Giving Christmas Cards

 Tis the season for giving…and definitely the season for giving Christmas Cards! If you haven’t ordered your cards yet there is a special offer from shutterfly going on right now especially for bloggers. I usually get my cards from shutterfly. (Well, last year Wally World because we needed the cheapest route). But, this year bloggers around the world can get 50 free holiday cards from shutterfly by just promoting them on their blog!

So, here goes…

I’ve looked at plenty of designs this year and found the following to be my personal favorites. I’m in need of more than one place to put a photo because the family photo we got of Isaac looks a little angry. Hey, it was cold outside, who can blame him really! ;)

 The reason shutterfly is so great is because, in my opinion, they have some of the prettiest cards out there for great prices.  Here are just some of the great designs you can order from them this year....

Notice how much I like monogrammed cards?  So classy shutterfly, so classy.

And of course we can't forget shutterfly's awesome calendar making.  Every year since I've been married we always get my husband's parents a calendar (from shutterfly of course) every single Christmas.  They LOVE it and look forward to it each year.  We put plenty of pictures from each month of the past year on the pages and his parents can enjoy looking at our beautiful smiling faces all year long. ;)  Of course, it's not our smiling faces now that grand kids are in the mix...

If you want to join in on shutterfly's awesome promotion for bloggers like myself then all you have to do is go to this site.    
http://bit.ly/sfly2010

I'll be back soon with pictures.  Isaac's meeting Santa today for the second time in his entire life.  Unfortunately he's a little more aware of his surroundings this year than last--I'm expecting some tears.  But, sometimes those make the best pictures don't they. ;)

Thanks Shutterfly for the awesome promotion!!

Thanksgiving with chickens

Isaac and I enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving day with the Crosby family in Jackson, Alabama. Steven had to work so unfortunately could not make the trip. We sure missed our daddy! My dad's brother lives out in the country so little buddy had the time of his life running through fields and riding the all terrain golf cart. My only regret was that I didn't get more pictures of my family. I always forget to take my camera out and get people to pose--I need to work on that!! However, I took plenty of picture of little buddy and his second cousin, Noah. They were too cute together.

Here they go.... running for the chicken coop looking for fresh eggs.

I've told Steven for a while now that I seriously want to have chickens one day. He just laughs at me and says, "yeah right." I wonder why he doesn't believe me... It could be because I get him to care for the dog when he's home. :)

Noah was brave enough to hold one of the squawking birds. I on the other hand didn't touch them. I never considered that they could peck your eyes out in all my chicken coop thinking future. We won't tell Steven of my fear... it will just make him more right. ;)

And Isaac was content to point and jibber jabber about the chicken coop.

This picture cracks me up for many reasons. They both look delighted to be there don't they.



Whenever Isaac is unsure of something those fingers go straight to his mouth...

He did enjoy running his fingers through the chicken food.

And like all normal little boys, he enjoyed throwing the chicken food.

He gave many high fives in the process of chicken herding.


And stopped to enjoy a fake laugh, a favorite pastime these days.

We enjoyed a rousing game of kickball with the cousins to take off some of that food we ate. This preggo didn't participate but took pictures instead.

Isaac looked on with envy.
Still quite not old enough to play kickball little buddy.

Oh, and if you are wondering about his boo boo between the eyes...no, his mother did not get carried away with the whole "Harry Potter" theme this week and Voldemort didn't attack. He actually fell on his own and created two perfectly parallel scabs.




Katie joined me in the capturing of memories.

We ended the kickball game with a much needed juice box...

Last but not least, we ended the day with some exercise and amusement by playing Wii Dance 2. I love my grandfather sitting in the chair to the right. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.:)

I was sad Steven couldn't make the trip with us, and especially not fun being away from him during holidays. But I was able to come home on Friday morning just in time to watch the Iron Bowl with him. We of course had a blast watching the first half (not so much fun the second)and it was great watching Isaac get really into it. He would cheer every time we would and I think Steven's heart soared to know his little boy is beginning to like football. ;)


Whether we win or lose, I'm so proud to be a BAMA FAN!! That place holds a special place in my heart. Not only am I so glad I went away to college, I'm so glad I went there. I met my husband there, have incredible friends to cherish, and have memories to last a lifetime.

But enough about football, back to Thanksgiving and being thankful for things that matter. All in all it was a great one! Steven and I have so much to be thankful for. Our marriage, precious son, two wonderful sets of parents, siblings, friends, food, a roof over our head, and health. Not to mention, our new bundle of joy on the way. We are overcome with Christ's faithfulness and love for our family and continue to be amazed to see where He leads. If only we wouldn't take it for granted so much... And if only I could constantly have an eternal perspective...

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!!

Now onto decorating the house for Christmas...

Way too long

It's been way too long since all my siblings were in the same town together. With Katie being gone for two years and Carla living amongst the Yankees we unfortunately don't get together much. But we changed all that this weekend. I love my family!

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

We apologize for seeming a little absent from the blog world. To be honest, I haven't felt like doing much of anything for the last three weeks. Morning sickness...let me rephrase that...ALL DAY sickness got the best of me I'm afraid. Thankfully, I've been feeling a lot better these past few days and hoping it stays that way. I'm about 11 weeks.

We've been doing well in spite of the side effects of the first trimester. Isaac is at his almost two year old best, running around getting into everything, testing my patience every second, and keeping us constantly laughing around here. I can count a number of times daily where he will be doing something he isn't supposed to, I being the good mother that I am will reprimand him, and will then have to quickly turn my face away so he won't see the big grin covering my face.

He most definitely keeps me on my toes...

Also, Isaac is obsessed with lights right now.

Yites, he calls them. He wants you to constantly turn on yites, turn off yites, touch yites, etc. You get the picture. Honestly, all this boy talks about at the moment is YITES.

I mean, you could give this kid a "where's waldo book"

and ask him to find the one lantern in the entire page of busyness...and he'd probably find it in point 5 seconds, screaming "YITE!!"

On a different note...a more magical one...part 1 of the last Harry Potter films is coming out this weekend. And you better believe I'll be the first one there to see it, with butterbeer in hand. ;)

Go ahead, call me names. If you haven't realized yet what a dork I am, I'm sorry for misleading you. That wasn't my intention at all.

But I promise I am quite normal.

My husband is as well.

He's even agreed to wear this for this opening premiere... ;)

Oh, come on honey. You know you want to wear it... ;)

That little stinker

Isaac knows without a shadow of doubt that Major's (our beloved dog) food bowls are off limits.

However, from time to time, we can still find him over by the bowls doing the ocassional toddler sneakiness. You know, dropping matchbox cars into Major's water, dumping the water out, trying doggie food, etc...

One particular night I was cleaning the kitchen, paying no attention to what my son was doing mind you, until I suddenly looked.

And found this...

That little stinker...

My baby

is not a baby anymore.

In fact he's about to be a...

Isaac was beyond thrilled with the news

that is until I told him he'll have to give up his crib...

Coming June 2011.

Roar!

Well folks, we succeeded! Little buddy wore his lion costume with great pride, never once pitching a fit, and his parents got to oooh and aaah over him. Of course it helped that the weather was on the cooler side and we didn't torture him with the lion pants. He was one ferocious (but oh so cute) little lion.

We had a church wide tailgate on Sunday night (pretty much like a fall festival). Every one's life group creates a little tailgating spot full of food and candy for trick or treating. Every year our life group enjoys roasting hot dogs and smores over a toasty fire pit. It's always a great time of fellowship and fun. Steven and I are so thankful for this life group and the friendships that have been created since it started. We love having a group of godly friends going through our stage of life and being able to tell our struggles too them along with praises. I could go on and on...

But I'll let the pictures do my friends (and their kiddos) justice. This was the first time I've used my camera in quite a while so beware of a long picture post...

The girls in our life group... we often find it difficult to convince the guys to get in a picture.

Isaac enjoying time with our life group leader.

And what would lion be without the friendship of sweet Dorothy. After all, she did teach him the importance of courage. (ahem, the following pictures will be saved for their rehearsal dinner slide show ;) )

Until next time. This little lion is pouncing OUTTA HERE...