It is almost Christmas Card time...

Here is a link to my design blog: www.NealonDesign.blogspot.com. If you are interested in having me design Christmas cards for you or your family. I'd love to help!

I think you'll find my pricing extremely reasonable and you can include a letter/family update on the backside of the card! I am playing around with creating some "template" designs that would reduce the design fee, but I am all ready to do custom cards now!

Neighborhood Fall Party!

In an attempt to take advantage of warmer weather, the social committee (not on it) decided to plan the annual fall party for earlier in October. Well, it was the coldest day we've had since snow....oh well. It would have felt weird if we hadn't been wearing coats and hats!

Anyway, as usual, we had a great time with our fun neighbors. I took a giant crock pot of chili and we took second place in the pumpkin contest. (I already have a plan for next year....we will win...I'm thinking a lion with feathers...we'll see.)

I don't know what it is....we'll just call it a "beast" with a broccoli mohawk. :)

All the kids were picked up for the party on a hay ride.
I was the adult chaperone once again this year. Connor is having some major separation anxiety issues these days. He just wants me close by....doesn't have to be in my lap, but he freaks out a bit if he can't find me.

Picking up Justice.

Mr. Don the tractor driver. :)

Ms. Linda—the primary event organizer

Connor and Liam on the hay ride.
(all the kids chanted the kid's name as we approached their house...too cute.)

I love this one!

Most of the group...making their funniest face.
We picked up a few more on our final lap.

Connor's friends. :)

He shocked the fire out of me when he scaled the rock wall unassisted, and with relative ease!

Running in the field.
I wish it was more in focus.

Connor and Ms. Linda!

Ski Boarding.

So, Brian couldn't get it, but I didn't know he got off. I proceeded on to the finish line, thinking we were doing awesome as everyone cheered me on. Obviously we were disqualified because you can't do it solo. And I thought my husband was an athlete.....

Another of the games: Green Bean bowling.

Other games not pictured: Goose-be-gone shot put. (throwing a frozen turkey onto a twister-type board with numbers for points)
ToiletShoes: Like horse shoes, except with toilet lids. I took bronze. :)

Their was a big campfire, but I was done taking pictures at that point...just use your imagination!

Christmas Card photo shoot

Connor and I were on a mission to get a good Christmas card picture of him this past week....okay, perhaps it was more my mission, but enjoyed getting to run around the park, feed the ducks, and explore on the playground equipment.

I'm proud to say I think I found a winner, but I'm not going to post it...it will be a surprise!

Here are some of the others that I really like from this past week.

Watch out weed!

I marvel at Connor's diligence pulling weeds. I had no idea that helping me in the flower beds would create such an effective little weed-puller. If there is a plant out of place (he occasionally gets a flower...oops) he will pull it....by the root and then put it in the trash. :)

So fun to feed the ducks!!

A man on a mission.

Feeding the ducks from the dock.

I'm not sure how he ended up on his hands and knees....I think he was just getting up?This is my view most of the time.
I just love this one!

My favorite from the playground equipment.

Going down the big slide!

Mr. Cool

Hi mom!

These two were playing around with my new lens....it is faster, so it does better in the dark. Connor was playing around with the lamp in his room. He's gotten quite good at turning it off and on.

Connor's 2 year pictures.....a month late

I got two others also, but will have to scan them in.

Smart Bottoms

Look who's famous! :)

Click on "host a party" and "contact us".

You can also see two additional pictures at the .

I've made it easy in case you don't want to click around.

and these are the shots of him on the Smartbottoms facebook page

My dad was here too....

I realized that by posting all the zoo pictures, it looks like my dad wasn't even here. He WAS! He was actually spent Monday night with us and then took off in his rental car to do business here and in surrounding states and then returned on Friday for the long Labor Day weekend. We didn't take many pictures, but here are some during his Monday visit. Connor was so excited to have visitors!!

(notice the VAST improvement in his nose from these pictures taken on Monday to when we went to the zoo with my mom on Friday!)

Zoo

When my mom came to visit, we went to the zoo. It was a beautiful day and the zoo is just the right size for little man.

Neighborhood Floating trip

A couple of weekends ago, 5 couples from our street went up to Big Rapids, Michigan to go tubing. It was the first time for many and brought back lots of fun memories from when I was a kid in Missouri.

Anyway, here are some of the pictures. It was obviously withOUT kids. :) Next time we will definitely do the longer trip. We had so much fun!