Hello 2026

 

Hello 2026

 

You do not fail when you fall short.

You fail when you never aim at all.

 

 ♥ begin each day with gratitude

 ♥ move your body everyday

 ♥ check digital boundaries

 ♥ invest in relationships

 ♥ give generously

 

 

 

 

 

Continue ~ 2025 Word of the Year

 

 

Hello Friends, my husband encouraged me to choose a word of the year in 2022.

2022 I chose, SUNSHINE. I wanted to make it a goal to spread sunshine. To be a source of cheer and happiness.

2023 I chose, TRUTH. There was so much happening in our nation, world, and there still is.  I wanted to be careful of what I took in as truth. I wanted to be slow to jump on the bandwagon, be sure to find facts if I could and navigate my own decision on the current event.  

2024 I chose, COURAGE. I had a scare with my neighbors boyfriend in the summer of 2023, which left me shaky and not trusting of anyone. It took time to heal from the situation. I needed to concentrate on having courage. 

2025 I will be choosing, CONTINUE. I will continue to spread sunshine, seek truth, and step out in our big world with courage.

I will continue to be grateful. 

I will continue to hit pause and enjoy the little things.

I will continue to strive to reach goals and accomplishments.

I will continue to smile more.

♥

Carla

 

Welcome 2021!

Hello Friends and Welcome 2021!

Will 2021 be a wild ride? I hope not. Yet, I have some worries. My state of Wisconsin is already dealing with unrest in Kenosha. I pray for a FRESH start in 2021 and that we can come to love each other again, as citizens of this great nation we call home. 

My friend recently shared this daily blessing with me. I want to share it with you.

May JOY fill your heart.

May PEACE flood your soul.

 

 

As we say goodbye to 2020 and we look forward to 2021, I pray that 2021 to be a 

healthy and peaceful year.

Make a Wish

Make a Wish

As the sun sets on 2019 and we welcome 2020 we have...

12 new chapters

366 new pages

I am making a new kind of New Year List ..

it is called a memory to make together:

Name:  Sam  ~ A memory to make together: eating sushi   

Name: Atticus ~ A memory to make together:  going ice fishing

Name: Kris and Cliff ~ A memory to make together: taking an adventure to the ice caves in your neck of the woods

Name: Mom and Dad ~ A memory to make together: putting together a puzzle 

Name: Ron and Sharon ~ A memory to make together: going to a baseball game

Name: Jeremy ~ A memory to make together: canoe a new lake 

Name: Kris ~ A memory to make together: taking a stroll in your garden

Name: Judy ~ A memory to make together: taking a moon walk along the Wisconsin River

And the list goes on....

Happy New Year 

Wishing you a great year of making memories!

 

 

 

Did you catch a Reindeer?

 Happy New Year

Here is to a great 2018!

Ring out the Old! Ring in the New!

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas. We traveled to my parents farm and spent time with family.  It was a special Christmas as we celebrated my dad's good health. He has recovered well from his heart attack in April 2017. We let off fireworks on Christmas Eve and Christmas night to celebrate all that Christmas gives us.

My last post I shared our Reindeer Bait recipe.

Did you have any luck?

As you can see we did. We even caught a few interesting reindeer. Three eyed!! (boys decorating)

 

Looking forward to sharing another year with you, right here at The River.

 ♥

Carla

Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.

  Pamela Vaull Starr

 

New Experiences

As we head into year 2017

 New Hopes

New Dreams

New Challenges

New Experiences

New Projects

 

Lego City, Brickmania, Minneapolis, Minnesota

 January 16, 2017 was one of my first New Experiences.

I attended an Active Shooter Class / Exercise.

Barron County Sheriff's Department teaches the class.

I was nervous going into the class, a new experience for sure. We were taught what it is like to have a shooter in a building, or a room full of people and what to do.

The training consisted of studying  recent shootings and learning from them. We reviewed Orlando and Virginia Tech.

What can you do if you are in that situation, how can you help your friends and how can you reach a safe zone. We went over how going on lockdown, is not the safest thing to do. Getting out is the best plan, if you are able. If you are not able, try to fight back. One of the things I learned that really stuck with me, was to use stuff as a weapon.  Throw a laptop, phone, stapler, anything to give your family time to run. 

The last exercise that we did was a shooter in the building. Some one had an air gun, with soft bullets. With this exercise the shooter really shoots the soft bullets, the sound of gun fire is all around. It was difficult to figure what direction the sound was coming from. It defiantly gave a real feeling and scared me.

The goal is to get out with your friends and family. 

I am happy to report, our team made it out. Our floor made it out as well, with only one person shot in the leg. The 3rd floor had three shot, one in the arm and two in the leg. (not really wounded, just the sting of the soft bullet) The Sheriff's Department was proud of us for passing. That is what they would like to see, no casualties, get people out to safety. The most dangerous thing to do is try to hide and freeze. Running and throwing things is the best thing. Another tip, I learned was to knock down tables, chairs, and pull fire alarms as you run. It will disorientate the shooter.

I am thankful for have taken the class. I pray that I never am in such a situation. If I am, I feel like I would be able to help get people to safety.

I appreciated our Sheriff's Department care in helping us understand the reality of what is out in this world, and how we can help prepare ourselves.

With that...let us not think about tonight's news...instead...

Happy Thoughts

 ♥ Helping celebrate a 92 year old's birthday!! Irene is still active and in great health. She always make me smile with her humor. And you would never know she is 92!

 ♥ Snail Mail .... receiving  a surprise letter from a blog friend.

♥ The Full Moon!

 ♥ Feeding the birds and having wild bunnies visit under the bird feeder.

♥ Watching my boys anticipation grow and grow for the fun weekend they enjoyed.

 

Happy New Year ~ Welcome 2016

Happy New Year

Welcome 2016

I joined up with Instagram at the start of 2015. 

Each and every Monday I shared a photo of our maple tree in the backyard. Starting in January all the way to the last Monday of 2015. I did it! I was able to share the season's with you from my Wisconsin backyard and I did not miss a Monday. I was a little worried I would forget or get busy and not remember to post the photo. A few of my summer photos are evening photos...busy in the garden. 

If you want to follow me in Instagram Click here ~ I am skigirlcarla on Instagram 

I am planning to start another fun Monday photo journey on Instagram for 2016!

Thank you for following along.

Happy New Year to you! 

Reflecting light

With what I have, I can reflect light into the dark places of this world.

Into the black places in the hearts of men and change some things in some people.

Perhaps others may see and do likewise. 

Robert Fulghum

 

This is what I am about...this is my goal for 2015!

Wishing you a great 2015!

So many sad stories in our world today. 

My goal is to stay positive and shine for my family, friends, neighbors and strangers.

I know we can make a difference.

 ♥

Carla

Happy 2014

Happy New Year

2014

Father, may that holy star 

Grow every year more bright,

And send its glorious beams afar

To fill the world with

LIGHT.

William Cullen Bryant

  

Grandma's Best Hot Chocolate

Is it cold out where you live? We had -27 when I woke up today. Yuck. I can not go skiing today. It is to cold. Instead, I will play games with my boys and sip Grandma's Best Hot Chocolate.

 

Grandma's Best Hot Chocolate
3 1/3 cups milk
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Combine milk, vanilla and cinnamon stick in saucepan over medium - low heat. Bring to a gentle boil. Add chocolate chips and whisk until milk is frothy and chocolate is melted.
Discard cinnamon stick.
Pour into warmed mugs and if desired top with whipped cream or marshmallows.

What are your plans for the New Years Eve? 

 

 I wish you a fun time and happy blessings for 2014!

Happy New Year ~ 2014 is here!

A fresh start...Welcoming 2013

It's a Wonderful Life

Each New Year's we add a slip of paper into our memory bulbs hanging on our Christmas tree. We started this when the boys were first able to share their memories. We write some of the things we did as a family, individual achievements and losses.

Our family went through a lot of change during the year of 2012. Change is not always easy, but what we learned is it brings you closer to God as you walk through it, and closer to family and friends who walk with you.

As we say Good Bye to 2012 tonight, I want to share few thoughts from It's a Wonderful Life....to help us walk into 2013.

"Remember no man is a failure who has friends" 

You see, in the movie George has spent the last hour and half battling the belief that he was a failure, that his life has not amounted to much.

  

 Clarence reminds him that even though our stories often turn out differently then we expect, what really counts is not what we do with our talents, but whom we serve through them.

That's what makes a man rich: the number of people who come into his life and leave it changed.

Sending you 2013 blessings and that yes, we can make a difference by spreading LIGHT in this dark world together.

Happy New Year 

 

Photo Credits:

The Best Picture Project

Simplify by Camille Roskelly

Writing helps:

Jeff Goins - Writer

     

Celebrate!

2012

 We celebrated the coming of 2012 a bit early. We did our firecrackers and sparklers at 9:00pm! Snow was just starting to fall!! It was a beautiful evening! We move into 2012, a time for new ideas, to work towards dreams and change habits. 

Happy 2012 and best to you as we start fresh in a New Year! Reach High!

Atticus wondering how the snow will respond to the sparkler! It is so much fun to be a curious boy!

Happy 2012! Thank you for reading my blog in 2011! I hope to continue to inspire you in 2012! Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year!!

Today is unique! It has never occurred before and it will never be repeated. At midnight it will end, quietly, suddenly, totally. Forever. But the hours between now and then are opportunities with eternal possibilities.

Charles Swindoll