3rd Annual Christmas Card Poll

It has become tradition. Printed ballots and a pile of pens were in the middle of the dining room table and we were ready to cast our votes. It took us a while this year. Some deliberated long and hard over their favorites. And we had to revote two or three times on some categories because we didn't have clear winnters. But alas, the ballots were tallied and here are the poll results (as always, you should be able to click on them for larger images with better detail, although I will say, some of these scans just don't do the cards justice):

Very first card received - from Cheryl and Susan Bailey

Prettiest Card - from Jim and Ruth Byrd

Cutest Card - from Bob and Louise Smith (Sara's mom's brother and sister-in-law)

Best Photo - from John Mark, Julie, Evan, Katelyn and Brooklyn Sproles

Most Creative - from Tony, Barb, Caleb, Devon and Danika Askew (card made by Barb, Sara's sister)

Make a Soldier's Holiday a Little Bit Brighter

First of all, thanks to my sister for this idea and for weeding through all the fine print and condensing it for me. 

Send cards to the Red Cross at the following address:

Holiday Mail For Heroes
Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD  20791-5456

The Red Cross would like to distribute 1 million pieces of mail this Holiday Season.  They will send them to active duty service members, wounded service members, veterans and the families of veterans.

Do NOT include a letter, photo(s), gift or phone cards; if you do, those things will be tossed before distribution.  (SECURITY REASONS)...  (There is another way to do those things and you must check out the Military website for instructions.)  This program is simply for Holiday Greetings~!

Each person can send up to 25 cards to the Red Cross.
If an Organization is sending the cards, they may send up to 50.  (Each of these cards have to pass “review”).

DO NOT put your Return Address or E-Mail address in the card.

Mail all your cards UNSEALED; this will make it easier for the Red Cross to "review" them before delivering them.

LAST, but not least, All Cards MUST BE POST-MARKED BY DECEMBER 10, 2008.  If they are post-marked later than that, they will be returned to you!!!!!

Have fun making the Holiday Season a little brighter for our Men/Women in Uniform (at home and abroad), Veterans, and Veterans Families AND our Wounded Veterans!

2nd Annual Christmas Card Poll

Amid a flutter of ballots and a couple groans, we held our Christmas Card Poll this morning. We had to have two ballots this year because we received soooo many cards that qualified for the prettiest card category - that category alone had to be divided into four categories and then we voted on the winners of those. Please enlarge them for better detail.

And the winners are...

First Card Received - John, Traci, Amber, Brandon, Bret and Brad Petty




Prettiest Card - from Dan, Louise, Morgan, Kara and Channing Martin:



Cutest Card - Bill and Cindy Arndt



Best Photo - Scott (Sara's cousin), Robonna, Mikayla, Cade and Hope Kelley



Most Creative - created by Barbara Askew (Sara's sister)



Most Unique - Zoe Clark, photo by parents, Paul and Beki; card created by Paul