Shutterfly's Long Live Summer Contest

I just love Shutterfly! I have ordered prints,Christmas cards, and birthday invites from them and have always been pleased with the final product. We are gearing up for our annual beach vacation and I know that I will take tons of pictures next week! The sun, the sand, and cute kids make my camera happy!

Who doesn't love sharing their favorite pictures. Now you can share and have the opportunity to win some cool prizes. There is still time to enter Shutterfly's Long Live Summer Photo Contest!

Long Live Summer – Facebook Photo Contest details - 7/9 – 8/12 Multi-week summer themed photo sweepstakes with instant win prizes.  http://bit.ly/sweepS

Win a trip for four to The Bahamas and a professional photo shoot so you’ll remember your vacation forever. All you need to do is upload your favorite photo and caption based on the theme of the week. Get a gift from Shutterfly just for entering! You can enter at any point during the 5-week sweepstakes period.

PHOTO THEMES

• Week 1(7/9): Americana

• Week 2 (7/16): Great Outdoors

• Week 3 (7/23): Water Fun

• Week 4 (7/30): Sports & Activities

• Week 5 (8/6): Parties & Celebrations

PRIZES

• Instant win prizes just for submitting a photo!

• Weekly prizes (contestants can enter one time/week)

• Weekly featured photos: up to 5 weekly entries will be selected from the gallery and featured on the Facebook fan page and awarded a $500 gift card on Shutterfly and a copy of the new Lonely Planet travel photography book.

• Grand prize: trip for 4 to Bahamas, 4 nights, family photo shoot

• Shutterfly Sweepstakes - Official Rules

I would love it if our family or friends won...so go over and check it out!

Celebrating!!

We're celebrating over here at the Hillen household!

 Damian is finishing up shampooing carpets and touch up paint at our old house today. We are officially moved and getting settled. I'm loving it! I've even been cooking dinner every night. That's another reason to celebrate! Damian is usually the cook in our house. It's been years since I've taken on that role because of my long commute. But I think he loves coming home from work to dinner on the table! I just hope the novelty doesn't wear off..ha ha!

I have been terrible about taking pictures this week. Between cleaning, unpacking, grocery shopping, spending time with my grandma, swimming with cousins, cooking, more unpacking, registering Max for kindergarten, and running around getting things settled in our new house...this week was a whirlwind! But I'm happy to report that I only have a few boxes to go and we have some pictures on the wall and curtains hung-I'm excited about that!

We'll have this week to relax, have some playdates and some more summer fun, we'll head to the beach for a few days next weekend, then I plan on getting my classroom set up. I usually feel like the summer goes by so quickly but this one has felt just right. I guess since we moved and have packed in so much, I feel ready to go back to school to have a break and get into a routine again! :)

 Last Sunday, we celebrated my sister in-law Christine with a girl's afternoon that included pedicures and lunch at Abuelo's in honor of my newest niece who will arrive in a month! I had fun with my sister in-law, her mom and sister and my sister but we missed my mom who was unable to go because my uncle(her oldest brother) has cancer and was in the hospital undergoing emergency surgery. He's still not doing well and in in ICU so it's been a bit of a crazy week for my parents too, going back and forth to the hospital.

  We are so excited about this new baby girl who is due to arrive one day after Max's birthday! She will join her 3 big sisters and 2 big brothers and lots of cousins too! I still can't believe my twin brother will have 6 kids!! I never even imagined that when we were younger! In our family we LOVE babies!! This new sweetie will be my parents 11th grandchild! 

me, Cindy, Kathy, Brooke, and Christine

I wish I would have taken some more pics but I guess we were too busy enjoying the delicious food and catching up with each other!

Next weekend will be another celebration. My brother and I turn 35 on Saturday! Still can't believe I'm that old! It feels like I just turned 15 the other day! :)

Way Back When-esday:Tradewinds

It's been awhile since I linked up with Cheryl at Twinfatuation. I needed a little distraction from painting, packing, and cleaning. Plus I can barely move after painting my kitchen today...up and down the ladder so many times I am beyond exhausted.

 Last week I got a little sidetracked when I was packing my scrapbooks and photo albums. I just loved looking through all of our memories.  

This week I found a couple of  pictures from our trip to Tradewinds at St. Pete Beach last June. We are heading back to one of our local favorites in just a few short weeks. We can hardly wait!

June 2011

Emma 6 years old  Max 3 years old

I hope to get another one of them in this same spot this year. Except Emma is missing her whole row of front teeth. It's adorable and a little shocking if you haven't seen her in awhile!

 I just love Max's laugh. 

 

Mommy and Me Monday

We have been busily preparing for our big move. I will be pretty happy to not see another can of paint for awhile (and I still have 3 rooms to work on tomorrow--the kitchen, master bedroom and bathroom!)

This morning we decided to take a break from packing boxes and meet our friends the Switzers at the splash park. We are REALLY going to miss these guys. I often tell Jessie she's my sanity during the summer. Even though it's 90 degrees and a crazy amount of humidity we endured the heat and went to the park too.

Taking some pics with my kiddos while we were waiting on their buddies to arrive!

 Brody made a treasure map for the boys...this was serious business!

 Sweet siblings...I honestly cannot say it enough how great they've been to each other this summer. They've played so well together and have been so much fun!

 my little drowned rat...silly kid!

 feeding the birds and ducks

 Max's favorite thing to do at the park...just a 'swingin!

We are enjoying this summer although it is flying by much too fast. We went to see the new Ice Age movie on Friday(the kids loved it!) and then went out to dinner with the Switzers. On Saturday, Emma and I went to a baby shower for our friends the Furmans. Their sweet baby boy was born this morning. Can't wait to go to the hospital to see him today or tomorrow. The rest of this week consists of painting, cleaning, packing and more packing. I'm also looking forward to a girl's day on Sunday afternoon, pedicures and lunch at Abuelo's in celebration of my new niece who will arrive next month!  Next week will involve unpacking, more cleaning, and decorating--which makes me exhausted yet excited just thinking about it!
Here's to a productive week!

Happy 4th

 After dinner at Outback last night, we headed to Wiregrass to celebrate at the Freedom Festival. The kids had fun on the free bounce houses and catching candy in the parade. Today we are headed to Kissimmee(just as soon as Damian gets off work) to visit my Indiana family and have a bbq. If all goes according to plan, tonight we are headed to watch fireworks with our friends.

Wishing everyone a fun-filled and safe 4th!

God Bless America!

 

VBS

We are still recovering from all of our running around last week. Yesterday we cleaned, tried to catch up on laundry, went swimming, grocery shopping, and even managed to pack a few boxes.

Today we met up with our friends the Switzers for the summer kid's movie (we saw Rio) and lunch at McD's. Then we headed to Sherwin Williams to start getting some paint samples and ideas. It is a little overwhelming but I found many that I liked and can't wait to get started on Friday.

I didn't get many pics last week but I got some great videos of the kids singing at the show on Friday. I still have those songs stuck in my head but they are beginning to fade now.

We have several things planned to celebrate the 4th tomorrow and Saturday. It should be fun! I'm also looking forward to a girl's night out on Thursday. It is much needed and long overdue.
Wishing everyone a fun and safe Fourth of July!