Top 10...2011 in review

Well, it is late Thursday but I am still in it enough time to do the last Top 10 for the year. Of course this is hosted by none other than Beth Z. 
from A Work In Progress. This time around she asks:What are the top 10 best things of 2011?

1. Discovering for myself just how far I can be stretched without breaking. (Note: Seriously, I will not do that again.)
2. Music, music, music
3. Truly who my real friends are.
4. Reaffirmation that my families' love for each other is our greatest strength.
5. Being with my entire family in over 20+ years.
6. Participating in what true forgiveness feels like.
7. Living in peace with my Dad before he passed and being there when he and Grandma did pass over.
8. Laughter
9. Seeing the tiny miracles that continued to occur even when I thought I could take no more in life.
10. Spending such precious time with my grand-daughter.

Peace...Naila Moon

Project 52-year end review

As the year winds down, I am looking back at the things I attempted to accomplish. I took on the Project 52 challenge as a way to maybe do some things I wanted to do as well as things I needed to do.


I generally try to stay clear of resolutions because those ALWAYS end up as broken promises. When you make them you feel guilty about breaking them and revert to old ways. By taking on the 52 challenge, I did not feel guilty if I did not complete one of my ideas.


I am happy to say that this past year I completed 20 of the 52. If you want to check them out go HERE.  This may not seem like a lot to some but considering the year I have had, it is amazing!  At least I feel like I accomplished something!


I will be working on this year's list all this week and maybe in to next. Make sure you come back and check it out! Oh and if you make one, come back and drop me a link, I would love to see it and encourage you.


Peace...Naila Moon

Mondays Music on Tuesday...Year 2011

Well, here we are near the end of 2011. Whoa what a year it has been! I can honestly say, I do not care to go through another year like this one EVER again. I miss my family members so much and the pains of other things that occurred this year was well...almost too much.


Thinking about this past year and the fact it is Music Monday (on Tuesday) because I got lazy and didn't post, because I was extremely busy I didn't post and that the theme is New Year songs or best in review;  I thought I would share this first video that says it all.



So many people lost loved ones this year (including our head conductor Xmas Dolly) but this song has spoken to me so strongly I had to share it.

I found another that I think speaks to the heart:





And yet another:





My wish for all of you is to love those that are here with you as much as you can, find peace in your hearts and to know, we are all in this world together and we are not alone.

Peace...Naila Moon

Christmas anniversary

Yesterday was a day that most people enjoyed as Christmas Day. This was true for me as well but it was also more than that, it was also my 3rd Anniversary to Tamirisc.


Tamirisc and I married in 2008 with only my daughter in attendance at our condo in Colorado.  It was a cold day but I felt all warm inside as my "prince" was about to commit his life to me. It was purely magic!


This year has been very trying for us as a married couple but I simply could not have done it without his strength and love. I loved him yesterday, I love him today and I will love him more tomorrow.


Peace...Naila Moon


PS>This is the song he played for me.

Joy to the World

To all out in Bloggerville:

Remember, the "first gift of Christmas was a child".
Today I wish you peace and joy throughout the world.
~Naila Moon

Mondays Music...week 4

Hello one and all. Here it is the 4th week in advent. whew! Of course it is the Monday before Christmas and that means one more round of Christmas songs to share with you.  I am getting here a bit late this week but never-the-less, I am here.

Before I get started though, I want to give a HUGE shout out to Beth Z. who host the Thursday Top 10. She was gracious enough to make me a couple of new blogger button for this blog and another I own.  (Did you see it over there------>)
Thanks so much Beth...you rock! Please stop by her place HERE and wish her a lovely Christmas ok? Thanks so much!

Now on with the music. As always our wonderful head elf is none other than Xmas Dolly Stop by her place too. She works for Santa but takes time out to host this great meme.

In our family we have a myriad of religions. The are mostly Christian religions but a couple of different ones too.  I also have friends that spand the different religions as well. I thought about that when doing this particular week. So...without further ado:


First up:




Next:



Yet another:



And finally: ( not the best video but one of my favs)







Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Happy Hannukah, Peace...Naila Moon

Advent week 3 and 4

Here I am on the cusp of another week of advent and I have not even given my thoughts for week three. Week three is supposed to represent the week of JOY.


I wish that I could say I have had a lot of it this Christmas season but the fact is, I haven't or at least very little of it. As I mentioned in previous post I have missed my Grandma and Dad so much that it has clouded my mind somewhat. 


However, having said that, I still have found glimmers or joy. One of them was last night.  My husband, grand-daughter, son, and daughter-in-law, all went to see the Christmas lights at two different places.  They were all beautiful. Seeing the look in my grand-daughters eyes and the awe in my sons brought me such joy.  It reminded me that joy comes in the littlest things and to remember to look for them always.


Which brings me to week four...LOVE


I was watching a movie the other night. I think it was the Christmas Box and the main character was asked the following question: What was the first present of Christmas?


The answer was a child. 

This photo I took at Our Lady of the Snows

Seriously, what more could be said than that? Christmas is about a child that came in to the world to give the ultimate and that was love. Remembering that makes everything worth while.


Peace...Naila Moon

Top 10...Christmas Traditions (Dec. 15, 2011)

This week on Top 10 our lovely host, Beth asks us to name our Top 10 Christmas Traditions.  I do not think this will be too hard but I will see where it goes.

1. As I blogged about here the tradition of the Advent Candles


2. It has become a tradition to visit Our Lady of the Snows. The 
    place is so beautiful. Here a few photos from there.

The Grotto

A million lights

 
3. The kids and I always watched this on Christmas Eve or Day 
     depending on when we had Christmas together. We still do! ;)




4. We also watch Charlie Brown Christmas, Miracle on34th St.,
     and many others. My favorite one though is this one:




5. Putting money in the kettles. There is this lady here locally that sings carols as you go in to the store. Makes me smile.

6. Singing Christmas carols to the neighbors. Yeah, we really do.
    A few years ago when I was in high school, I roped my friends
    in to going house to house to sing. When my kids got older, I 
    took them and their friends.


7.  Since I married Tamirisc, it is the annual taking of our Christmas
     photo for our cards. This becomes craziness because Tamirisc
     usually does not cooperate. Oh, then there is our family 
     Christmas photo! See what I mean?

Tamirisc goofing off in 2009 for our cards.

Tamirisc goofing off this year for our cards!

Christmas " Family Photo" prior to marriages in 2007

Can you say awkward Christmas "Family photo"  in 2009?

8. Listening to Christmas music.


9. Decorating! My Mother starts the weekend after Thanksgiving 
    and almost up to her annual party.Traditionally, she did inside
    and Dad and I did outside ( to stay out of her way). I missed not
    being able to decorate with my Dad. Actually, he just kind of 
    supervised. lol

One of the Nativity in our condo last year

My niece surrounded by some of my Mom's decor

Part of my snowman collection

10. Family!! There is nothing like family for the holidays. We are a 
      rather large family as families go. This year though it is different
      as we lost two of our members this year and that is tough on us
      and certainly different. We miss them loads!

Extended family with Grandma 2009

Some of us with Dad last year

Peace...Naila Moon