12/12/12 @ 12:12!

The children and I were at Home Depot purchasing firewood today at 12/12/12 @ 12:12. You see, after the Tuscaloosa tornados in 2011 we had so much firewood just from clearing trees on our property. Well, that wood finally ran out. Because I am a bit of a pyro, making fire is a huge part of my family's life. Hence, I went out with the children today and bought wood.

I have been talking to my children about how unique this day is. There are only 12 months in a year, so once we hit 2013, there will never again in our lifetime, be a repetitive moment on the calendar like this. I suppose the next one will be 01/01/01 - in the year 3001.

What were you doing today a little after 12? I sent out a text to a few friends and family, as well as a tweet and a FB message. I asked friends to snap a photo and send it to me. I wanted to capture this moment in time. I wanted one little special glimpse into the life of people around the country as the clock struck 12:12.

My husband, who is in Orlando at the Refresh conference, took a quick snapshot at lunch with our friend David, a pastor from Kansas City.


My folks were home for lunch, so they took a photo right outside their home in Oklahoma.

Creighton's mom was Christmas shopping with her sister, Aunt Tina.

My spiritual mom, Anne Baker was at home working on Christmas decorations.

Heather, Anne's daughter and my long-time bestie, reluctantly snapped a photo. She was laying in bed after a sleepless night with sick children.

Meanwhile, her husband Jonathan took the day-shift with the kids in the other room. Heather is pregnant with her 4th baby - she needs her rest!

Back here in Tuscaloosa, a couple of my homeschool mom bff's paused to click a pic. Anna was at Target, grocery shopping with her sister Holly. Teresa was finishing up morning school with the twins.

Simultaneously in Dallas, Shelley was on lunch break with here two guys after a morning of schoolwork too! And my sister Chelsea was on her way back from an ultrasound, where she just heard the heartbeat of her second baby for the first time.

My three favorite people in Kansas City paused to capture the moment: Jenny, was running errands while her boys were in school, and Michael was spending quality time on his day off with his gorgeous wife and two 4-legged babies. Deb was returning from a retreat in Branson with her hubby.

In Tusla, my friend Michelle paused during her Esther bible study to text me a photo.

Ironically, Brenda (another long-time bestie) was with Creighton at Refresh conference in Orlando. She skipped some of the conference to for a flash to the beach. The caption said, Cape Canaveral... #jealous! We will be seeing them again soon when they pop in on their way back down to Florida to take the kids to Disney!

Brenda's husband Travis, was holding down the fort back in Lubbock with their dog and 3 boys!

Madison - my favorite niece was at work. On her lunch break, she stopped time with a thumbs up and a santa hat. Love that girl.

And finally, toward the end of the day, I got a text from my sister Dana that read, "I MISSED IT!" I shot a quick text back to her saying, "Still take one! It is still a very special day in time 12/12/12! So right before bed, she, Madison, and baby DAX gathered on the couch and shot the best pic of the day:

A new way to display my Christmas cards!

About a decade ago, I bought these nifty mantle stocking holders with a built in card display.

They were great! But finally wore out after using them year after year. This year, I have scoured the internet looking for other card display options. Since I refuse to join Pinterest (I have a hard enough time keeping up with my own awesomeness, much less, yours and everyone else's), it took me a while to find just the right thing.

This is what I am going for (kind of).















And this is what I have so far!

I think I have a long way to go with it. But still tweaking! I will be better able to see a vision for it after I get some more cards!

Fire Starters

As an early Christmas present, my friend Meredith Purser gave me some homemade fire starter blocks. SHE KNOWS ME WELL! Many days, she has seen me in my purist fashion, lighting, blowing, lighting, blowing, lighting, blowing my tender to get the fire going. This fun little project has made my fire starting quick and easy.

You see, I am a bit of a pyro, and almost every day this fall, the children and I have built a fire, enjoying it throughout the day. And when Creighton gets home - many evenings, we cook on it.

Well, Meredith prepared a dozen of these AMAZING starter blocks. I have gone through them in about two weeks. So now it's time that I make my own!

They are so simple, and it takes so little time. And it is super cheap!

You know those dead candles you have been storing because you are going to do something with them someday? This is that thing!

1. Gather a couple candles to melt over the range. I lined a pot with foil so not to get my pot waxy.
2. Peel apart your leftover paper egg carton into 12 sections.
3. Gather up your dryer lint and separate it into 12 parts (this is the only thing that might take you some time if you don't already save the stuff). You could also use cotton balls if you want. They make a good tender as well!
4. Fill the egg carton cubes with the lint, then pour the melted wax over the lint - just to saturate the lint and make it stick to the cardboard.
5. Set it under your logs as a starter and VOILA!