Updated —  Zach won the calendar.  Congratulations!

I appreciate all the kind words from all the people who commented.  Thank you for your support and when I start blogging again, I’ll be sure to let you know!

~Lesli

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Have you noticed I haven’t blogged much.  Yeah, me too.  Actually I’ve thought a lot about blogging, but just haven’t sat down to do it.  I’ve thought about blogging about:

• My new car.  The dealer sent me a cool calendar with a picture of me the day I bought it.  That was fun.
• Thanksgiving.
• A student calling me a whore, my big mouth, and the miracle of forgiveness because it really is a miracle and the Lord that helped me forgive this student.
• My aunt Betty – she is a saint and she has taught me what true charity is.
• Some new cooking recipes.
• These cookie jars I’m making for Christmas gifts.
• My new kindle reader.

But I haven’t blogged about any of them.  In fact, I’ve been thinking of getting rid of my blog.  But Mandy and Russ have suggested that I just keep the blog, but take a little break.  I don’t know how long the break will be, but I’m sure that after a little while I’ll start blogging again.  I’m going to keep writing and taking pictures, so I’m sure I’ll have a lot to share when I return from this hiatus.

While I don’t know why I haven’t felt like blogging lately, I do feel like I need to unplug for a little bit.  So, I’m going to slow down on the facebook and twitter.  I also am not interested in reading very many blogs anymore.  Today I had 209 blog posts in my google reader that I hadn’t read.  I worked my way through them, but ended up skipping a bunch.

Lately, I’ve been wondering where I’m going and what I’m doing with my life.  I’m turning 30 in a few months and I don’t have much to show for it.

Okay, enough introspection and melancholia.

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For some Christmas gifts I made 2011 Calendars of my favorite photo’s that I took this last year.

Here is the cover:

Here is what March will look like:

I’m really happy with how they turned out and the quality of them.

So, I’m going to give one away – TO YOU!

If you want one of these lovely calendars, then just post a comment on this post.  I don’t care what you say.  Maybe you can tell me a holiday tradition.  Or, maybe you can tell me whether or not you set New Year’s Resolutions.  Anything.

But make sure to put your email in the email box so that I can contact you.

Contest will close Friday, December 17 at 5 pm.

Why?  Because I fly home on Saturday and I want to mail it before I go to Washington.

Good Luck!

Thanks to everyone who reads my blog and comments – I appreciate it.  I like knowing that someone out there actually reads what I write.  Now, on to the winners . . .

Here are all the entries.  I had to put all the names in a bowl because I got a twitter and of course that isn’t a comment.  (Did that make any sense?)

I had my school secretary pull the name.  I figured that was fair and impartial.

And the winner is:

Yea for Holly!

I have known Holly since high school, but we really became good friends Senior year.  She was my room – roommate in college for 2 years – I don’t know how she put up with me and my messiness.  And her photography is amazing and when I grow up, I want to be just like her.

If you didn’t win, don’t worry.  I really do like giving things away, so I’m sure I’ll do another contest.

In TWO days, taxes are due.  This can be a little upsetting, or it can be really exciting, depend on your refund or if you have to pay.

So, I thought I would share the love and have another give-away.

Here is how it is going to go.  You can enter three different ways:

1. Leave a comment on this post with your favorite book (I want to try and read more this summer) = one entry.
2. Blog about this post = one entry (leave the link in the comments).
3. Twitter about this post = one entry (@stepfordchild in your twitter).

The Prize: a $40 gift card to iTunes, Walmart, or Amazon.com

Be sure and leave your email in the field provided so I can contact you.  Don’t worry, it won’t be published.

Contest closes at 11:59 pm on April 15th – the last minute taxes can be turned in

Winner will be announced Friday morning.

Good luck!

(If your comment doesn’t post right away, don’t worry.  I have comment moderation on.)

I used Random.org to generate a random number. (Granted there were only 11 comments, but still, I wanted to be fair).

And Random.org gave me . . . .

Congratualations Jesseca!  And you say you never win anything!  Here is her comment.

In case you were wondering, the blog Jesseca is refering to is The Pioneer Woman – also one of my favorite blogs.  She has awesome contests!  And frequent contests!  And she is just awesome!  Congratulations!

This was fun.   I’m going to try and have more contests in the future.

Because it is March -

Because it is my birthday in a few days -

And because I love getting free things and winning contests-

I’m going to be giving away a $20 gift card to Amazon.com

And because I love Amazon!

Here is how it goes:

I have been reading over the winners of the 2010 Bloggie Awards and I realize there are so many awesome blogs out there and I don’t know any of them.  You should go check some of them out!

So, in the comments section, write down the web address of your favorite blog and why.  I’ll probably add all of them to my google reader!

Be sure and put your email in space provided.  It won’t be published, but I need it to send you the gift certificate to Amazon.

Contest Ends: On my birthday! March 3, 2010 at 3:33 pm MST. (I like 3′s)  I’ll be at the dentist during that time (yeah, on my birthday, dentist visit #7 since January) so, winners will be announced later that night.

(only one entry per person, thanks!)

(oh, and comment moderation is on, so your comment won’t appear immediately, but don’t worry, it will appear.  I have to do that because of the 900 spam comments I’ve gotten in the last month.)

Good Luck!

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If I won this – I might buy some of these things:

Digital Landscape Photography: In the Footsteps of Ansel Adams and the Masters by Michael Fry

I’m really loving photography and I really love shooting landscapes.

Winter Morning Walks : 100 Postcards to Jim Harrison  by Ted Kooser

Ted Kooser is a former poet laureate of the United States.  I read this particular volume of poetry in college and just haven’t ever added it to my collection.  Every morning he would take a walk, then write a poem about what he saw that day to Jim Harrison on a postcard and mail it to him.  Genius!

True Blood Season 2 DVD

I love this series.  I read all the Sookie Stackhouse books this last summer.  The show is definitely for adults.

New Moon DVD

Like I even have to tell you why.

First, let me say “Thank You!” to everyone who read my blog this week!

There were over 200+ visits!

And there were 56 comments – WOW!  I loved reading every single comment.  There was even a comment from Russia!

Here is a student of mine shuffling the names.  I wanted to be fair and impartial.

And the winner is . . .

Congratulations!  I’ll email you for your address if it isn’t in my address book.

Don’t worry, I’ll do another contest soon!

The winner of my first ever contest will be announced tonight.  I am going to have one of my students draw out the name.  Until then, enjoy the post about Letters Via Postcards.

This has been so fun, I think I’ll do another contest soon!