Christmas Card Time!!!

So...Thanksgiving is just around the corner! So that means Christmas card time is almost here, too!!! I have always loved giving and receiving Christmas cards! As a kid I loved to look at the photos and read the letters from loved ones! Now, with the internet being such a large part of our lives, some people aren't sending as many Christmas cards through the mail...they just post them online. BaHumBug I say!!! ;)
I will not be one of those people! I will be mailing a real card that you can touch!!! Will you?! I just wanted to take a minute to share some awesome ideas with you!

Have you ever heard of Shutterfly? Well of course you have, right?! They are an amazing online photo company! I have used Shutterfly MANY times in the past to print photos and create photo books. This year they have outdone themselves with their holiday photo cards! I recently hosted a House Party in conjunction with Shutterfly and it was amazing! I showed my gal pals how to create photo books on Shutterfly's site (which is ridiculously easy!!!). Shutterfly gifted us with some awesome things! In the package they sent samples of some of their holiday cards. I was super impressed! The quality of the photos were perfect! And the paper used to print them on is soooo thick and awesome quality! I will be ordering my cards through Shutterfly this year for sure!

I have had a hard time picking out which style I want! There are sooo many creative ones!

What do you think of these?

I am tempted to actually order two different styles!!! Isn't that silly?! But I will definitely be using photos taken by the talented Ms Jessica Strom!!!! Check out her website HERE!!!!

Anywhoo.....head on over to Shutterfly and browse their holiday card selection! You won't be disappointed! And while you are there you can take a peek at their other great products.....

holiday cards http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards

greeting cards to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/5x7-folded-greeting-cards

custom mugs to http://www.shutterfly.com/photo-gifts/photo-mugs

Christmas photo cards to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-photo-cards

calendars to http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars

graduation invites to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/announcements/graduation-announcements

I can't wait to start getting my Holiday Cards in the mail? Will you be sending me one?!

I will be back soon with some photo posts!!! Promise!

Ernie Miller Park Afternoon

***WARNING!!!****
This post is very pic heavy!


I really enjoy the nature center/park near us. It is kind of hidden in the midst of suburbia! Last weekend we 3 girls spent a few hours there. We took Kennedy's bike along for fun!

We were probably a week late for the perfect fall colors, but Kennedy didn't notice! She just wanted to play in the water! Oh, and pose for pictures!!!

Her favorite spot is where there are rocks going across the stream....we spent probably over 30 minutes just hanging out there! She jumped back and forth over the rocks, threw rocks in and watched the splashes and poked around in the water for fish and bugs.




There was a group of people in the park that were learning how to test the water and check levels of chemicals and polutants. Kennedy was rather interested in what they were doing - you can see her watching them below. I have to say I learned quite a bit about Kansas water and pollutants just by listening to them. Interesting!





We also visited the nature center. We love to check out the owls, aquarium, hawks, & snakes. They also have a bird watching room that overlooks a pond with lots of bird feeders. The room has lots of puzzles for kids to do - we have spent many fun afternoons in that room!

Thanks for checking in on us. I will be back again soon to keep you up on all our happenings!


Be blessed!

30 Day Giving Challenge

I have decided to join a blog challenge. But this one isn't just a silly little challenge for fun...this one is really important. It is all about giving. A group of bloggers have issued a challenge to anyone in blogland that would like to put more giving into the season. Taken from their site:

"If you have a heart for giving, we invite you to join us from November 1 – 30, 2010 as we take giving to new heights, combining the efforts of thousands of people. We’ll be working together to bless our friends, family, neighbors, and complete strangers by making a conscious effort to give each day of November. And we’ll do it all for God’s glory!

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9:10-11

The big day has arrived. A challenge to GIVE. An opportunity to be CHANGED.

We invite you to blog about your experience on this journey. Each Monday, a linky will be posted for bloggers to share their stories. We need your stories. They inspire, they encourage, and they touch lives.

Is there a particular cause or charity that you are burdened with? Share it.

Does giving seem impossible yet you accept the challenge anyway? Tell us.

Write and give for an audience of ONE. Then sit back and watch what He does."

"

Life is a bit crazy for me right now, but that is good! I just want to make sure I am not always focusing on myself. Wanna join in? Grab the button below....

I will be back in a few days to share what I have been up to! I hope that some of you will join in!

The Princess & The Pepper

As promised, I am sharing our Halloween fun!!! Kennedy chose a Princess Tiana costume this year. However, it was very cheaply made and started fraying after the first wear. But she wore it to her Kindergarten party, the junior high trick or treating night and to Awana. She has so many dress up outfits that she chose a pirate costume to wear trick or treating to Daddy's work, Snow White to wear to the MNU holiday party and Princess Belle for the real trick or treating deal! Geesh - when I type it all out you can really see how "festive" this week was!!!!

Anywhoo....here is Kennedy posing before trick or treating!!!!


And here is our little Chili Pepper!!!! She came trick or treating just down to the end of our street and then headed home with Daddy....it was a tad too cold for any more!

We trick or treated with our neighbor and kindergarten classmate Kennedy. Yes, they are both named Kennedy!!! And aren't they cute?!?!


Daddy dressed up Copper and he helped great the trick or treaters at our door! He has turned into such a good dog! He just watched the kids come and go....a year ago he would have bolted out the door and run the neighborhood for a few hours!

Here are the happy trick or treaters!!!
We joined up with friend Kelsey for a little bit, too!

All in all it was a fabulous night!!!!! Thanks for taking a peek!
Be blessed!

Preparing for Halloween

We are getting quite excited for Halloween here in the Holsapple household!!! Kennedy has always loved anything that involves holidays!

Weeks ago we started making Halloween treats....we decorated sugar cookies shaped like pumpkins, ghosts and stars. Sprinkles are Kennedy's favorite thing in the kitchen! She tends to go sprinkle crazy!!!! See her handiwork below!!!


We made one set of cookies into lollipop cookies!!! We just stuck some sticks in them before we put them in the oven - easy and a fun way to eat cookies!!!


Kennedy was soooo excited to carve pumpkins that I caved and let her do them early! They are already rotting and gross....next year we will need to wait until closer to Halloween. The pumpkin with the diamonds cut out is mine. The scary face is Kennedy's. She drew the face more or less and Jeff cut it out. We say the last pu mpkin is Jeff's, but really Kennedy and I created it. We used a drill and different sized bits! Aren't they lovely?!?

I somehow found time to create a Halloween dress for Kennedy! It didn't turn out quite how I had planned, but it was the first Tee dress I have ever made. ;) Kennedy loves it and doesn't know the difference and that is all that matters!



We already had one Halloween event last night with Daisy Scouts! Lots more Halloween fun follows the rest of the week! I am sure I will post some photos of K in her costume so be on the lookout!!!

Thanks for visiting and be blessed!

Cider Mill

Each fall we take a trip to the Louisburg Cider Mill! It is a favorite for me! We go during the festival and they have fun booths set up and great bluegrass musicians playing. And of course lots of fun activities for kiddos! Kennedy had a great time on the inflatables as you can see in the photo above! And she got to ride the pony too- but refused to look at the camera!


Kennedy also had a great time climbing in the hay bales and on the pumpkins! :)

We even got Quinn in on her first pumpkin photo!!!!



While listening to the Bluegrass music, they asked the kids to come up and do a "chicken dance!" Kennedy loves any chance to preform so you KNOW she was us there!!


And finally we got Apple Cider Doughnuts and apple cider drinks! YUMMO!!!
Thanks for taking a peek!!!!

Introducing Quinn Elizabeth

Please excuse my month long absence to this blog....but we have been busy welcoming our new addition!!! May I present our daughter, Quinn Elizabeth!!!!


She was born via c-section on September 14th. She weighed 7lbs 11oz and was 19.5inches. And she is absolutely perfect!!!


These are just the beginning of many photos to follow!!! I promise!