Blizzard 2011

It's a blizzard! Snow, snow and more snow! There were snow drifts on the back and front doors! They proclaimed a state of emergency, closed the airport, closed I-70, even Sams club! Two cars got stuck in front of our house and it took them 45 minutes to get them unstuck and back in action. The kids are excited to have more snow days. They are playing cards, video games, baking granola and making hippo puppets. And of course the weather has to be watched and updated every hour on the hour. "Mom, we're in a state of emergency. Mom, they closed the airport. Mom, they closed I-70. Mom, we have to be careful when we open the door to let the dog out because they say there is 14 inches out there!" We have cleaned, decluttered and organized rooms, we have baked new recipes, we have enjoyed each others company! We have enjoyed talking with friends on facebook and calling grandma and grandpa in Utah to tell them of our blizzard. But mostly I am grateful to have a warm, comfy house, that we have good food to eat, and that we are all safe and sound!

Gratitude

My mom would always say when life gets you down let's play the Pollyanna game. Oh it would bug me! I would want to have a pity party and my mom wanted to play a game. But the older I get the more I understand. She was teaching me to have gratitude. To be grateful for what I had. And now I am teaching my children to be grateful for what they have. Like my mother I see that having a positive, grateful attitude brings more blessings and circulates a joyful, happy life. I am reading The Power by Rhonda Byrne and it looks like mama knows best! Gratitude and positive thinking are powerful emotions that replace the negative with love and joy. And I find that when I practice this in my life and model this for my kids we are all lots happier and find joy in the little things. And gratitude comes easier and easier. And your world is filled with wonderment and awe. Martha Washington said "I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not our circumstances." Well said!

Bruns Family Christmas Card 2010

Family Wall Noir Christmas Card

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Christmas Cards

Every year we do look forward to seeing everyones Christmas cards. I love seeing the creativity and individuality. Some cards have themes. Some cards don't. Some cards have pictures, or newsletters or both. But I must admit the ones I love are the ones we do. I use shutterfIy.com. I love browsing thru all the photo card options of Christmas photo cards to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-photo-cards. Which one will we pick this time? Last year we went with brown and pink, the year before red and green. This year what if we did just wall calendars to http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars/wall-calendars and sent them to all the family instead of Christmas cards to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards . There are so many choices to make. And I'm loving every minute of it!

This year I want to capture the fun our family has had. We've done so many activities and been so many places that it's going to be hard to choice just one picture. Maybe I'll choice several different pictures and then make a collage out of them. I love the look of black and white photos with black and white background and splashes of red writing. And that's it! I order them from Shutterfly, they come back in about a week and they always look great!

Pumpkin Patch

Every year we go to the pumpkin patch and pick a pumpkin. I love the smell of autumn! The sweet cinnamon steam of apple cider, the fresh smell of the crisp outdoors, the warm orange glow of all the pumpkins and the rosy cheeks of all the bright eyed children!

Family Pictures

We have family pictures every year. I love looking at how my family has grown from year to year! This year we decided to do outdoor photos and they look awesome! Thanks to My Fancy Photo!

Snow, snow everywhere! Over the last couple of weeks we have had lots of snow! The kids have loved it. We have had four extra days of Christmas vacation. We have had friends over to play, listened to noisy sleep overs, watched movies, baked scones, made chocolate cake and eaten our weight in popcorn. We have shoveled snow, made snow angels, went sledding and enjoyed lots of hot chocolate!We have sat at the window and marveled at the beauty of our Winter wonderland and how beautiful snowflakes truly are. But mostly we have just enjoyed being together in our warm, cozy house and sharing our love for each other!