New Christmas Cards!

When I first checked out Shutterfly's cards this year, there was one I fell in love with. It said "every good gift" on the front, which has been the scripture I have used this year with a picture I had taken of my kids. I really wanted it. But, it was just a bit out of price reach for me for as many as I wanted. So I found one I loved in their small size.

And then the email came with the promotional offer for 50 free 5x7 cards. And that was just the size of the one I had loved. So I designed it and then, just because, I found another one. And I designed that one too. I took a family poll with each member in private so the older children (Caleb) would not influence the younger (Elisa) And it was unanimous! They all loved my first and favorite card best. So...here is my (favorite) Christmas card of 2010.

An orange envelope...

Since I have been taking pictures of friends and their beautiful children, I have had many orange envelopes arriving on my doorstep each week. I love pictures. I love looking and them and receiving packages of them. I use Shutterfly. A lot.

Tis the season for many Christmas envelopes coming. I recently got my 2011 calendar finished, ordered, and received. I needed November and December of 2010, so I like that I can start the calendar at any time. And I have all my favorite "peeps" birthday's already printed on the calendar. I always choose a favorite picture for each month from the year before. My kids always get their pictures on their birthday month, and my favorite Christmas picture goes in December.

Today I got my newest Shutterfly album of our family pictures. Earlier this week it was some of my Christmas cards. Designing my cards is always something I love. There are so many designs and templates to choose from, and I enjoy "playing" with which picture may work here...deciding whether I should use induvidual pictures or a group picture. Here is a sneak peak of one of my designs this year:

This isn't the first year I have used Shutterfly, I think I am on my fifth year of their Christmas cards. I loved last years because we had another person on it!

One thing I have not tried on Shutterfly is their canvas prints. I recently took my sisters family pictures and she ordered a large canvas print. It is beautiful, and now I am jealous I didn't think of it first after ordering my own family pictures.

Tonight I finished one of my son's Christmas presents. He and Mike got to spend a weekend on the USS Yorktown with the Boy Scouts while we were in Charleston, and he took many pictures. So, tonight I finished his photo book and can't wait to give it to him!

This week, thanks to Sarah, I found out that bloggers can get 50 free Christmas cards from Shutterfly! I have some, but not enough, so yay, another orange envelope to look forward to!

Family pictures...

Our friend, Sam took our family pictures today. He is very talented and I love them! (and our friend, Larry, stood behind him to make Micah laugh!)

Asheville...and Mike...

Mike and I left for Asheville on Saturday. We had planned to go hiking somewhere...but, well, it snowed.


So, we explored downtown Asheville on Saturday, walking around, holding hands, and laughing. It was good to be alone. We went in a lot of different shops. Some that interested us, some that didn't. We even went into an antique shop (which we never do) and found the most hilarious book. It is called "Where Did I Come From." And is a funny approach to teaching your kids about sex. Oh my, was it funny. We laughed so hard we thought we would get kicked out. And we may have, but the owner was more intersted in grooming his dog the whole time we were there. The pictures were cartoon-y and our favorite was of a baby boy looking at his penis and the caption said "don't worry, as you grow, it will grow." It was $18 and we both said, "if only it were $5." So, we left it there, but not before Mike took some pictures of our favorite pages and texted them to Sam.
Sam later texted (is that the correct way to say that?) back "where are you guys?" And then said he would be happy to chip in $9 for usto go get it. So we went back after dinner, and they were closed, and wouldn't reopen until Monday. But, becuase i am a bargain shopper and then had it in my head I had to have this book, when we got back to our room I got on Amazon. And found it for $5. :)

On Sunday we went to the Biltmore for the first time and it was amazing. I was of the thought that I didn't want to pay that much money to tour someone's house, but it was beautiful and I am really glad we went. My favorite part was touring the grounds. I would love to see them in the spring.

We could have spent more time there, including going to the wine tasting, but home beckoned, as did our children. And probably Sam and Gina too!

It was a perfect anniversary weekend.

15 years...

Today is Mike's and my 15th Wedding Anniversary! We were married on November 4, 1995 in Evansville, IN, on what was the coldest day of the season. And it was cold! I wanted to get married in the fall since it is my favorite time of year, and growing up in Florida, you don't get a lot of fall.

I am sure I thought when we got married, "so and so has been married for 15 years?!" thinking it was such a long time. But for me it has flown by. I am not poetic, nor great with sweet words, but it has been a wonderful 15 years. I married my best friend. I have moved with him four times. I have laughed with him and cried with him. I have rejoiced with him and fought with him. I have four children with him, and one in heaven. And I love him more than anything.

Tonight we will celebrate at our favorite restaurant, the Melting Pot. And this weekend we will get away by ourselves to Asheville, NC.

Happy Anniversary, Mikey. I love you so much!

My weekend..

I'm supposed to be in Florida, I'm supposed to be in Florida, I'm supposed to be in Florida....but I am not. Mike is in Florida, I am here. He has his second to last Love Worth Fighting For Marriage Event of the year in Lakeland today. We were all going to travel down there together, have dinner with my best friend from high school, see my brother, reminisce about when we were dating down there, and of course, have lunch with Kirk Cameron when it was all done on Sunday afternoon (and see if he remembered my name this time so he doesn't call me Mrs. Williams ever again)

but...Micah started feeling puny on Tuesday and we both got a little (a lot) worried that 11 hours in the car with a possibly sick baby and three other kids wondering "are we almost there?" would be a bit much for a four day trip. So Mike flew there instead, and I stayed here.

which meant...I got to take the kids to Chic Fil A last night for dinner and then get ice cream...take Caleb to his best friends house for a sleepover, and then cuddle with my girls in their bed while looking through the American Girl catalog, wishing which dolls we could get. (yes, we. I want a Julie doll, she is from 1974, the year I was born)
It meant that Micah got a full nights sleep in his own bed, and I got to watch Elisa score two goals in a soccer game I thought we would miss.
I also got ahead (by 3 weeks!) on my planning for the 50 states class I teach, impressing my co-leader who is much more organized than I.
And, I sat and watched my Thursday evening programs on hulu.com that I missed the night before since we no longer have cable.

I do...miss Mike. I miss that I am not there with him trying to help bring his stress level down. I miss that I am not the "ticket" lady today and I won't be there first hand to see how excited all the couples are going in, and coming out of the conference. I miss the funny stories Warren Barfield will tell and that I can't text my friend Eileen tomorrow bragging that I had lunch with Kirk (who does recognize me now)...

but...today I will enjoy my little people, curl up with a book when I get the chance, and enjoy that I will get to spend Sunday morning at my favorite church, leading the worship team, and learning from our pastor. And I will get the chance to say goodbye to my oldest nephew, Travis, who is leaving for basic training on Monday.

and...I will look forward to coming home from Monday Fun on Monday and having my Mike(y) home for a few days, and we will share how great our weekends were.

NASA...Space Museum

When I was but a little girl, one of my dreams was to be an astronaut. I grew up in Orlando and loved watching the Space Shuttle launches from my back yard. I remember the devastaion of the morning of the Challenger explosion...how the sky looked, how cold it was that day, how devastated my sixth grade teacher was. I have always loved the idea of going into space. So, I was so excited when we were able to take a trip to the NASA Space Museum in Huntsville, AL when we were in town for one of Mike's Feed Your Faith Marriage Events...

There was not a lot on the Space Shuttle program, ( I didn't get to see the IMAX movie on the Hubble telescope, Caleb tells me I would say otherwise if I had) but all they had on the Apollo program was so amazing, and fun, and interesting...here are some of our pictures...Here we are!

This is my favorite picture from the day..my husband is so talented and creative!

This showed a launch and how loud it would be as well as the vibration if you were there.

They have a fun play area where Micah and I spent a lot of time, this cracked me up...he doesn't look so good! Ok, this was my favorite Micah picture of the day. He is on the go so much so it is hard to get a good picture...but this one was so great! We hung out together while the "big kids" and Mike went to the IMAX movie.