My Birthday, Family,Tiny Tim and Cheesy Realtors

My Birthday this past year was random, very random... but one I'll never forget.....

Rewind a few days prior to my actual birthday....

We met up for a little post thanksgiving pre birthday family dinner at La Stalla Cucina Rustica in down town Chandler... where my brother ordered Kangaroo for dinner, which totally bothered me ~I'm quite certain that's the only reason he ordered it.

Then on my actual birthday I had to work because I guess I'm a grown up now and that's what grownups do...but I did receive a special surprise delivery from the Original J.Starr ~ he's a stud. He brought me flowers and lunch.

Then that night, (Justin had previously told me) that he had tickets for us to see a show...because I really can't handle surprises....but I didn't know which show~that was enough of a surprise for me.

So we kicked off the holiday season by seeing "A Christmas Carol"... and we were by far the youngest people at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theater on that Tuesday night in November.   I was going through a "red lipstick" phase during this time in my life....thankfully that phase didn't last long. 

 Following the show, we captured our annual  Christmas photos......

 A few years ago we started a random tradition.... we started taking our "Christmas Photos" on my birthday.  Being that my birthday falls on November 29th and it's right in between Thanksgiving and Christmas~ the timing seems perfect.

 It's totally weird in some ways...I mean, I guess I feel a little goofy sending out photos of us (ya know like without kids, real ones, not ones with fur)...  But...I figure what the hay...one day we will have kids (hopefully) and we'll cherish our pre-children days... plus we already own all this crazy expensive photo gear...

           

So I guess we started this in tradition in 2009, and continued in 2010...and this year I had all these grand, uber cool photo location ideas.... all thematic with ice skates, vintage clothing, and falling snowflakes....

But at the end of 2011 for the first time in my life...I had no energy, limited passion, and low creative juices...I was done.  The year had been amazing... busy, but I felt like I  needed to slip off my heels and put on my comfy pjs, put my hair in high pony tail and wrap myself in a warm blanket and sleep for about a month.

I couldn't put anything magical or creative together... and I keep pushing myself hard.  Justin was spent too... he can usually steer me back on track pretty easily.

But this time, we both we're DONE. Neither of us could come up with any energy or spare time... so for our 2011 Christmas Card Photo Shoot Justin threw up a white backdrop (in our tiny condo) and I threw a chair tie around out kitchen chair... and viola!

(FRONT)

  

  

(BACK)

  About a week after all our cards we sent out we were driving around doing some shopping and Justin says to me..."Umm....do you think our card this year was kind of weird?"... Me "Yes! But I didn't want to say anything...I think we totally look like nerdy realtors"... Justin replied..." umm.. yeah what were we thinking, not cool"

None the less, this was our 2011 Christmas Card. Done and Done, and it time stamps where we were at this time in our lives.  

And here's a few Bloopers that didn't make the final cut.............

Fun times, good memories, lessons learned.........