The Challenges of a Christmas Card

The tradition started back 11 years ago with my 1st child. The Photo Christmas Card.

Two Christmases later she had to share the spotlight with her younger brother. A bit more challenging but still I found many ways to make our card unique each year.

........5 years later came the THIRD CHILD

2004....

First year - a piece of cake!

2005....
A bit more challenging.....

Can you tell my middle child looks thrilled that he's NOT the one causing my frustration as the youngest tries to sneak away...

Uh Oh! Youngest didn't like being plopped back down for the picture.

Had to distract him with the talking santa....

Just love that he looks thoroughly terrorized in the final picture...

2006.....

We had just moved into the new house....

Hey Look at Mama!

No, over here!

THIS WAY!!!

PERFECT!!!

(There are about a dozen more in this sequence but for uploading purposes, .....you get the idea. But if I scroll thru them on my computer it's like a darn movie. It's hilarious!)




2007.....


Playing the "shy boy" ha! yeah, right!

You have to take your picture for Santa!.. Good! Look at that angelic face...

(Glad "Pepito" the chihuahua looked good for this one...)

Now, take a good look at the expression & finger point on the youngest who was just 3...Doesn't his face just say " hey, right back at you babe!"

QUICK! Grab him in a headlock! SNAP!

2008...

Surprisingly!

Aside from a few frustrated moments and a few goofy grins, the issue wasn't with the youngest! More squawking came from the older two but you know, a few threats here and there certainly helped. :)

Merry Christmas!

Guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree.....can you guess which one is me? ;)

A little sidebar here.....

I apologize for the slow post! My 11 year old darling daughter had a pretty good part in the school musical this past Friday evening. So all week, I had to play "stage mom" and put in my parent volunteer hours. Driving back and forth to the church for rehearsals, helping 3 different grades shimmy in & out of their costumes (boy did I ever get good at tying on the shepherd's head wraps!) She did a wonderful job at the performance. While I was biting my fingernails, she was the calm, collected one. She was so natural! and made us very proud! :)

Then of course we had a slight power outage this weekend. Don't even bring up the question of a generator. We have blown more electrical equipment and light bulbs trying to use it. I much preferred reading my mystery novel by candlelight last night. This didn't go over real well with the husband & kids who moaned & groaned over the lack of entertainment for the whole 2 hours it took for power to be restored. Sheesh!

I think I have a couple of goodies waiting for me! I will have to post those really soon - Thanks Gloria & Melissa! You are so sweet to think of me.... And I can't wait to get back to Blogland and catch up on all the wonderful posts that I have missed! I'll be stopping by really soon.....


.....And just one more little tree to show you later in the week and then I am officially DONE with Christmas decorating! Phew!!!

MORE Christmas Decor!!

Or should I say less...? Less is More? .. Well ~ whatever you call it, I took a different approach in our kitchen & sitting room area. This space is all open and the most used room so things couldn't be as fussy as the dining room.

Yes, a burning fire would be lovely! But..husband is home sick in bed (another reason my posts are taking so long! ha!) and I can't figure out how to work the propane! He shuts it down outside for the summer and we have had 80+ degree weather up until a week ago. So just PRETEND there is a roaring fire in there...but I still like looking at my fireplace screen!;)

A little tree in the corner....

Remember my $7 Santa from a thrift store?
(Sorry! hard to take pictures with the windows behind the table - glare)

Getting closer...;)

There he is!

Added some Christmas transferware plates that my Mother gave to me as a Christmas gift last year. I had to wait a whole year to use them!

The goblets too! I was so thrilled that I cried! :)


That's about it for this room! Thanks for looking and taking the time to leave me wonderful comments! I really do appreciate them and as soon as I am able (i.e. hubby gets better & gives me some peace!;) I will be coming by to visit all of you!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Decor!!

Phew!! I got one room done ( did I just say done? silly me, decorating fanatics don't have that word in their vocabulary!) so I thought I better jump on the bandwagon and start posting! I have to admit, I was really Intimidated! I have seen some Gorgeous Holiday Decorating out there! It has made me realize that I don't have enough "Stuff"! - Will have to hit those after season sales...

The Dining Room



Do you know it's hard to take a picture of a lighted tree?
















(Sorry - these might seem redundant! It always takes an extremely Looonnng time to upload pictures that I tend to forget which ones I already did!)

On top of the piano....

A little village under glass with lighted houses, a moving train & music.



A peek into the entry - still fussing with that garland! I hang all the family stockings off the railing - including the extended family who stays overnight with us - don't have enough room on the mantle...

And that's it for now...still have a few more rooms to complete! Stay tuned.....


This post took me ALL day! Not because the kids were home but because the HUSBAND was! ;)