Jumping for joy

We had SUCH a great weekend in Kiawah. The half marathon was a blast, the weather was beautiful, and our friends are way too fun.

We didn't have internet at our beach house, so I went a full four days without email, facebook, blogs, and weather.com. And strangely, I was ok with it.

I'm a little backed up on some photo editing and Christmas cards, so a full Kiawah post will have to wait. But for now, I hope this picture makes you smile as much as it makes me.

On your mark... get set...

GO!

This morning we leave for Kiawah. Tonight we eat spaghetti. Tomorrow we run a half-marathon.

Pictures to follow.

If I showed you, I'd have to kill you

I cannot reveal the chosen image for the 2008 Curtis Christmas card. We all know that the card remains top-secret until the day it is mailed.

I can, however, share with you a few of the extra pictures we shot while goofing around at our do-it-yourself Christmas card shoot a few weeks ago.








I can't believe we are only three weeks away!! I have some serious shopping to do.

Peppermint fingers

Just a little preview of the photo shoot I had the day after Thanksgiving. How cute are these boys with their candy canes?! More to come soon.

Weekend festivities

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It might actually be my number one. It always seems to turns into a four-day stretch of wonderfulness. This year was no different.

My holiday weekend was jam-packed with eating, running an 8k Thanksgiving morning, having the whole family in town, eating, shopping with my favorite people before the sun rose, a fun photo shoot, a meal shared with friends that are like family, the 2nd Annual Schmidt Family Rock Band Thanksgiving Extravaganza, eating, the tragic Carolina-Clemson game (redeemed only by the fun party that accompanied it), very little sleep, watching movies on the wall projector, eating, and having my best friend in town.

I am grateful for the happiness that each of these things bring, but I am also reminded that God has blessed my life far beyond shopping, turkey, and an awesome family. My joy is in Him alone, and not earthly things or people, however cool they may be.

Here's a photographical summary of my weekend.

(photo by Dylan)







(photo by Ellen)







(photo by Kati)

(photo by Sara)

And now it's time to decorate for Christmas- can't wait!!

About today

Here is a list of cool things about today:

• Only 11 days till the Kiawah Half Marathon!
• Exactly one month till Christmas!
• We got our carpet cleaned this morning!
• My last full day of work in my second-to-last full week of work for the year! (get that?)
• My sister comes home today!
• The Office reruns are on tonight!
• Finished Thanksgiving grocery shopping!
  

I mean, it's basically just a regular Tuesday, but I like to find things to celebrate every day.

I know, no pictures. But I do promise to post some this weekend from the Thanksgiving and Carolina-Clemson festivities.

Ru is coming!

This time next week, I'll be shopping. Or maybe done. My best friend Kati (Rudziensky- hence the "Ru") is coming home from Chicago for Thanksgiving, and I'm so excited to spend the weekend with her. After being unable to make the trip last year and missing our annual Black Friday shopping tradition, we are back in action. And Sara is in town this year, so she's coming, too!

For someone who is not a morning person, I can barely contain my excitement to wake up at 4am and head to the mall. And for someone who is not a shopping person, neither can Kati. Sara, well, I'm not sure how she feels. This is her inaugural trip. But I think it is safe to say we are all excited about our early morning chicken biscuits at Chick-fil-a. Maybe twice. We might need a snack by 9:30.