Christmas Cards 2016

Annual Christmas Cards! 

This is my SIXTH year to do Christmas cards. That's crazy to me. Most people start when they get married or have kids -- but I just really love my dog. 

We were supposed to take pictures last weekend, but my hair lady cut my bangs outrageously short. So then, we rescheduled for this weekend, not knowing (or paying attention to the fact) that the temperature had the intentions of dropping below freezing on the day we rescheduled. 

So THEN I considered just cancelling them altogether, but 1) Char pup is getting old, and I always love looking back on these pictures, and 2) this year I told Jeff that he could be in them (that may or may not be the only reason he proposed!) - and he was way too excited for there to be a cancellation. 

SO, we kindly asked our photographer (Lisa) to bundle up, we bundled up ourselves, and set out to take outdoor pictures.... in 25 degree weather. Bless. I have never so been so desperate for a pair of long undies. I have also never questioned my sanity more. 

Due to the fact that I just couldn't get my act together, I'm pretty sure I'm having a quarter-life crisis (that's a real thing, y'all), and it's December 20th - we sent out less than 20 cards between the two of us. So this year you all get a picture of a picture!! You lucky lucky dogs. 

And just like every year, or every year since I've started this blog, I post about the process and the outtakes. Because sometimes the outtakes are better than the ones that go on the card :)

And a huge shout out to this girl. We owe her for so many captured memories. This is the 4th year she's taken our card pictures, AND Jeff solicited her to hide in the bushes and capture our engagement. So we love her. We love her hard. And owe her a kidney. 

She also brought the wrong hat. She didn't intend to bring one with ears, but I'm oh so glad she did!

So, here's the thing. Before we went outside, I told Jeff he needed to be a constant. With the wind, my hair was going to be a variable, and Charlie is always a variable, so I told Jeff he just had to be a constant. And always look good. And y'all - out of 395 (yes) pictures, that sweet boy is smiling like a champ in about 370 of them. Lisa and I got quite the chuckle looking back through them. He was such a constant :)

 

....and Charlie was such a variable. 

We took pictures in the middle of a park, and while there weren't too many people out (a perk of frigid temps), the squirrels and rustling of leaves - so just overall NATURE proved to be quite distracting. 

And then he would often have an untimely yawn...

Or not understand that the blanket was supposed to go UNDER him...

And then you'd get head butted....

Or he'd just face backwards...

Require a mid-photo tummy rub....

Or make like BatDog and fly towards Lisa's camera.

So then we switched scenery, and this next spot proved to be quite distracting. Way too many things to watch. So this picture is a result of me telling Lisa to make a noise (you know, to get his attention), and Lisa starts CA-CAWING. Like...loudly. I lost it. I'm laughing now, too. That girl. 

And he still didn't look. 

So then Jeff just adapted. As most men do.  And most females don't.

I love this picture. I got some good lookin fellas in my life!

I posted this on instagram Sunday, but ever since Charlie was a puppy, I taught him to lick my face when I made kissing noises. So Jeff and I made kissy noises to see what he would do, and it may have resulted in my favorite picture ever.

We may have added a third party to the Christmas cards this year, but this sweet boy will NOT be squeezed out of his share of the spotlight!

Sun's out, tongue's out. 

And then we tried to kiss above him when he was laying down....

and got head butted. 

Yet again. 

Then Lisa just took the approach of feeding Char treats and getting artsy. Thou shalt never attempt to take pictures with a dog (or at least my dog) without a bag of treats readily on hand.

We adore him. Can you tell? :)

So those were the outtakes this year, and pretty much on par with the outtakes from last year and the year before that. But these three were my top favorites for the card!

Either way - posed or chaotic - I'm keeping all 395 pictures. Because I know that ten years down the road, when Char is no longer with us and Jeff and I are in who knows what stage of this crazy life, we're going to love looking back on the memories of this cold, cold day with just the three of us.

Okay, that's enough of that or I'm going to have tears in my coffee. 

SO - I'll end as I always do, with a little recap of years past:

2015

 

2014

2013

2012

2011

Yep - this is one of my favoritest posts of the year! 

And if you yourself are on the fence about Christmas Cards - you should do them. And if you're doing them and I'm not on your mailing list - I want to be. There is nothing I love more than a fridge covered with Christmas cheer! 

Speaking of cheer...

FIVE DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!

Until next time,
Katy

Weekend Wrap-Up

Ah, full weekends. 

Ah, December weekends. 

Ah, full December weekends. 

....is there any other kind? 

This weekend was jam-packed, quite busy, and I'm quite exhausted. Especially because the weekend ended with a 10-hour plane ride. #oy

So this picture wasn't really from the weekend, but I have to give a shout out because it was SUCH an amazing experience. 

On Thursday morning my team at work volunteered at the Salvation Army here in Dallas. I've adopted "angels" before, but have never seen (nor honestly really thought about) what happens next. 

Let me tell you - the people who run Salvation Army's "home base" are angels in themselves. And their process completely blew my mind. And I secretly wished my life was as organized as that warehouse. 

These precious workers send the gifts you buy through about 4 different quality checks before they get to the respective family. They care about each and every kid. Even if they serve over 50,000 kids in the Dallas area alone. And they need volunteers. Even if just for 3 hours. Everyone has three hours.

I promise you - it tugs at your heart strings and gets you in the Christmas spirit. 

....and I walked more steps in 3 hours than I normally do in a week. 

Which is why on Thursday night...

I had some down time. 

I'd been working late nights all week, it was sub-zero outside (okay, so like forty degrees), and I knew it was going to be a jam-packed weekend. SO I did what I really wanted, and needed, to do. I turned on all the Christmas lights, crawled in bed at 8, cuddled with Char (and Roger the raccoon), and watched a Christmas movie. 

There is something to be said for quiet Christmas nights :)

Friday night was Kristie and Jordan's 3rd Annual Christmas party! And something we look forward to every year. Because...

...hello. They know how to throw a party. And are the sweetest hosts ever. 

Plus I always love getting a chance to catch up with these lovelies!

And this year, Kristie's nephew joined us, and we bonded way hard. He is just the cutest little guy ever. And he chased me around the house so I was basically in negative calories by the end of the night. 

OH, and he loves him some snap chat. 

PS - what did babysitters do with kids before snap chat? Hours of entertainment right there.

Saturday morning I woke up early, baked monkey bread, figured out how to dye deviled eggs pink (no, really), and then headed to help shower our lovely Lauren and baby Hazel!

See those pink eggs on the left? Yeah my fingers were that color, too. Pinterest didn't tell me that. 

HCC - Miss Hazel Cate Campbell :)

We love this lil mama to be! 

Which speaking of, these are two of my besties and their matching (but two months apart) bumps....

I feel like this is also about 80% of the people in my life right now. And I'm all over here like, "yeah but but but look at my new china patterns I picked out!" (insert wide eyed emoji)

Saturday afternoon was supposed to be the annual Christmas card pictures, but I got my haircut on Friday and homegirl kind of butchered my bangs. Like they barely pass my hairline. So we're just going to do them next weekend and you can all have virtual e-cards this year or something :)

Saturday night I crossed another item off my {30} Before Thirty list! So I've always said that when/if I ever made manager at our firm, I would treat my parents to an over-the-top nice dinner. Well, this summer I was promoted, so this past weekend, I treated them to a fancy-pants dinner!

Plus it's just really fun hanging out with these two. I drove home that night and just couldn't be more proud to have these two as my role models. 

And we grubbed SO hard. Like, we had to decline dessert. And we just don't do that.

On Sunday, a little handsome certain someone turned ONE!!

And he was so happy about that :)

We took pictures (only after having to completely undress him and dry his clothes because he crawled into the dogs' water bowl right before.. #boys), and then came time for the revered smash cake. PS - why do these stop after the first birthday? I feel like watching an 80 year old smash cake all over their face could be fun, too. 

Here's the smashing progression...

I mean..... I've never seen a smash cake this successful. ALL. BOY. 

I took a picture of the aftermath while my sister and mom were hosing him down. Good thing that bib has a time stamp cause it will never be the same. 

So if you haven't yet gathered, this was a buffalo plaid birthday. Everything was red/black buffalo plaid. The tablecloths, napkins, cups, banners, aaaand...

...the women.

Because when we rep a theme, we rep it hard. 

And then there's also the instance where your future wife also forces you to match and your future sister-in-law puts you on video duty. WHAT a lucky guy this one is :)

  After the party I had to run home and pack, cause later that night it was wheels up to London town! Sometimes my job sends you on impromptu trips. And sometimes those trips are in London. And sometimes the plane has an entire section devoted to Christmas movies and it makes your entire.world.

And that was the weekend! LESS THAN TWO WEEKS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!! And I have zero presents purchased. Bless. I am so off my game this year.

Until next time,
Katy