Weekend Review!

Saturday, I forced my family to JCP to take family photos. NO one was happy with the 8:20 am appointment time. However since we have a pet in the picture this time, we had to have a "before store opened" appointment. Well, due to the fam, we got there LATE. And it was PACKED!! What The Heck?!?!? We were only about 10 minutes late and they were supposed to open at 9. Turns out they were forced to open at 8 (per Corporate) thus it screwed EVERYTHING up. Thus we had to RUSH through our appointment to get the dog in and out (because someone may be allergic to dogs and they didn't want to cause any problems with the other people there -- our dog doesn't shed so that wouldn't have been an issue). The wait to view the photos and pay was HORRIBLE! Absolutely horrible. Top that with no one had eaten breakfast... little man was in rare form. LOL. Soo after about 30 minutes of waiting, I left. As I was driving home, my mind wondered off. I was thinking of this photo shoot and how nice it would be to have ALL of my children there. I saw the boys in their matching shirts and pants and the princess in her red and black velvet dress, black tights, and patent leather dress shoes. I pictured a photo with the boys on each side of our little princess giving her a kiss on the cheek. I imagined the family photo, dog included (and LOOKING directly into the camera), that would show a grand and loving family. I then proceed to buy the BIGGEST pictures they have: one of the family, one with the boys kissing the girl on the cheeks, and one of each of the children. I also figured out (in my mind) what I'd put on the print I recently bought of our current family: Gaddis family 2008. Full of love but not yet complete. And on the new photo with the new adopted children: Gaddis Family 2009... Overflowing with love and finally complete!

I then let my mind wonder to decorating the house with these new photos. Where would I put them? By the front door OR in the formal living room? Or above the fireplace in the family room? Should I put the current family photo next to the new family photo? Oh the decisions I would make on the placement of these wonderful photos. LOL! (another sidenote here: I was decorating a house that do NOT even live in (LOL)!! I was decorating a house that we are currently looking to move to. Not sure we will move to that house... but I was surely decorating it already. Actually I've been decorating it since I first previewed it. I LOVE the house we are in, but it is too far from work and school).

As I am "daydreaming" and smiling to myself (I am watching the road but not the exit), I realize that I have taken the wrong exit, LOL. Hubby asks me where we are going. I snap out of it, got off the expressway (highway) and turn around, making sure to get off at the right exit this time. He asked me what where my mind was... I hesitated.. then said, I can't wait for the day that my family feels complete to me. Then I tell him what I was thinking. Blank stare, rise of the eyebrows and a nod...

We proceeded to Mickey D's for breakfast and dropped them off at home to eat. Then I went back. Took about an hour or so. It was STILL packed. I asked the lady at the counter if I should come back (I'd asked her this before I left and she said it was ok). She said no and that they were ready to preview my pictures.



Previewing:
When I signed the photo paper work the manager informed me that with a pet, you have to pay sitting fee PLUS (10 bucks each)which I knew about AND you had to buy the minimum package of 89.99 didn't know about that. I was calculating all this in my head and PRAYING that something would be worked out. The associate that assisted me during previewing was REALLY nice and REALLY understanding. He was my angle in disguise! He saw my frustration and the photos (LOL) and said that we didn't have enough shots to create a package. He played around with photos for a bit, cropping and repositioning in different themes. So he said we could do the Christmas cards and that if the manager questions him, he'd tell her that we didn't have enough photos to make a package.. we really tried to though. He also gave me smilesbywire for free so that I could order/reorder any of his photo-shopped prints. Thus instead of spending 130 (excluding tax) for sitting and package and 4.99 for smilesbywire, I only spent 99.75 (including tax). I got 24 cards (which is all I needed) plus one photo that says LOVE that has my dog and my son hugging on it. Oh happy day!!!! I was relieved and blessed all at once. God was watching over my wallet.

After leaving the photo studio and going back through JCP to get to the parking lot, I saw a very cool gift for Little man. It's a wireless remote control car that transforms into a robot with just a push of a button. Regular price 80.00; on sale for 39.99. With tax: 44.00 (.61 cent was donated to after-school programs). NICE!! He will be sooo excited.



Sunday:
Nothing much was done today. I cleaned the kitchen. Washed little man's clothes, watched tv. No church however (and I think there was a Christmas play today.. bummer! I wanted to see it).

Other than that, not much happened (LOL)! What'd you do this weekend?

P.S. As soon as I get the link to smilebywire, I will post our Christmas card.