Christmas Countdown--for the hubby

Inspired by this post from the Dating Divas and some freebies from Just So Scrappy, I put this countdown together for Kevin. It is full of compliments and expressions of gratitude, a few gifts of service from me to him, and a couple mini-dates. And yes it only has 18 days, as we are leaving for CA on the 18th!

Christmas Card Revealed

Top Ten Moments Christmas Card

Get custom photo Christmas cards online at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

So since I have been getting email saying how cute our card is I can finally reveal our winning choice. I love this card--it is everything I would have written in a letter in a cute format that did not require me writing a letter to everyone--plus at a glance our friends and family know what happened with us this year.
My unsolicited Christmas Card tips:
--Order extras I have 45 people on my list but I keep 5 in reserve for cards that get sent to us by people not on our list--I think it's just plain nice to return a card with a card.
--As nice as hand addressed envelopes are--address labels save so much time! I have an excel spreadsheet, bought some labels(after a coupon for 88 cents), found the template, added a cute font and voila!
--And return address labels are a must--even though there were coordinating ones from shutterfly--I couldn't resist the cute ones from A Touch of Whimsy!
--And save a card, I am going to frame ours and add it to our photo wall, I wish I had done this last year as well.
Merry Christmas Everyone!!

Blog Challenge: Day 21

Picture of yourself--after hiking to Delicate Arch


After feeding Elle in the parking lot and having misread the park brochure we set off on what we thought was an easy 1 mile hike, we discovered it wasn't. We climbed slick rock and hiked for almost an hour to get here. We were committed though--feeling like we couldn't leave Arches National Park without seeing an arch. When we got back to the car it was almost dark and very cold. Elle wasn't too happy with us. I looked at the brochure to discover it was a 3 mile roundtrip. But we did it and have the pictures to prove it!

Blog Challenge: Day 20

Nicknames:
I have a few. My best friend in college started calling me byrd and it has stuck. My grandmom calls me Annabelle. And of course my hubby has some pet names too!

Blog Challenge: Day 19

Something you miss:
About CA--beaches


About Denver--shopping malls--with stores like Ann Taylor Loft


And lest you think me totally materialistic--family and friends

Blog Challenge: Day 18

Something you regret:
Not doing a semester in Washington DC while I was in college. As a political science major, I just should have gone while I had the chance.

Blog Challenge: Day 17

Back to regularly scheduled programming--that week before Thanksgiving was rough, getting ready for our trip and all.

Something you are looking forward to:
Taking Elle to Disneyland someday!


Until then--just looking forward to heading to CA for Christmas with my family!

Blog Challenge: Day 16

DREAM HOUSE

Blog Challenge: Day 15

Favorite Bible Verse:
If I speak in human and angelic tongues 2 but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.
And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing.
If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, (love) is not pompous, it is not inflated,
it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.
For we know partially and we prophesy partially,
but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things.
At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.
So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Blog Challenge: Day 14

A Picture You Love

Blog Challenge: Day 12

My Goals:
Well to lose this baby weight is the big one. Not really working that hard on it, as I am easily soothed by a bowl of ice cream far too often lately.
Another goal is for us to buy a house. We have been working at saving so I know its doable but maybe later rather than sooner.
And I would like to earn my National Board Certification.

Blog Challenge: Day 11

What I believe
I believe in myself--that I can find the strength and determination to do almost anything. It doesn't always show but I am working on living that statement.
I believe in love--that it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things. That it is patient, kind, quick to forgive and slow to anger. Again sometimes tough in the moment but I do believe it.
I believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I believe in the Virgin Mary.
I believe that education is the most important thing a person can give another person. And it is something that can never be taken away from you. I wish more of my students realized how important it is.
I believe that a nap can cure almost anything.

Blog Challenge: Day 10

Favorite TV Shows
Glee!--although this season hasn't been that good in my opinion until last week. I heart Sue Sylvester--she says things that I sometimes wish I could say in school.

Grey's Anatomy--I am sticking to it even though it has been better. And I miss Izzie!


LOST--boy do I miss that show


Say Yes to The Dress--I think I have seen every episode--especially while home on maternity leave and there is nothing on on daytime.

Throwdown with Bobby Flay



House Hunters--it fulfills my fantasy of being a homeowner.



Modern Family--cracks me up every time.

Blog Challenge: Day 9

Something that scares you
I could list so many things, especially now that I am a mom. But I don't want to write a depressing scary post. I am scared of choking or having anything down my throat. I have nightmares about being intubated. I don't know where this fear comes from. I have had 2 surgeries in my life--only one where I had to be intubated and luckily I never felt it and it was out before I woke up. I don't know if I had a traumatic experience as a child or what but it is a thing that scares me.

Blog Challenge: Day 8

Your friends:
Well I have my girls who were my bridesmaids--Tracy and Stacy. Tracy is a good friend from college who is off earning her PhD now. And Stacy and I started teaching together--she now lives in NY.

There are my school friends who help me survive the day to day of middle school. And sometimes we act like middle schoolers ourselves: Rebecca, Ginger, Benita, Lara, Paula, Landon, Andrew, Yancey, Mark, Lexi, Stephanie. Plus we manage to have a pretty good time outsid of school too.


And then there are my internet friends who I have never met but know me pretty well and have offered great advice and laughs over the years. Thats right June 08 Nesties I am talking about you!

we have a 4 month old!

Blog Challenge: Day 8

A place you have traveled to
I couldn't pick just one so I will share my 2 favorite vacations!
Our family Alaskan Cruise--we went for a week on the Norwegian Pearl from Seattle. We stopped in Juneau where we took a helicopter ride to the top of a glacier and went dogsledding. We stopped in Ketchican where we went on a zipling adventure. And we stopped in Victoris where we took a horse drawn carriage ride. And of course we had way too much fun on the ship!






And our Jamaican Honeymoon--we stayed at an all inclusive in Negril with a beautiful beach. We went to Rick's cafe to watch the cliff divers and a beautiful sunset, Dunn's River Falls in Ocho Rios, kissed a dolphin, rode horses in the ocean, and just hung out a lot together--so nice!

Blog Challenge: Day 7

Favorite Movies, in no particular order
Steel Magnolias



Beauty and the Beast


Love Actually


Sound of Music