O' Christmas Card...O'Christmas Card...How Lovely are Thee:)

Wow...I cant believe its already Christmas time!! And crazy enough time to start getting cards to hang up:). One of the many things I look forward to each year, is getting the mail and finding cards from those we love:)! I am stoked to start getting all of our Christmas Cards in the next few weeks!!

We actually haven't done cards in a long time but I thought to go ahead and give it a try! I was hugely impressed with my choices online (many different sites/etc)...but overall I found *Shutterfly* to be one of the best, with many fun choices/layouts/ease of uploads/etc...Ive listed a link to their 'card' part of the website so you can easily check them out yourself Here .

I am really excited to see how they look in person, but online they look smitten:)!! I especially liked the many layout options from one to six different pics on the card, as well as many pictures printed even on the inside of the cards too:)!
I think my two favorite cards are this, this & this...if I had to pick just 3!!!

While spending some time on their site, I also noticed they have other gift options too...as I know other companys do, and I def have made them in the past. Through shutterfly, these too were super simple and fun to create:)! I lovedddddd the mugs and Calendars...Cant say 4 sure which I made or any details bc some of my family may read this:)...but I can say they are awesome and Im excited to give them as gifts!!

Also...for a limited time they are offering 50 free cards to 'bloggers'...check out the deal here:)!!


Enjoy and be looking for your card from us in the mail:)!!
xoxoxo

Family but by choice 'friends'...

I am excited and humbled to be able to say the least. This past weekend, both Dave and I were able to spend lots and lots of time talking and getting to know Dave's cousin Todd from S.C., He has a 'story' like all the rest of us. and is one of the most humble people I know. Dave has many fun memories of he and Todd and its neat to see and hear them connecting on an 'adult' conversation level:).
I look forward to the time he can come to Ohio and visit in person, but for now we are excited that we are able to get to know him even more through cell phones:)! I pray that he will continue to seek God, and trust that God has his life, future, love story, etc all planned and written out b4 him! God will and is using him and his story to help others and will continue to do so.

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

Busy yet in a good way...

We have been so busy, but yet in a good way:)! Chloe started Kindergarten this past week...(more on that later),weve spent lot of time at the local playgrounds/parks-playing football etc...and just enjoying and loving one another! I will try to catch up the best I can through pictures. Longer post to come...hopefully later today.

*rOcK bAnD*...Pro????

For those of you who know Leyton (aka: Our lil' Rock star) (and those of you that don't know him well...) you may know how obsessed he is with ANYTHING musical (drums,guitars,singing & clapping to any beat,etc).

This past Christmas, one of his 3 gifts, was his own guitar (Chloe asked for a pink one the year b4, and Leyton had showed a lot of interest throughout the year, until it eventually began a full 'fight' each and every time she got it out). Lets just say it was his favorite present BY FAR, and by mid January it was pretty 'beat up' from lots and lots of '2 yr old-use'. By February, we had replaced the strap, and multiple strings, etc...but not BC he was miss using it but BC he honestly was a 'hard' player and really really enjoyed playing with it ALOT!

Whenever we are in a store, restaurant, church, etc and there is any music playing in the back round, he naturally 99% of the time is clapping his hands and tapping his leg/foot directly to the beat, most times saying 'Clap your hands, Real Loud'! Dave and I, many times have said that he definitely has more rhythm than BOTH Dave and I combined:)!

A funny story would be:
Back in June when Dave's grandpa passed away, we were at the funeral home for the viewing... and of course Leyton asked his grandma (Daves mom) if he could play the 'piano'...after hearing this, I couldn't figure out what the hec he was talking about, I didn't see any piano!!! But after looking around the room twice, finally I saw a very, very, old organ sitting in way back of the room, closed up, and away from where we were and certainly not in plain view for a 2yr old. How on earth did he see it, or even know it was a 'piano' I have NO IDEA!! Everyone including the open Casket, and brightly colored flowers (which id think would attract the eye of any small child much, more than an old, old, old organ). When Dave's mom told him 'no' he asked her if he could play when 'grandpa-grandpa' wakes up...Obviously seeing his great-grandpa 'sleeping' in the 'big Box' made him think that when he woke up, Leyton would be allowed to play loudly on the "very, very, very Old" 'piano'??!! Only my son...I tell ya!! Sure enough the very next day at the church, for the actual funeral; right when we arrived and walked into the sanctuary, where again the open casket and bright flowers were...Leytons eyes were immediately attracted to the older piano sitting at the very left side of the front of the church, and again proceeded to ask within 60 seconds...'I play Piano, real loud'???? (BC of course wed let him...why not?????; LOL...obviously I'm kidding, but don't understand his mind AT ALL).

Anyhow, Leyton had been asking for 'Rock Band' for our Wii or Drums for his birthday (in June). We decided the 'Rock Band' would be the better choice/purchase bc he would be able to grow with it, all while developing better hand/eye coordination, also would be able to use it as a family as well; and we'd save our sanity not having a 'real' set of 'Louddd' drums in our home, at least for a few years hopefully:)! Needless to say he LOVES it, and we have had ALOT of great family 'fun times' with the game and are sooo happy we decided to get it! Leyton is actually really really good at the guitar part of the game and within the first week was scoring high 80's and 90's on each song he would play (for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about...after each song is done in the game, it scores you, based on how many notes you hit and/or missed...100% would be no notes missed at all). He loved playing the 'game' portion but also quite often likes to just 'free play' with the drums...which is sooo fun to watch!!!

Below Ive posted pics of Leyton playing his 'Rock Band' and also playing the drums On Easter:)!! Enjoy!!!

Quack, Quack...Says the Duck!

Last week, we ventured to a local outlet shopping place 'sort of' near our home, and fed the ducks. This is something the kids lovvvve to do and look foward to doing, every so often! Leyton had a 'minor' spill therefore leading to a short stay at the outlets; however the Ducks still got fed very, very well:)!! After uploading the pics I realized how old and big my baby girl is getting:(!

Part Fish??

We have been spending tons and tons of time at our local pool. We are feeling very blessed to have such a great pool only 3 blocks from our home. Both of the kids are taking swimming lessons 5 days each week, and are both loving it (Chloe has taken lessons every year since she was 6months but this is Leyton's first year)!! About 3 weeks ago Chloe began swimming on her own, which has been a bitter-sweet thing for me (bitter-b/c it confirm shes growing up fast, sweet-b/c i love that she can swim!!) but she loooves swimming all over the place and loves the independence it gives her! I believe they both are becoming part fish b/c despite the amount of time we spend at the pool, they still ask often when we are going 'to the pool'!!?? I will for sure be sad when this beautiful weather is gone, but we sure are enjoying it while it lasts! Between spending most afternoons or evenings at the pool and others at the park or outside in our yard...we are really enjoying our summer!!I can hardly believe Chloe will be starting kindergarten in just a few short weeks:(, (more on that later). Ive added pics... so you can see or yourself that we indeed have two fishees on our hands:)!!