Last in a 3 part post... go down and start at 1st Annual Cardy Awards....

Seriously, these posted backwards.... you need to go down 2 posts and then read "up" to this one.



So that is basically the bulk of the awards. The last card I got will get the award for the biggest card!!!! I swear this card is like 12" x 6" and, like the Arinders, I have no idea how she sent it without extra postage!!! This is from the Wardlaws, and we got it Christmas Eve!!! Better late than never.

They also come really close to getting the cutest kids award too. I can't really give an award for that because I'll make folks mad. And my kids are the cutest of them all anyway! :)
So that is the conclusion of the "2008 Cardy Awards." I hope you'll all want to get involved next year and that my card numbers will shoot up! HA! And just in case you didn't get ours, it was a folded card that was blue with real funky colored trees all over it and on the front it said, "Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse..." and you opened the card to this picture:

And the inside said, "YEAH RIGHT!!! Merry Christmas!"
I thought it was a pretty cute. And this is another pic we took that nite. So we hope you all had a Merry Christmas, and you have a great New Year!! And we don't really have plans yet....so if you know something good, let us know! ha!

Part 2 of the 1st Annual "Cardy" Awards! (go down one more if you haven't read part 1)

Have you already read part one of the "Cardy" awards? If not, go down one more post then read up to here. If you've read part one already, you're in the right place!



Shelly and I talked and decided that me, her, and my friend Tamar won the award for funniest/most creative. We're all like that though, and try to be different with our Christmas cards. So they tie for the award for Creative Cards!!

Shelly's had her girls with mad looks and "Naughty" hats... then in "Nice" hats with cute looks. It was cute. With the year Shelly has had, it's a miracle she got a card out at all. So she gets extra points for that.

Tamar's had her kids fighting with candy canes. It was very typical of her boys. She also had cute pictures of them too. Very cute.

This card got raves from me and from my girls. This is from the Burchfields. They just had a new baby girl on Nov. 26. The card was a collage and featured all the girls. I tried to get the girls to pick their favorite cards. They had a hard time doing that. They leaned towards cards with babies, of course. So these cards get Cute Baby Awards. So Emily said it was a tie between the Burchfields, above, and the one from Mark and Anita Phillips, below, which featured their grandson Jace. It was signed from "Mimi and Pop" (I think) and that was cute too.

We also had to pick a favorite non picture card. We liked the one from William's brother and his wife which I forgot to get a pic of. It was a striped glittery one. My favorite, so the award for the Best Non Photo card goes to William's cousins James and Paoli Ellen. Beautiful silver glittery Noel card. I normally really don't like glittery stuff, but it does make for pretty cards.

Ok, so now we'll have to go to part 3 for the conclusion of the "Cardy" awards!

1st Annual "Cardy" Awards!

Christmas cards are a very big deal at my house. Everyone knows I anxiously await for Thanksgiving to pass so I can start stalking my mailbox each day! I start planning what I'm going to do for my own Christmas card sometimes months in advance. I don't like just a simple photo, Merry Christmas kinda card. The Durr Christmas card has come to be known as usually pretty comical, so I have to build on it each year. But I also love getting everyone's cards. My friend, Shelly is really responsible for making this card obsession. She's more obsessed than I am. She's even had an "A" list and "B" list for her cards.... if she liked ya, you made the "A" list. If you were just so-so or she hadn't gotten a card from you or you were close to going off her "list," then you went to the "B"! She and I have to talk daily to compare how many we got (she usually beats me like 2 to 1) and critique ones that we both got. It's quite funny actually. It has even been the butt of jokes. Someone told me last year they were going to buy a box of cards and send them all to me. And someone actually did that to Shelly! Wrote all kinds of funny stuff in them. It was really funny.
So since this is such a big deal, I decided to blog about it. Also decided that I would start the "Cardy" awards. You know- Emmy, Espy, etc - so I'm doing the Cardy! So welcome to the first annual, Durr sponsored, Cardy awards!!!

We always hang our Christmas cards on the door mouldings in the living room. I want to do the garland thing that Matt and Kyle did last year. When we get about half way down we have to move to the other door. If we don't, Josh likes to pull them down and tear them up and flush them down toilets and eat them and throw them around the house.

I will start by giving away an award for the first card I received. This award also counts as my card from the farthest away. It was from William's cousin, Stephanie, and her family who currently reside in China. I don't know if I'm supposed to say much more than that.... don't want to get them in trouble. And we are definitely going to give an award for a family card, and cutest pet, to William's cousins Matt and Kyle with their dog, Buford. We love their cards every year. Always cute, and we adore Buford.

The second card we got is also one that cracked me up. It is from Ronald and Susan Smith. Cute pic of their cute kids.... their little boy's name is Mitchell. For some reason Jay calls him Bencho. I think he can't say Mitchell. But he loves him... and it is so funny to hear him say his name. But anyway- Susan didn't sign her cards. Not even a name on the envelope. Just an address. Said she doesn't like her writing! It just cracked me up. You have to know Susan. I love her to pieces and she makes me laugh.

This next card gets the reward for "Card that is like a package." I have no idea how they mailed these without extra postage. It is from my pastor and his family. It was a really pretty card, and inside the pocket was a picture on cute paper and then a letter about their year which was told with Grant and Lori's usual wit. But it was seriously like getting a gift. It was thick and heavy and Lori seriously put a lot of work into it. Congrats.

Since I can only put 5 pictures per post, you must go to Part 2 to see the rest of the awards!!!

just a little tradition.......

Just a few pics from us visiting the nativity scene at Memorial Funeral home I told you we go to every year. Usually the lambs are very tame and you can pet them and feed them from your hand, but not this year. There were two cute, cute little lambs, but they were very skittish! It was still fun and Josh was old enough this year to get a kick out of it!

Full and Fun (yeah right) December (I'm kidding!!!)

Wow. December has flown by. It seems like we've been so busy but it has been good. I have some pics from some of the stuff we've been up to, and I forgot my camera a couple of times which I hate. One of the most fun things we did was our Sunday School Christmas party where we were introduced to "Filthy Santa." You've heard of the "Dirty Santa" game... well, as Heath Peeples told us that night, "If that's dirty, this is filthy!" It was a lot of fun. We laughed until we cried, and that is always positive.
Then we also went to get-together with some friends, the Wardlaws, where they hosted a Spades tournament!!! It was a night of great company, great food, and GREAT competition. We had a really, really good time and hope to do it again soon.
We always get together with my mom, my sister, and my sister's family every year on December 22. (that was my step dad, Joe's, birthday. He passed away Christmas Day, 1995.) We exchange gifts and eat and just let our kids hang out for a little while. We had to move it up a day this year because of work schedules. We had spaghetti and yummy snacks made by my mom and we had a really good time.



My emily, with cousins Cora and Abby.






Jay and Preston and Cora.

If you know me, you know I'm very particular about my main Christmas tree. That's why we have 6 trees up in our house. The one in the living room is just mine. The kids all have trees in their room decorated to match their rooms. Then we have a 6 1/2 foot tree in the kitchen (which I think will have to get about a foot taller next year!) that has the kids ornaments we get them every year on it, the ornaments they make, and ornaments friends get them and just generally any other cutesy ornaments I get or buy that don't match my big tree! Ha! So I put a picture of it on here, because it's one thing they really enjoy. I also allow colored lights on this one, and don't do that on the rest.

The kids also love our advent calendar. It's a Hallmark Christmas tree that has drawers in it for each day. Each day they open the drawer and it has tiny ornaments in it that hang on little hangers. It's cute. They get up and do it every morning.
This year we also discovered Baker's Akers, which I think will probably become a new tradition for us! It's in between Louisville and Noxapater, and it is awesome. This family decorates their property and you can ride through it. It is really, really worth driving to. I am just putting one pic on here from it. But there is a lot of fun stuff, this is just a pretty picture looking across the lake at the house. There's a lot of "kid" stuff too.

Of course there is also the normal array of kids programs. The girls did a program at church, and Emily had a singalong at school. Jay had a program at Methodist which is just a hoot to watch the little kids. He did a very good job! He likes to sing.


We also had KidStuf the first weekend of this month which was so much fun. And Christmas cards are a VERY big deal at our house. After today I'm going to do a blog on those as well, and name the ones we've decided are our favorites. I have to wait though because I have some friends who are behind and just mailed theirs yesterday!!! I want to make sure to get theirs in. We will do our normal stuff this week as well. Steve will come stay with us starting tonite, and we'll go to my grandmother's house tomorrow afternoon. We also have an old tradition of going to Memorial Funeral Home and looking at the lambs in the nativity set. We've done it ever since Kirkland was a baby. Rain, sleet or snow, we go see those lambs. We'll probably also open gifts with the kids tomorrow too. At some point we'll get together with the Burrells (friends as close as family) and do gifts with them. So it'll be a busy day or so here. We hope you all are having a very Merry Christmas as well!!! We'll blog about the cards tonite or tomorrow! Til then!

My Poems....

I don't have time to do a real entry right now. But I am copying and pasting my revised poems that were turned in for Creative Writing. I'll try to get a real entry in soon!

Debacle

Trail of water,

drop after drop,

leads down the hall.

The dog sits outside the door

staring at the mess, and she

barks out a warning

to the culprit.

Toilet paper is strewn

from the toilet,

to the door,

to the tub,

and back.

Oh! And on the ceiling!

How in the world?

Your clothes are all soaked

and dripping on the rug

that is soaked too.

Wet toilet paper is

paper machéd to your cheek

and forehead.

Water sliding down

the side of the toilet

like water down Niagara.

Drip drop, drip drop.

I look down at the dog

She could’ve helped,

I think.

Looking back at the child-made

flood,

your two year old grin greets

me as you flush my toothbrush.

Grabbing towels,

I stoop and wipe and

I feel your chubby wet hand

pat my head and

your look out,

the dog, licks my cheek and

hand in bowl,

I find my lipstick and

you laugh and

I laugh,

because if I didn’t

I’d go insane.

mary virginia

I am red:

gingham curtains, white and blue,

state on the news, silky pajamas, bank accounts.

I am blue:

cobalt bottles in the windowsill, suede heels,

berries on mama’s pie, toenail polish.

I am yellow:

bungalow behind the sycamores,

yield, don’t stop, couch at the coffee shop.

I am green:

crunch of rock candy, stained glass in my place of refuge,

the worst kind of dirty diaper, pawpaw’s swing.

I am orange:

clementines, crushed velvet chairs,

sweet potato pie, swimsuits on the beach.

I am purple:

cough syrup that makes me gag, giggles, paint

on the living room walls, pansies in the pot.

I am brown:

glass beer bottles, hazelnut coffee,

chocolate brunette, melting pralines.

I am black:

speeding asphalt going by, computer keys,

2000 Calorie mascara coming off, sleepy.

The Wicked Bean

Th

Ah we meet here again as morning breaks.

I wrap my hands around your perfect heat,

inhaling your scent and my body aches.

I pull you closer until my lips meet

your warmth and I feel you inside of me.

It takes a minute to get me going:

I’ve just woken up and I’m still sleepy.

I come alive inside, pleasure flowing.

Without you I don’t know how I’d survive.

My time spent with you gets me through each day.

My head falls back and I let out a sigh.

You’re certainly worth the extra I pay

for hazelnut whole bean, ground extra fine.

My first cup of coffee is just divine.

Thirty

This is the big time!

Time of the big stuff:

big schedules, big hips,

big mouth, big dreams.

And dreams being forgotten,

Or maybe just rethought.

Year of the big three – o.

Responsibility multiplies as again, cells divide.

Waist disappears, baby cries.

Rub a sweet soft fuzzy head,

take a breath, let out a sigh.

Immortality is mine.

Bliss in a family complete,

as statistics are filled.

Two of us, two kids, and the dog.

And three decades have passed. Gone

are the parties, but welcome to the clubs:

soccer moms, PTA, carpool.

Not fifty fake acquaintances,

but five real friends.

Best night out is a movie night in.

Me and you and buttery popcorn on the couch.

First time I’ve gotten to laugh

with you all day!

Comfort, security, and resting.

Feet tucked under, head on your shoulder.

Getting to breathe slow, wear my pjs

and be still a minute.

Because tomorrow I’m running

all over again:

Run to the bank, pay those bills,

watching kids kick goals,

and a grocery cart to fill.

Fifteen times two, sixty divided by two.

10,950 days of one life used, hopefully about

twice as many to go.