Looking Back at 2012

Well, I actually did get around to sending out Christmas cards this year to everyone who wanted one, but I thought I'd still do a little post summing up 2012 for anyone who was interested in a rather extended version. :) 2012 was a busy year that found us in the same place we started at...and yet at a very *different* place, too.  Here are some of the highlights:

We brought in 2012 with sparklers!

We spent Valentine's Day in Boston!

We planted a fairy garden and an herb garden on the first day of spring!

We took our first (and definitely not last) cooking class together as my birthday gift!

I joined the billion clicks project in April (and will be doing it again soon)!

We celebrated 3 years of marriage in May!

We also worried and prayed together over Caida's VNS surgery in May and the many things surrounding family crises throughout the year.

We got a new-to-us car (Punky) in June!

We visited Paul's folks in Chicago for the 4th of July!

We went to my great-grandma's 100th birthday party/family reunion in August!

We went to the Feast of the Hunter's Moon in September!

I got to travel to Utah in October for Time Out For Women with my college roomies/friends!

Also in October, Paul turned 28!  (Though he'll never catch up to his wife...so I can't make fun. :)

We had a busy November, with briefly hosting Emilie during her evacuation from NYC during Hurricane Sandy, getting family photos taken, celebrating family birthdays and baptisms and two thanksgivings, and more!

And December was all about Christmas!

And I scrapped it all in Project 366!

And, last but not least, a little about us this year:

Paul enjoyed his calling as the ward mission leader a LOT this year!  He loves working with those elders and seniors that remind him of the "glory days" of his two years serving Spanish-speaking in Vancouver!  In addition to his full-time job (celebrated his first year with them last month) at Salud Revenue, he also designed a few fancy websites and took a seasonal job at Best Buy for some extra cash throughout the year.  He loves playing Halo (especially with friends at late-night Halo parties), "geeking out" over the latest technology, reading (especially anything related to Star Trek), developing his artistic talents, and cuddling with the puppies in his free time.  He is the steady heartbeat of our home, always happy with things as they are, hardworking as ever, and so go-with-the-flow ALWAYS, which is exactly what his worrier wife needs!  In 2013 he is most looking forward to getting through the big hospital merger at work, although he also daydreams of getting a 3rd puppy and visiting his sister during her semester abroad in Australia...we'll see about that.  ;)  He says (jokingly, in case you don't really know us) that he thought the world was going to end a few days ago so he didn't really plan anything special for 2013...so we'll have to work on some goals for him and get back to you.  :)

In church, I transitioned from Activity Days to the ward choir pianist and primary secretary! I love spending so much of my time with the children in the ward!  I also got to do several musical numbers on the flute throughout the year, including both sessions of Stake Conference.  I got a job in the winter subbing, and after a difficult summer of disappointing job hunting, I landed a sweet position in the fall as a special education para!  I absolutely LOVE my job, even though I still want to be a schoolteacher for SURE.  Working with children with special needs is humbling, exhausting, empowering, and inspiring, and I'm grateful for the experience!  In my free time, I CRAFT like a maniac!  (You'll have to look through the blog for past projects--there are too many from this year to repost in one shot!)  Even though I'm struggling with a lot of important and hard things at the moment, I am constantly reminded by my husband, my "students," and the Lord how good I really do have it, and I can only hope to follow Paul's example of cheerfulness one day soon!  I'm hoping to work on health and happiness next year a little more specifically through some New Year's Resolutions, as well as revisit my love for writing and taking a "Time Out" in March with some girlfriends for my 30th birthday!  Of course, conquering infertility once and for all and/or finding a "real" teaching job, getting on top of debt, and getting to the temple regularly are also all at the top of the to-do list for 2013!  But searching for the good in the HERE and NOW, something I'm discovering I'm terrible at, is my ultimate goal.

We love you and hope that 2013 brings you a year of magic, love, peace, health, and fun.  We know WE have been truly blessed, so much so that we can take it for granted at times, but that NONE of it would be possible without a loving Heavenly Father who looks out for us always, and YOU!  We are grateful especially for our friends and loved ones far and near who make every day possible.

Love always,
Paul & Celeste Fernandez

Just-Right Finger Puppet Theaters!

I love Pinterest. In case you didn't know.  :)  I love getting inspired, especially when I am searching for something specific.

Not too long ago, a friend of mine mentioned a SWEET deal on some finger puppets.  So, of course, I bought 3 sets.  :)  One for my niece, one for my nephew, and one for ME.  :)  But I didn't want to just hand them a plastic bag with finger puppets in them...'cause I'm me. 

So it was Pinterest to the rescue.  I saw a few different amazing ideas, some more compact than others, some that included storage, etc...but then for some reason THIS caught my eye.  And even though I didn't actually look at the DIY tutorial that they put together, I took my trusty glue gun and some GoodWill frames, gold paint, and some cheap fabric and trim from Walmart and set out to make my own. 

Best part is, there's really not much to this.  Paint your frame and let it dry.  Pull out any metal prongs on the back with pliers--just give 'em a wiggle and they'll pop right out.  :)  Measure your fabric and cut.  Sew or hot glue (whichever you prefer) your "curtains" on the back.  Glue your trim and you're good to go.  :)  Once I actually got around to it, it took me about an hour to put three together.  WIN!

I will say a few things.  5x7, I think is the PERFECT size for little hands.  I thought maybe the 3x5 would be cute, and it is, but it only fits like 1.7 finger puppets in it really.  No room to grow with kids' imagination.  Also, my original idea (that I ignored after all) was to get a few really WIDE frames so I could put some elastic on the back and then it could double as storage.  But I went with "there are some cheap frames today and I don't want to keep looking so I'll take 'em" instead.  :) 

I love them.

Project 366--October 8-December 9 :)

Let's do this.  :)

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*Whew!* Only 3 more weeks (and one night) to go until we are DONE with this sucker!  Can't wait!  :)

Putting the CHRIST back in Christmas...

So, I know *I* personally struggle with the holiday season.  For lots of reasons.  I'm almost always sick (though never as bad as I have been this year), and the seasonal depression kicks in (some years worse than others, this year is a doozy), and it brings up a lot of sad memories, and I am always worried about finding/making the "perfect" presents for others (on almost no money, of course) and decorating and making an appearance to all sorts of parties and trying to somehow recreate the perfect moments of childhood Christmases...while simultaneously knowing IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN.  I don't know what I'm expecting, but it just never quite lives up to it.  And the story of CHRIST, the whole reason for celebrating, admittedly gets lost in the shuffle.  Or, when it's dusted off and brought out to unwrap again, it just doesn't touch me like it should because I'm already way over Christmas in my own heart (like 2 days after we decorate) and moving on to greener pastures...like 2013.  Or my birthday.  (Yes, I have over 3 months 'til my birthday but it is ALWAYS ON MY MIND this time of year.)  Or even the ever-increasing to-do list and the mundane.

I've seen (from more creative and spiritual minds than my own) some great ideas on how to really enjoy the holiday season and put the focus back on this miraculous story of the birth of our Savior, even if you're sans children like us (because, really, isn't Christmas most fun for the children?):

1. Get the shopping and decorating done BEFORE December 1st.  A few friends do this and they say it makes the holidays much more bearable, as you can focus on the fun stuff.  I am hoping to be on top of things enough next year to try it out for myself.  :)

2. When you do your decorating/Christmas countdowns/family traditions, focus on the Nativity and the very TRUE story of Christ.  Have the 12 or 25 days of Christmas be about scriptures and ornaments rather than candy or superficial/commercialized Christmas traditions (although those have their place in families for sure!).  Start a nativity collection, or at least make a nice display of the one(s) you have so that they are the focus.  Keep your Christmas CD songs about the gift of the Savior and the things surrounding His life and ministry, and less about reindeer and Santa Clause and presents and snow.  (Although some of those are the most fun and kids especially need those too!)

3. Serve, serve, serve others.  Nothing brings families closer than coming together to meet the needs of another family.  When we focus on the gifts we can give the Savior, or our fellow men in His name, we will feel the Spirit more and enjoy sweet moments that will fill us more than candy in our stockings ever could.

Good ideas.  All of them.  But I am looking for MORE.  More unique, or more specific, more meaningful to ME, or just...MORE.  I know I'm awfully demanding and ungrateful in saying this, but I just want more.  I literally need to marinate myself in these things or it just won't reach me this time of year.  And I know, from conversations I've had with friends and family alike, that I'm not alone.  So what do YOU do--what traditions do you have, or want to have--in your family that help make the holidays more...bearable, at worst, and enjoyable at best?  I really wanna know!

Christmas Card

I'm struggling to find that "perfect" design for my Christmas cards this year. 

Traditional?  Multiphoto?  Details of the year added?  I can't make up my mind.  Here are the ones I've designed so far...

But none of them are "it." I wish I could take elements of all of them and make them all blend together into the perfect card. I also wish I had more time to devote to this problem. :) Unfortunately, there are REAL problems and REAL life yet to tackle and this may end up getting pushed back until New Year's like it has the last few years.  But while I figure it all out, here's a QP 5"x7" that you could use for your Christmas cards if you wanna.  :)

Download this .png 5"x7" QP HERE.  You're welcome.  :)

One more QP and some layouts :)

I forgot about this 9th QP I made...and I wanted to post the pages I'd made with the layouts.  Some I haven't used yet (like the Christmas page), but I WILL.  And I'm excited about it.  Just as a reminder, especially because it's the 1st of the month, find a few favorite designers on Blogger or Facebook (or check out the latest blog train for inspiration) and you will get SO MANY FREE KITS!  At least 3-4 a month, which is plenty for most people anyway.  And sometimes a LOT more than that. 

Anywho, this summery quick page was made using the kit "Summer Lovin'" by Inspired Designs by Crystal:

DOWNLOAD HERE

And here are some pages I've made that inspired the QPs offered a few days ago:

Happy December, and happy scrapping!