On using the word SANS

I had big plans for this year's Christmas card.

Something along the lines of Photoshop and Santa hats and family frolicking on the beach.

Alas, my version of Photoshop is hopelessly outdated.

There were no Santa hats on the Picmonkey, the free online photo editor I use now that I'm hopelessly out-dated.

My whole family frolicked on the beach, indeed, but nobody took a picture of us.

(Somebody else's family frolicked - danced up a storm! And I got loads of pictures of them. 

But it didn't suit for the Christmas card. 

I was blown away by this fun little dance team, but I doubt you would be.

So anyway, I placed my order for the cards at Shutterfly, and then I went back to play on PicMonkey. And, do you wanna know what I discovered? Lo and behold, I can draw my own Santa hats!!!

I can make the card I have been dreaming of since August!

So, if I'd only been an hour ahead of myself (perhaps if I'd lived somewhere in the Atlantic ocean), I'd have discovered this before I saved 40% and scored free shipping on cards sans Santa hats. As it stands, I'm gonna have to draw dingdang hats on each and every card. Or you're just gonna get the boring one shown at the top of this blog. DRAT!

-- One of my last shots of Roanoke as we left home at 5:58 a.m. Sunday morn. I was awake for only three more minutes.

This was the parting shot I was after. Note the price of gas. It's a bit more than the all-time low of $2.97 spotted on this trip. It's still far less than what we Connecticutonians pay on any ding dang day of the week (near $4.00).

I was sound asleep 45 seconds after snapping this. 

(What's with lighted holiday pigs???)

The good news is that I took Monday off. I figured, hey - I am due a break after that drive from Ct. to Va. (Even if Curt drove it and I napped and read and napped the whole drive home.)  

      Thank you, Johns Sanford and Irving, for something to read. 

And so I took the day off to play. Actually, I went to Costco with Curt and to Chili's for enchilada soup and Home Depot for clear storage boxes and Michael's for lighted outdoor trees, and back home to set up Christmas decorations, so I'm not positive that is considered "play", but nonetheless, I didn't work that day for any sort of compensation short of my own happiness. And I'm happy now. I sweep in the door and flick on my lights and - voila, I'm in Christmas land!

Back in Costco:

I wonder if I should invest in this for Christmas dinner. It's complete! It serves 8-10! It's fully cooked! (Then I remember the Pioneer Woman brisket....)

Curt wondered if I would take a picture of his pride and joy - the first decoration to go up on our day off. (It's a major award!!!)  It's not that I wasn't game to tread outdoors in the freezing 30s. It's more like I needed a reason to. Yesterday, clad in my pajamas, there was no reason. Today, on the way home from school, I found reason.  This is real love, friends. I light this leg every night of the Christmas season for my one. true. love. And plus also I sort of think it's cool.

Winning!

Winning in pictures

trophies don't even count.

Benjy's sparring event

He took 3rd place!

So thankful it's over!

Camden's 2nd place for forms - after two tie-breakers!!!

And now for sparring...

It wasn't pretty by just a tad, but the dude held his own. 

So proud of my guys!