World AIDS Day 2010...

Today is World AIDS Day 2010. If you'd like more information about AIDS and HIV, please click here.

HIV does not discriminate. Consider calculating your risk for HIV and getting tested.  You can even buy tests to use at home.

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Proof I Am Not a Total Scrooge...

My last two posts made it seem like I am a Scrooge. That's really not the case. There are many things that I positively adore about Christmas. One of my favorite things is getting Christmas/Holiday cards in the mail. If you know me in real life, you know that I LOVE getting mail. I LOVE to send mail too!! To me there is something so intimate about reading a person's words in their own print rather than Times New Roman. :)

Normally, I do not send many Christmas cards, but this year....I just HAVE to!! In my area, it is really popular to send out fancy cards with pictures of your family. So I did what any gal would do and went on-line to find a good site for cards. And boy, did I hit the jackpot!!!

Shutterfly has a huge selection to choose from and has a lot of promotions to make it affordable.

I like so many of the cards!!

This one is probably my favorite.

It also comes in a folded card format, so you can write a message on the inside. How neat is that?!?!?

As if that weren't enough, you can get thank you cards too for sending after the holidays!

After I finished picking out the pictures for my Christmas cards, I perused the rest of the merchandise available. Does anyone else love looking at baby pictures as much as I do? The birth announcements are so adorable. How sweet is this little one?

There were also desk calendars and holiday cards that are appropriate for any family, religious or not. I was very impressed with the selection.

You'll have to wait and see which card I ended up using. I think it turned out really, really nice. This is the first time I have ever purchased Christmas cards like this before. Normally, I just buy a box at the store and sign our names inside. This year I was able to customize a card with pictures of the whole family and our names. I was convinced it would be difficult or expensive to have cards with photos, but Shutterfly made it so easy and affordable. I am super excited about it too!!

And, if you are interested in gettting 50 FREE cards, click Here. :)

Did I Mention?...

Remember when I said that I despise Christmas-time?

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Thanksgiving night I drove through the Best Buy parking lot. These people were actually camping in front of the store in order to get a good deal.

Don't forget to be a superfluous consumer this week...

I'm Just Gonna Say It...

I despise Christmas-time. I have a lot of difficulty finding anything joyous about the holiday anymore.

I loved Christmas-time when I was younger. I thought it was the most wonderful time of year and couldn't wait to pull out the ornaments.

Now though, it's just a huge pain.

We have no traditions anymore and have to duke out when to have dinner with family.

TV, the Internet, Magazines, Radio...all have an attitude and agenda. Consume. Consume. Consume. Buy until you can't buy anymore. Get up at 3:00AM and consume.

Children are the worst. Each is sucked into a consumer mindset. Can I have that toy? Will Santa bring me two of those? I want. I want. I want.

The stores are crowded. I can't stand being in huge crowds. I have to grocery shop in the middle of the night just to do it in peace and quiet.

I didn't even want to have a tree this year. It's too much trouble to put the thing up only to have to take it all down in a few weeks. When I didn't have children, it didn't bother me as much. Now though, I have more important things to do than deal with some silly, fake piece of evergreen. Do you know how many dirty socks three children have in a week's time? Oh no, it's far more than 42. I'd rather wash the socks than deal with Christmas.

I despise Christmas-time.

Post Turkey Nap....

Thanks...

Happy Thanksgiving!! I hope all of my blog friends have a wonderful day and get to spend time with family.

So, It Starts Again...

I was in the band. I played the French horn. I hated it, but I never told my parents that. I really wanted to play the flute, but my mom and dad really seemed to want me to play the French horn. So, I did.

Band starts in the 6th grade here in Small Town, USA. Hadley heard about the band and really wanted to sign up. What did she want to play? The flute. I was tickled pink to rent one for her. That's how they do it nowadays. You get to rent the flute for a set amount of money. If your child decides to play something else, you just swap it out. After a few months, you have the option to buy the instrument or return it at the end of the year. How nuts is that??!!! The large brass instruments were and still are owned by the school because it would be completely cost prohibitive for parents to buy $4,000 horns.

Hadley's band gave a performance at the last PTO meeting. I was totally disgusted that the performance was sandwiched in the middle of the meeting in order to boost attendance. Nice play, PTO. Anyway, I had to show off a picture of my eldest rocking out. Well, not rocking out, but she is sitting and waiting to rock out any minute.

So now I am looking at a future full of concerts, quotas, football games, and trips.

You'll Poke Your Eye Out...

Boys. They are messy and sticky and wonderful. At least my little boy is all of those things. Without fail he picks up sticks to use as toys at the farm. I have to reprimand him every time. I don't like it, but he really could hurt himself or one of the girls waving a stick around.

Trying to dig a well...

...or trying to break a stick....

...or looking to see if I am nearby...

...and I was. He just didn't notice me photographing him with his sticks and stuff. Ha!

Things I Like at the Farm...

Say Cheese...

When I take a photograph of one of my children, I frequently use the "say cheese" catch phrase. Layton took it to a whole 'nother level.

Have You Voted?...Give Birth or Have an Abortion?...

http://www.birthornot.com/


Have you been to this website? I just heard about it recently. It's a website that an actual couple is using to decide whether or not to have an abortion or give birth. For reals. Check it out.

Take a Nap with Me, Sister...

Before school one day last week, the two littlest ones went back to sleep in front of the fireplace before I could get them dressed. They were absolutely precious curled up together.

No Boundaries...

I have always believed that anything is possible.

Given enough time, money, and effort. Anything is possible.

I have always tried to live my life that way, and I have tried to help my children know that they are limited only by their own ambition. If that makes sense....

Ella And The Donkey...

Ella loves the donkey at the farm. The kids named her Mary Jane. Last week, we enjoyed the last few days of warm weather with a trip to the farm to play all day. Ella and Mary Jane spent some quality time together. Ha!

I Think This One Needs No Words...

Can I Take Your Picture?...This is What I Got...

Hmmm. I guess they didn't feel like having a picture made.

Can't Even Eat Lunch Without Being a Boy...

Return of the Pose Queen...

Ella the drama queen busted out a few moves over the weekend.

Nope. She is not a camera hog at all.