Got Christmas Cards?!

I love this time of year... when checking the mail brings much more fun than the usual bills, random fliers, or credit card applications. It brings memories, laughs, and pictures of people we love. Christmas cards are one of the many, many things I love about this time of year.

Right now Shutterfly is giving away 50 free Christmas cards if you blog about them! Check it out here!

SO AWESOME!

I love Shutterfly anyway- that's who I use to do our calendars every year! For those of you who know me, you know I love the calendars... they make such awesome gifts... can't go wrong! :o)

Here are some of my favorites of the Christmas cards this year:
Peppermint Bliss - I love candy canes... stinkin' cute
Mod Snowflakes - I love the black with the bold colors
Top Ten Moments - super cute idea!
Wonder Trees Noir - again, me and color... gotta love it!
I have to say that the cards have gotten better and better every year - and this year is definitely the best so far. They have super cute ones, classy ones, silly ones... anything your little heart may desire!

Yay for Christmas and free stuff!

:o)

Thanks to shutterfly for being awesome!

halloween!

Pirate Luke 

EmJ as Silvermist (Tinkerbell's fairy friend) 

Jonah the racecar driver, Janae as Athena, EmJ as Silvermist, and a grumpy Luke the pirate (he just wanted to do his own thing... he was not happy to be taking a picture!) :o) 

psst... keep reading! There are 2 new blogs below!

the pumpkin ranch

We went to the pumpkin ranch this weekend and let me just say... fun was had by all. :o) Grandma Chuck was here this weekend so she got to join in on the fun!

 EmJ was definitely yelling "All Aboard!" here ;)

Just chatting with Daddy

It was a gorgeous day! 

EmJ on the awesome dragon ride... 

She was the only one on the whole thing!  

Luke loved the carousel! 

EmJ told me this was her favorite picture- the one where she was standing like the scarecrow :o) 

Luke and Grandma checking out the donkey (Luke wasn't a huge fan of the animals -he was content to climb on everything he could find instead... ha!) 

I had to put this in because I laugh every time I see it.... she's hilarious! 

I have no idea what this face is about... she seriously cracks me up! 

Our awesome attempt at a family picture...

This was the end of our time there and Luke was so done - so it was either this (with EmJ's random grumpy face) or Luke crying. Sweet.

Note to self: take the family picture when we first arrive.

:o)

pumpkin painting!

we've been painting pumpkins for a few years and this year was no different...

and of course we had a blast! :o)

i'm not really sure what i was thinking when i actually tried to have luke paint a pumpkin - that didn't really work (ha!) - but he ended up having a blast with a paint brush and a wipe. ;)

lots of concentration necessary...

lots of smiles necessary too... :o)

good times!

the next day with the finished pumpkins... laughing at each other (as usual!)

our awesome pumpkins!

a very colorful walk

I feel so, so blessed to live in such a beautiful place. For some reason, this fall is absolutely gorgeous! The kids and I took a walk the other day to be outside in the awesome weather and enjoy the view! :o)

the zoo

Last week Jeff was out of town on a hunting trip (and yes, I'll try to post a blog about that soon) - so, the kids and I went to the zoo with our friends April and Miah. We had lots and lots of fun! EmJ took 2 diggers - one when we first got there that scraped up her face a little and gave her a fat lip, and the second when we were about to ride the carousel that gave her quite the bump above her eye. Not fun! However, she was a trooper and still had a fun time at the zoo! I figured I should explain before you see pictures :o)

I think this picture is awesome!!! It's not the best quality, but you gotta love that face!

EmJ and Miah

This was cracking me up - who falls asleep like that?!

So sweet!

Everybody loves to ride the carousel - both girls wanted to ride the peacock. :o)

:o)

Still stinkin' cute even with a scrape, fat lip, and bump on the eye. :o)