Taking A Break...

Taking a break from cleaning, ordering pictures for the thank you cards, undecorating from the holidays...I will get it done BEFORE the Superbowl this year! There is just so much to do and not enough hours in the day. (I say this as I sit and write instead of working to get things done:)). I have been so tired (and grumpy) lately too. I feel like I need to sleep for a whole day or two and then get a good dose of Vitamin D! I started working on my Thank You's for our Christmas gifts. I like to do this not only to thank people as we live so far from just about everyone that we exchange presents with, but it also gives me a chance to share some recent Christmas pictures since we usually don't get in to have them taken until about a week before Christmas. So...two purposes. I think it is really nice, and generous, of the family members and friends who still acknowledge us and Rachel each year at this time. Plus, since they do come from all over the U.S., it is good to let people know gifts and giftcards actually are received. This is something I worry about all the time when I send gifts/giftcards out. Well, I ordered a bunch of photos from Costco Photo and followed the directions specifically told to me by the not-so-friendly photo desk clerk when I had to return photos awhile back because they were too dark or washed us out. I took the batch out the other day to start writing on the backs and to stick into the cards. I am so disappointed! They came out terrible! They are dark and drab looking. I compared them to what they are supposed to look like...ugh....sorted out the ones I could live with and am returning the rest. Of course, that means another trip over to Costco and reordering from somewhere else. Frank and Rachel were with me the day I picked them up, and I just didin't look them over carefully.

In the past year and a half+ that we have been living out here, it takes me hours...literally hours...to upload pictures to blogger and the external sites like Shutterfly and Costco to order photos. Ugh! I usually give up or only load a few. Well, after taking my laptop to Starbuck's to create and order our Christmas cards I realized I may have to take it out more often to get things done. This week I discovered another great reason to go to the gym...makes like five now!...they have awesome internet connection speed! After I worked out the other day, Rachel and I stayed and ate lunch there. After lunch, I opened my laptop while she listened to a story on the iPad and it was great! We had about an hour until Swim Class and used it well. I uploaded someting like 68 photos to Shutterfly in maybe a minute or less! Awesome! That made me happy...and gave me an idea...I can blog again...with LOTS of photos:). I took the laptop yesterday with my list of pictures and uploaded them, saved them, and then decided I could go back and add the text. So...looks like I'm back! Oh, and there are so many photos to share:)...

The two above are from the day I was pulling out Christmas decorations at the end of November. I made a bunch of trips in and out of the garage and came in to discover Rachel was really enjoying it as well. She lined up all the musical/animated decorations and was pushing the buttons over and over! It was too funny to see she also donned one of the Santa hats and two of our Christmas stockings! I laughed out loud, and told her to let me grab the camera (of course). The rest are from the afternoon we went looking for our live Christmas tree. We went back to the same tree farm as last year. They were so nice!

 Waiting for Mommy to get ready and for Daddy to finish winterizing the patio.

Where do we begin?

"This one is perfect, Mommy!"

A very nice lady asked if we wanted her to take our picture.

Of course, we said, "Yes!".

Hayride!

What is becoming an annual tradition...

I love snowpeople...

Kiss!

Tree is cut down, paid for, and loaded into the Tahoe.

Time to go...

Here is our little tree...all Disney decorated and smelling wonderful.
Oh, and I do mean "little".

I didn't even need a stepstool this year to decorate it!

"Look at the ornaments, Mommy!"