesn't stop us heading out in the crowds. For us Christmas Shopping starts in the January Sales. Cards, wrapping paper, gift tags, paper plates and crackers all at half price. Other gifts depend on what's available. Topping up the 'cupboard' continues as we move through the year. So by December comes we aren't far off. I still have a to do list for those I haven't found just the thing for or the stocking stuffers. But what it means is that we have our shopping days but they aren't rushed. Like today we went to the Christmas Fayre in Durham and we were able to start with Brunch in the 'lovely' pub as Beth calls it. Stocking up with a full English is great for raising the energy levels.

-----Whats left - why all the wrapping To Do!



DAY 8 - The prompt was to look for differences and to take a picture today - which I haven't done yet. But I will as I want to take it of our house lights.

title - whats different

The credit crunch is definately making the difference. The sales have started before Christmas and they are huge! I do think that the numbers of gifts have dropped but people are still buying just differently. Lights are still on homes but the hikein electricity peices means they are not on as long. People are pulling in belts but is still christmas - just different!

my year books

Although I have got pages 6 and 7 of JYC done I am not posting as they are photoless - a trip to Boots tomorrow were I intend to splash out on some hour developing to get all my photos printed and I will post then.

Today in answer to Bren's comment I have posted some pictures of my year books. First picture shows 2008 (blue one) and 2009 the flowered one. The first book was made at a scrap class in 2007 and then each month the theory is you add a little of what you have been doing. Its 6*6 and one page to each month and there are inserts to add extra bits. It also had lots of patterned paper already in there. Not so the new one - left the paper till we get to the month.

I am not so up todate on that one as I am on my JYC! Apart from the months we went to Disney - mmm wonder why that is! But I have added a picture of October (me in Disney) in picture 2 and picture 3 shows June (fathers day) and July - Graduation - and behind the insert picture is a tiny peak of me in Disneyland.

The top half of picture 3 is the blank pages for 2009 along with the month tag of January (I have prepared the 12 in advance - all the same). I do this along with 3 of my scrapping buddies, Susan, sister-in-law extraordinary- extra cos she is not really my SIL any longer really but we love her to bits. Amanda daughter of Susan and my neice and Rosamond sister to Susan. We all had a great debate and decided to try the 12 by 6 format. Slight miscalculation on our part and rather than the one 6*12 we have given ourselves 2 for each month if we want to use it. We will have to see how it goes. We chose different cover pages and inserts. I went for the cover pattern cos its a disney paper but not obviously disney and black cos it makes a great background to any patterned paper.

The pages aren't elaberate but its fun to see what you did each month. Next year the goal is to make sure I do it and not try to catch up in September! I have heard Shimelle runs a Scrap your Day - I think its the 25th of every month- but I would rather do something we did that month.

Page 6 - all about counting down to Christmas and of course nothing says it better than the old advent calender. Picture is one I prepared in advance :O) and shows Doms and Sassy's full advent calenders on 1 December.

The journalling tells the story of spotting a picture of a similar calender in a magazine and making one up for the kids and then for nephews and neices etc. And how its now tradition for me to start buying the snickers and the smarties, mars bars and maltezers and all those yummy sweets in september and for Mum and Dad to wrap and add string to each of the parcels - enough for 9 advent calenders - and that is some number of sweets.

PS what i didn't mention and I may go back and do - is the tradition that now exists where Mum and Dad eat some of said sweets and have to go out and buy another packet :O)

Page 6 is on the drawing board - I am not really behind honest there are still 2 and 1/2 hours of today left. OK so I have been to crop all day and it should have been done - no excuse except I made my year book for next year...............

Day 4 - Perfection

You maybe thinking that its the 5th and hey she's only posting Day 4 - well the reason being the theme of Day 4.
Shimelle asked us to think about "What makes your christmas Perfect - how do you get perfection". Boy did this topic cause me to think a lot and has been quite emotional struggle. But I will let the page explain.

The title perfection -

the boxes read
: Tree and decorations (tick)
: Wrapping paper and presents (tick)
: good food & beautiful table (tick)
: family (cross)

And behind the green inset is a tag with hidden journalling

"Its easy to put together the lists in the hope of acheiving a perfect christmas. To tick them off one by one. While in Christmas past we may well have nearly got there. Now we cannot tick the family box. Harley-David's death left us with perhaps an ideal Christmas but not Perfection.............."


This has been the first year that I have had a undisturbed December since Harley-David died. A month when I have had to go to work and to do ordinary everyday things. The last 4 have included 2 trips to Walt Disney World in Orlando and two when I have had an operation and spent the month recuperating. This year there are no distractions and I am doing my best to get through the month and the festivities that lead up to it. I knew that doing this journal (where you reflect on Christmas Past) would help me on this journey and its proving the case. Hopefully we can get all the way to the end.

Front Cover

Thought it was time that I uploaded a picture of the front cover. This was again from a idea by Shimelle that she posted on Twopeas. Its a page made from a Material - my two favourite crafts added together. Its actually a quilt as it has the wadding in there. It was real fun to make and fairly easily done. Course since I have a whole stash of materials just sitting waiting to be used it didn't cost anything either.

Day 3 of the Journal which is still awaiting its photo. I am trying to wait and take 2 or 3 days at a time for processing- the computer won't print them at the minute so it means a visit to the local pharmacy.

The red envelope contains a peice of card stock folded into a card and the Journalling reads

"Christmas Cards - a very important tradition of the holidays. From the time we start school and bring home the hand made card for our parents it is ingrained in you.

I do love to send and receive cards from friends. All displayed hanging from the bannister up the stairs and making for a festive entrance to the house.

I don't make cards, ones bought in the January Sales suit me now. But I do like to use my crafting skills to add that little extra. A handmade Santa stocking - a new design each year. The stocking is added to our cards posted out on the 1st December to special friends. Each one wit special edition christmas stamps produced each year by the post office. "

The gold envelope holds a minature felt version of this years stocking which you can see in the 2nd picture.

I am really enjoying making these pages and taking the 'me' time each night. And yes so far I am tidy and putting away the scrapping materials each evening before I go to bed.

Journal day 1

The Journaling on my first page reads:

"Starting today 1st Dec, I will keep a Christmas Journal. I promise to write something every Day! In it I will reflect upon the holidays of my past, enjoy the holiday of the present & dream of holidays of the future (tidily!)

The picture is rather a special one and reflect our christmas of the future - our latest nephew - Beau Brooklyn Hardman born ......... 1 December 2008 - not going to forget his birthday in a hurry.

Page 2 of my Christmas Journal. The Journalling reads:

While I love the storytale idea and dreams of snow at Christmas. I can't remember it ever happening. In fact the reality of snow, once it does come, is of slippy and dangerous roads, dirty brown slush, of wet feet and very cold hands and noses.

But that said each year I long for the snow to come. I love to open the curtains in a morning to a crisp landscape of fresh snow...................

Journal your christmas

This year I am scrapbooking a page a day and having fun. Course I am also trying to do it tidily but that remains to be seen. Pictures will come later