2010 ~ Christmas Card Out-takes!

So these are this years Christmas Card options. I must admit I used to silently panic over the whole photo shoot experience. We have tried it all different ways, professionals, friends and the ol' standby - me. None of those options made my stress level any easier to swallow, until... I discovered the Christmas Card Out Take blog entry. It has saved me! I almost look forward to it now. Sounds crazy, I know. However, these pictures, the ones that otherwise would have stressed me out and gone unnoticed into the trash have provided me such an unexpected comic relief. Now I get to post (and save for posterity) pictures that will always remind me of how hilarious it is to try and get three little kids to not only sit still (completely impossible for Billy), but also cooperate for a ridiculous amount of camera clicks. All for that one picture that you can maybe photoshop into being not great or even good, but hopefully at least presentable!

Billy really, truly cannot be still. I think he actually believes there are ants in his pants. His degree of wiggle fluctuates from twitchy fingers, to full on wiggly legs and then finally to....

...mentally departing this experience for one that must be way cooler in his head. He is a funny kid. We got up early one day while we were at the beach this last trip to try and get the dreaded picture in the morning light. As is plainly obvious, we didn't make it as early as I had hoped, but I am determined and one of these will be the featured 2010 photo.

Love the toes!

Here are the options....

perhaps this one?

or maybe this one?

Hmmm....

I was worried about how this years card would turn out without the creative genius of my sister. She opted to spend her time on her own cards this year (boo). I had better get one! But, I must say they arrived this afternoon and I am really happy. They aren't incredible and beautiful like when she does them, but they aren't mainstream either. They are perfect!

Merry Christmas!

Spooktacular!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

It's my favorite time of year, it's my favorite time of year...


It really is my favorite time because people are out and happy the heat is almost gone, Halloween is my marker for better times every year. I so look forward to it and this year was no different. I almost thought for a second, "how on earth will it compare to last years crazy trick o' treat extravaganza?" and then I came back and remembered how overwhelming all that crazy was. It would seem this year would be different by default. Halloween falls on a Sunday, a school night, this year. We played it like it would be more low key...it might have been only slightly less crazy than the year before, but it was just PERFECT for me.

Let's start with the Boo-Bash at Emi's school. I missed out last year, I can't remember why, but Travis ended up taking Emi and Billy. They had a great time and were ever so excited to go again this year. They talked about it for weeks before. The Booby Bash as Abi would say. Abi and I got the privilege of tagging along this time too. It was pretty cute. The kids had a blast and it only cost mom and dad a small fortune! Those things get expensive. The kids did all the little booths and games... Emi even got dressed up as a pirate.






The Deatsch's have taken in a loner child on Monday and Thursday's. Loner as in on loan, not loner... Levi joined us this year for the annual pumpkin carving-seed harvesting festivities. The weather was perfect not too cool not too warm (like last year) and we carved outside after dinner. Levi is a boy scout with his knife skills patch or whatever it is they get. He designed, drew and carved his pumpkin all by himself! Emi also designed and drew hers, but needed a little assistance with the actual carving part, but she was awesome at cleaning them out this time. She gets it! Abi just wanted to color and stab her pumpkin. I had to intervene. Billy knew EXACTLY what he wanted his pumpkin to be... a Clone Trooper. Dad had to handle that one. He did such a good job too! It was perfect and Billy loved it. He was so upset with me when, as usual, after Halloween I put the kinda stinky and pretty moldy guys out for the javalina to devour. Which they did. Next year I have promised not to let that happen...(I might have had my fingers crossed behind my back when I made that promise!)

The final faces of Halloween 2010! Notice the Clone Trooper? Pretty good, huh!

For the big night Grandma and Papa came up to our house this year. It was so nice because on top of bringing a ridiculous amount of candy they also came prepared to help create a pop-star out of our eldest daughter. She was so excited about having purple hair and make-up! Papa did an awesome job on her make-up and Grandma did the glittery rest. Pretty impressive!

Squish went as the Pumpkin Queen...

and Billy was, of course, a Star Wars guy.

My little goblins!

Last year we walked a million miles with a huge group. This year we planned to stick closer to home and take it easy seeing as how it was after all a school night.... Turns out the neighborhood didn't get my agenda. We still walked a pretty good distance, poor Papa had boots on and it took just as long because almost every house was decorated and handing out candy. Worked out great for Squish. She has not out-grown the knock, sit, eat routine. Although, she did make it home with candy this time. Billy trick o' treated until he literally could not stand up anymore. He probably fell down a dozen times, but he still had a smile on his face at the end of the night!

Bates Nut Farm ~ 2010

BATES NUT FARM

Lots of things in life make me happy, but this place in particular makes me crazy happy. It is my mecca. I love it here. There is no place else like it anywhere that I have ever been. Love.

The poor kids will probably not have fond memories of their crazy mother and her pumpkin fetish, but I am dragging them along for the ride whether or not they approve.

Poor Abi, as you may recall, was sick. She picked up some little bug or maybe was having a delayed reaction to all the vaccines she received the week before. Either way she was not herself and seemed to be running a low fever. Her crazy mother made her go look at pumpkins anyway...she did not approve.

I'm sure she felt a lot like this pumpkin looks. I couldn't help but think of the wicked witch..."I'm melting..."

Emi being a sweet big sister pulled Abi all over the farm.

Okay, so in the spirit of honesty, I must admit we went to the farm twice. I just love it there so much and any pumpkin patch here at home, besides not even coming to close in comparison, makes you pay an entrance fee just to look at the pumpkins... It makes no sense to me at all. Bates allows you to come and just hangout on the farm all day for nothing. There really is no comparison, none. Plus they have all sorts of animals and a corn maze and a fabulous little shop and.... and .... you get the idea.

This years winner! 98lbs. Seems small when you weigh it next to Megan's 2010 pick....drum roll please.... 169lbs!!!!! Yikes!

All loaded up and ready to go home...

then this happens. Thanks Billy.