Christmas Picture(s)

On Sunday, December 4th, Megan and her husband Scott came over to take our family Christmas picture.  Scott has a fancy camera with all the fancy equipment and Megan has a knack for arranging us while getting Spencer to smile and Ginger to look at the camera.  They are a dream team.

In only 6 trys we got this winner (that is in comparison to the 49 trys it took in 2010)

That afternoon I got on shutterfly and ordered our cards.  I had won 3 separate blogging contests for 25 free cards (each).  I had to create 2 additional shutterfly accounts to redeem all the codes, but I saved about $130 in doing so.  Score!

  The text of the card included a fun little list about our year:

2011- Another Year in Numbers

2- Trips to Disneyland (January and October)

1- Pregnancy

2- Trips to the ER (Spencer and Natalie)

1- Overnight hospital stay (Natalie)

5- Million episodes of Thomas the Train

1- Number of (ultrasound confirmed) babies in said pregnancy

0- Hakey babies born so far in 2011 (as of December 4th) (thank goodness)

1- Broken into car and stolen purse

10- Years of marriage (well, almost)

1- Cruise that will not be taken to celebrate 10th anniversary

45- Days left until the “official due date” (as of December 4th)

1- Unintentionally murdered fish. Sorry Paul.

1- Replacement fish. Welcome Piggy.

7- Letters in the names Michael, Natalie and Spencer

7- Letters in the name of our soon to be baby, Elliott

112- Hours spent agonizing over the selection of a 7-letter name

1- Number of Big Brother in Training classes Spencer completed

1- Billion blessings in our lives

______________________________

So you see, we were just tempting fate with how sure we were that Elliott would arrive closer to his due date.  I especially like the one about me having an overnight hospital stay.  Those 16 hours in Anaheim are nothing in comparison to the 13 nights I spent sleeping in a labor and delivery bed (FYI- a bed designed for giving birth is not comfortable for sleeping).

So, we all know what happened the very next day on December 5th.

Megan and Scott were so nice to come back yesterday and take a new family Christmas picture.  Since 2007, when Spencer was born, I have been framing our picture and then setting the frames out each year. 

2011 will now be known as the year with 2 frames.

And this one only took 5 trys.

Thanks Megan and Scott.  Just another reason why we owe you a trip to Hawaii. 

P.S. We really do owe you that trip for all of your support.  But we really will never be able to afford it, so don't go buying sunscreen just yet.  Ha!