Time will Always be HERE as long as We're HERE

A Family Game night

celebrating the New Year with fun
... AND some reflection...

My Mom showing that
Shiny Shimmers
can never be left out of a New Year's Eve wardrobe.

And I had to add some bold color and ENERGY
to keep this lil' family party going ALL NIGHT LONG.

With a house full of guys,
BANGING in the New Year works better than RINGING it in.

Fire and Ice!
Fireworks look SUPER COOL in the snow.

Celebrating the minutes of 2009....

And anticipating the new minutes of 2010.

Late night sweets were chocolate chip cookies
baked in MUFFIN TINS with a cream cheese frosting twirled in the center
and scattered with SPRINKLES!

Piles of appetizers were served on GOLD SNOWFLAKE paper plates
with boxes of games for entertainment.

A moment of New Year Reflection was on the table.
I covered the entire table with packaging paper and set out cans of markers.
We paid tribute to 2009...

(The kids loved this part too!)

We spent time together

illustrating our most loved moments of 2009,

our favorite things we received,

and the best highlights of the year.

For a quick TABLE CENTERPIECE I filled a glass jar with watches
that have belonged to members of our family throughout the years.

The centerpiece pulled ANOTHER
reflective tone to the fun evening...

Each watch was worn during particular times of our lives by different people. They were TOOLS used to track every minute of our days and lives. With every rhythmic tick of the hand, these watches recorded MOMENTS that passed as quickly as they were awaited.

This watch was worn faithfully by me every day as a teenager.

As I stare at it on my table through the glass of the jar, I can remember watching the hands move as I waited impatiently in my house for a ride, excited to go out in the night with friends as if my whole life depended on it!... I can remember looking at that watch face in panic hoping the hands would slow down a bit so I could finish an important test. The hands of the watch moved through the minutes and hours of my teenage life until one day they stopped at the numbers as they are right now...7:45. The watch was tucked into a jewelry box and was never worn again. It sits untouched and symbolizes a time period of my life that I cherish and love and one that can never be duplicated. A new watch replaced it and the cycle started again and again with each new watch and new time of my life.


This next watch is a brand new watch my husband received for Christmas. The leather straps are still stiff and it has only been worn a couple of times to track our minutes. It is here waiting to mark every second of the time that lies ahead of us.

What minutes will it record?
What will be be waiting on as we watch this new watch?
What will we try to rush through?

Time is a constant in our life. We can trust and depend on TIME to keep moving forward. And it will. Without a doubt. It's up to us what we do with that time.

Cheers to YOUR 2010.


Make the best of it...


whatever your circumstance,


whatever your season of life.


It is YOUR watch,


YOUR time.


YOUR 2010.

This post is linked to: The Inspired Room, DIY Day, Today's Creative Blog, Works for Me Wednesday, Show and Tell