a picture is worth a thousand words

and a picture CARD is worth a bunch of $...

but i got mine FREEEEE. yes, that's right. FREE. 50 fabulous personalized christmas cards. on the house. 50!!!!! courtesy of shutterfly. didn't i tell you how great they were? i wasn't kidding!

thank you shutterfly. i'll share the front of my card...but you'll have to wait to get yours in person to see the inside.

let's just say shutterfly rocks.

signed,

one happy christmas camper :)

SHUTTERFLY KISSES...

OKAY, SUUUURE, you've all heard of butterfly kisses. But I'm here to tell you that if ANYONE deserves my love this year, it's ABSOLUTELY shutterfly!

can i just say that this is THE BEST place for gift giving? i'm working on a majorly limited budget (what's new?) and it can be a challenge to find a gift that is really SPECIAL but also cheap (oops...i mean inexpensive LOL).

shutterfly bridges the gap between those two. REASONABLY PRICED. OH SO SPECIAL. and really, truly, gifts from the heart. PRICELESS.

my love relationship started years ago with shutterfly when i said goodbye to the photo print quickie cards from a box store and said hello to custom made cards that draw oohs and aahs from all my friends and family.

check this one out from years past and look how little austin is!!!!





i could go on and on about all the ways that i do love shutterfly but perhaps you should check them out yourself?

here are a few of my favorite things:

1. obviously, i've already mentioned the christmas cards. check out the INCREDIBLE selection that they have!
http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-photo-cards

2. calendars!!! a gift that gets used EVERY DAY OF THE ENTIRE YEAR. can't say THAT about grandma's fruit cake!
http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars
3. custom made birthday cards! one of the things i've done over the years is made a birthday card for my daughter each year. no worries of it being a card that someone else is going to give her. and it has a picture of HER on it each year. doesn't get more lovely than that (in my completely unbiased opinion LOL).
http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/birthday-cards-stationery

please take the time to visit shutterfly. you could tell them that i sent you, but alas...i am just one of their many lovers :)

xoxo.

grateful

sharing some of our family pics from stacey. and as i look at them, not only does a smile come to my face, but an overwhelming sense of gratitude to my heart.

i love them...the pictures AND the people in them. :) this is my FAMILY. these are the people who know me, love me and never give up on me. these are the people who see me in all my reality (ugly flannel jammies and granny knee socks LOL). these are the people who keep me from losing my mind (and sometimes push me a little closer :)

i am SO SO SO very blessed. in may it will be 20 years that bobby and i have been married. almost 17 of those years being shared with one or more children. it's hard to believe that austin will be a senior next year.

life will continue to move forward. change is coming.

but this moment...this time in our lives...is captured forever. just us. out in the middle of a field somewhere in texas. all together. for now.

and i am ever so grateful.

i get by with a little help from my friends...

last weekend we had the joy of doing family pics out in the middle of a random field. how very texan of us, right?

the lovely stacey p. collins (http://www.rowanandlucky.com/) has captured the chaos beautifully. stay tuned for the official photos.

meanwhile, once she was done working, bobby took some of the two of us...you know...since the couch was already OUT there (lol). and i'm so glad he did. i think everyone should have a pic with their B.F.F.

this pic makes me smile. i'm lucky to have stacey in my life. :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPA

it seems that october has finally brought us a break for the heat and humidity. i won't kid myself...i know that our 'indian summer' is probably still yet to come...but for now we are trying to enjoy every moment of it.

we had a birthday cookout for papa (and a belated birthday celebration for me rolled in) and the weather was GLORIOUS!

good thing there are no candles on the cake because it would have required ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN and that might have caused a fire hazard :)

HOMETOWN HEROES CELEBRATION

this weekend jennifer & i had the opportunity to attend the woodlands hometown heroes gala to honor members of the community who have gone above & beyond in making our town a better place.

we worked the silent auction and also the live auction...and we dined on some scrumptious food...an asparagus recipe that we are DYING to recreate!

it was fun to get all dolled up and spend the evening together!

carson was the only one around to take my pic before i left so i look like i'm 8 feet tall LOL



not every day we get to wear fancy party dresses...and we're thankful not to have to wear fancy party shoes every day :)

and now we have 11 months to find the perfect dresses for next year :)

FUN WITH BULLDOZERS

this summer, jordan accompanied my friend stacey on a photo shoot to be her assistant. while they were waiting for the subjects to arrive, they had a little photo session of their own. who says bulldozers are only for boys? :)

SENIOR GAMES

The nonprofit organization that i am working for holds an annual event for the seniors in our community. SENIOR GAMES 2010 was an amazing time filled with moments that had you smiling and crying at the same time.

As the seniors arrived and entered the school, cheerleaders lined the hall, cheering them on. Some walked down the hall, hand in hand with high school aged volunteers, others needed the support of their walkers, and still others were wheeled in with their wheelchairs.

And ALL of them were there to compete in the senior games: bowling, golf, spelling bees, talent show, etc.

My niece Alexis and my daughters Jordan and Katelynn (a recent addition to our family :) ) came and spent the day with us, serving the seniors. It's a day none of us will forget.

We fell in love with this native Texan beauty. She was absolutely NOT going to wear the bright yellow t-shirt given to each of the seniors. Heavens no. It would mess up her stylish ensemble complete with cheetah belt. Oh how I loved her!

Another one of my favorites was Janet, who was one of the 'chair dancers.' She was spunky and fun and absolutely delightful to watch.

And the day would not have been complete with a group of line dancers...some in their 90s.

It has been an absolute joy to spend time working in an environment that makes such a difference in the lives of people who appreciate it so very much.

Thank you Interfaith for all you do for the community, and thank you for allowing me to be a part of it.

a night of fine dining, diamonds and sports cars :)

bobby and i headed out to market street to celebrate my birthday. an absolutely GORGEOUS night complete with full moon (which was very hard to capture on my camera...it just looks like another light in the pic)

first stop, dinner @ cafe express...outside on the patio...haven't been able to do that in MONTHS...and it was still a little toasty...but maybe that's because i'm dressed for fall, REFUSING to participate in any sort of summer dress. i'm OVER it. bring on sweater weather!

i love love love the blt with avacado. side of sweet potatoes. half last night, half today for lunch. i'm a happy girl!

after dinner, we stopped by the bank...

and then headed to tiffany's where i had my choice of anything in the store.

and then out to the parking lot where bobby had a surprise waiting for me. isn't it lovely?

OKAY, SO MAYBE NONE OF THAT IS TRUE...hee hee hee..

BUT but BUT...i did come home to presents, hugs & kisses from my kids and those are more cherished to me than diamonds and hot cars :)

the laughter is from the fact that my husband...who has been married to me for ALMOST twenty years does NOT know how old i am. at least he erred on the low side, right? he REFUSED to believe the kids who argued that they were CERTAIN this was not the correct age. he should have listened to them. but then this pic would not be so funny :)

here's hoping birthday wishes DO come true. xoxo.

tighten your seatbelts...

it's official. after MONTHS...and MONTHS...and MONTHS of waiting (patiently, i might add)...austin has FINALLY gotten his texas driver's permit.

he's the envy of all his friends behind the wheel of a white dodge caravan LOLOL

FRESHMAN VOLLEYBALL -- HOMECOMING PARADE 2010

homecoming 2010

weren't they just babies a couple years ago???????

bobby embracing his role as PAPA LEE in texas country :)

i've got sunshine on a cloudy day...

i've got sunshine on a cloudy day

when it's cold outside, i've got the month of may

i guess you'd say

what can make me feel this way?

my girl...my girl...my girl

talkin' 'bout my girl

i love you georgia.

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU...

after school fun for the boys...a STAR WARS THE CLONE WARS party.

i belong to a super cool site that allows you to host parties for their marketing purposes...they send you free stuff, you throw a party. they get the exposure and you get the stuff :)

the boys had lots of fun playing a new star wars game...and i had fun playing betty crocker :) win win, right?