Mixbook Chrismas cards

My friend Fran always gives me a hard time. I love Christmas. It is my fave holiday of them all. I think I got that from my mom. I am always on the hunt for presents. My closet overflows with stuff waiting to find the prefect wrapping paper. The only part I really don't like is Cristmas cards. What a pain.

This year is extra special. We get to announce that Phil is engaged and we are adding a wonderful young lady to our family. I couldn't wait to find the perfect Christmas card. Mixbook made it so easy to put together a card I can't wait to send. I took pictures from our Disney trip from last Christmas up loaded them and VIOLA! I did spend some time moving pictures around and getting them just the way I liked them. Mixbook made that easy.

I am not revealing mine at this point.  Don't want to ruin the surprise.

Mixbook also has some great deals you will want to get in on.  check these links:

Mixbook Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mixbook
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Mixbook Holiday cards http://www.mixbook.com/cards/holiday-photo-cards

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

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When we were at Disney last year I had a just in case picture taken.  I am going to go here and get my Christmas cards made to introduce our future daughter in law.  First time in AGES I have been looking forward to sending out Christmas cards

todays frugal

In my quest for frugalness, a website I follow had this offer up today. So I got to send my dad a Father's day card for free and it will be there on time - shock of all shocks. I am sure it will shock my dad. USE THE CODE FREECARD at checkout and they will mail your card for free. You can even add a picture of yourself so if you life far a way like in my case your father can remember what you look like.

Drew and I do have to have a little talk. I came down to my desk this morning and discovered one of my coupons ripped in half and Drew had written a Lego wish list on the back. There is plenty of scrap paper in this house. Mom's coupons are OFF limits.

I have to go back to Bed Bath and Beyond. I forgot my coupon this past weekend for 20% off and they told me if I brought it in they would credit me back. AWESOME!!! I also found out that even if the BBB coupons says expired they will still allow you to use it. That may come in handy during the holidays

And speaking of Holidays - It is official Betsy and Phil are coming in Christmas afternoon and will be here for 11 days. Still trying to figure out the logistics of it all present wise but it will work out. We are having an open house while they are here. I am excited about that. Plus we will go to San Fran for a day and take the jumbo tour of the Jelly Belly Factory. Phil wants to eat at OZ and Squeeze Inn as well as In and Out.

Busy week ahead last full week of school, scout camp every night, plus our normal weekly things. Best get at it.

mom

There are lots of days I miss my mom and grandparents, today is one of two that I miss my mom it hurts like it was yesterday that she passed away.

Christmas was my mom's holiday. To her it meant family, love, time together, to be thankful for all we had. It just doesn't feel like Christmas. Living in California is hard during the holidays. It is not cold, there is no snow, there is no family except the three of us. This year it is worse because Phil is not here.

When I was a kid, we would always spend Christmas Eve going out to dinner with our grandparents. Some times if the weather was bad we would order pizza. Several years mom would boil shrimp and we would have a feast. Then back to our house to open Christmas presents from each other. My dad always called it conspicuous consumption. It usually did look like a wrapping paper factory threw up when the chaos was over. After we went to bed, Santa would come. After waking mom and dad up at ugly early and checking out the loot, mom and dad would go back to bed. When they were finally up there was flurry of activity as mom started cooking Christmas dinner. My grandparents would come over and some years my dad's other relatives from Hiawatha would join us. My dad was a firm believer that kids needed to be in their own environment during Christmas because it was a such a confusing chaotic time for them and being in their own home allowed some sense of normal routine.

I have tried to recreate the Christmas of years past. I have realized that is not possible. I can never be my mom. All I can do is remind my children of the meaning of family and when all else fails all we have is each other.

As we got older my mom became more of a Christmas fanatic. It would take a weekend to put up and decorate the tree. My parents best friends the Hazlett's would trek to Kansas city the day ofter Thanksgiving and start the process. I know there was one year that dad and Allan held the tree up while mom and Peggy rushed out to get fishing wire to string up the top part of the tree. I always felt safe and warm during Christmas. While we didn't do lots of baking and such, it was still my family and my traditions. I miss my family in Kansas. I wish many things could be different. I wish the closeness of the holidays was still present in all of us. I cherish those memories of Christmas' past. Sometimes I feel like it is all I have left.

Hard decision

Scott and I have to make a rough decision tonight. To some this might not sound hard but to us it was trying to hold on to our youngest sons childhood just a bit longer.

My dad does a wonderful service every year. He calls kids all over the country to help Santa check in on kids. I think last year he said he had 30 kids on his list. He has wonderful sleigh bells. He loves doing it and kids all over the country have a bit of magic during their holiday.

Dad offered to put Drew on his list this year. After much discussion Scott and I decided to decline. Drew is getting very good at discerning voices. He can tell when the same person plays different characters in movies. He knows who Steve Carrel is and knows what movies he has animated for example. Drew talks to my dad on a regular basis and we were worried that he might recognize the voice.

Drew has been questioning the reality of Santa vs the meaning of Santa lately. We have a Shelf Elf and the other Drew asked me if I would ever lie to him. I said not intentionally. He asked if I realized that Shelf Elf was plastic and why didn't he ever blink. HMMMMM.

We want this last year of belief for our own selfish reasons. We aren't sure if he as grasp what Santa is all about so we are holding our breath. I think the belief has lasted this long because he has been homeschooled. After this year I am sure we will be having discussions about Yes Virgina and what Santa is all about.

My youngest is growing up. I am glad we have had this long.