O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree...

We decorated our tree early this year because we were going up to Utah the week before Christmas and staying up there through the holiday.  The kids had a ball!

Who knows where I got these glasses, but they make 3 day "Happy Holiday" words pop out of the lit up bulbs when you look at them!  It's rad!

Even DOUBLE the coolness if you cross your eyes while you look! lol

So, this is 1/2 of the bulbs we own.  All is one little nook!  Gotta love the kids' decorating techniques! 

The Tree

Dave's had to get used to the importance of the tree pickin tradition as a whole family.  I think he likes it now?  :) I love it!  It brings back so many memories of my childhood to go out in the cold weather and tree after tree...search for the right one.  Never fails.  We always find it....hopefully before someone is crying.  Isn't she a beauty?  I can remember the wonderful smell that filled the house right now! 

Black Friday....Rocked!

 
This was seriously the most successful Black Friday shopping I have ever participated in.  Reason #1 it rocked...we didn't leave until ab 6:30am.  Yep, not deathly early...no midnight craziness.  For that reason the crowds had died down quite a bit.  All the people that hate you and anyone else with a credit card...the people that are willing to run you over and elbow you in the gutt, are long gone.  (I didn't say the lines had gone down though.)  But that's to be expected.

With 3 separate households in 1 vehicle....we FILLED that thing to the brim.  It was AWESOME!

(btw- that's my sister Heather next to me, and my sister Jenny & her hubby Dawson in the back)

Hahahahaha!  I seriously got 3/4 of my Christmas & bday shopping done in 1 morning.  Gotta love it!

Afterward, we cuddled in for a nice competitive game of Dr. Mario. Jenny always throttles us. 

Ahhh, what a successful day!  

New Tradition

This year I wanted to start a new Thanksgiving tradition.  Something that focused a little more on family and gratitude and less about food...that part comes naturally.  :)  Well, I ran across the idea of a "Book of Thanks" on some awesome craft blog, but the book they used and the only decent looking, even somewhat like I had imagined it, book I could find in stores or online was $50-60.  

So, I decided to make one!  

Each thanksgiving for the rest of our lives (?) we will bring our Book of Thanks out and everyone that we are sharing that day with will sign it and write something they are thankful for from that year.  I think it will be a lot of fun to be able to look back and read the things written in it, see who we had Thanksgiving with each year and see the handwriting and content of our children's writings change from year to year.

I decorated the inner pages a little. 

And attempted to add some embellishments...i'm a wanna be crafter, not a real one yet.

Ta-Da!  There she is.  Thanks to all who helped in the making.  Here's to many wonderful Thanksgivings full of gratitude!  I am so very blessed.  

Abby had a blast painting the white pumpkins we picked out this year.  I think she did a fine job!  Makes me think of Return to Oz ...weird weird movie.

Here's what that brown ball of string turned out to be Heather.  Thanks for helping us roll it on Thanksgiving day!  

The Day of Thanks and Feasting

Two of my gorgeous sisters, Heather & Jenny.  I am grateful that they help me see how much FUN life can be! 

The outdoor FEAST was absolutely fabulous!  It was sad I had the stomach flu that day!  Woke up with it.  But I could not get myself to stay away!  

Dad made these beautiful Jello parfaits!  That one took Abby 3 days to finish!  :) 

And I attempted to make some new pies this year.  Lemon Meringue, Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake & French Silk.  I think they tasted alright....  Some day I'll be good at it!  Gotta start somewhere eh?

Green Teeth

So the kids have issues with their teeth....

their GREEN teeth!  lol  

They had a blast "Raaarrrr"ing for me!  Some good giggles that night for sure! 

Butterfly Magic

One of Abbies preschool field trips this last fall was to the Botanical Gardens.  We got to see the coolest butterfly exhibit!  (Abby, Andy, Noah, Ada & Kinsie)

It was so hot in the little greenhouse that my lens kept fogging up.  And by the end we were all dripping sweat!

It was uber cool watching them eat.

The butterflies were everywhere and they would land on you constantly.  It took Abby & Joey a little time to not freak out every time one got near them.  But they got there.  Abby wore her flower pants so the butterflies would feel comfortable around her.  :D

If you look closely, a butterfly is fluttering next to Joey's head, about to land.

Cool!

It was a fun day!  We learned a lot about Butterflies and plants that day and had a fun picnic at the park afterwards.   And just for entertainment...Here's Brian Regan's clip on "Butterfly Questions" (click on the link below).  It was our theme for the day! :)  http://comedians.jokes.com/brian-regan/videos/brian-regan---butterfly-questions

Key to the Zoo

Our zoo does "Feed the Giraffe" time every day where the kids can pay a couple bucks and feed the giraffes some carrot sticks.  Well, they give you a 1x free pass with your membership each year, so we finally got our turn!  The kids loved it!  It looks like this one is going to kiss Abby on the head I think.  :)

I think the giraffe thought Abby WAS a carrot!

  

We also discovered that all these yellow boxes around the zoo are not broken... you just need a KEY!  So we went to the front registers and hooked our selves up!!  For a couple dolla' you get a big ole elephant key that the kids can turn in these boxes and a recording plays of the different zoo keepers telling us about the animals we are looking at.  Abby was in HEAVEN!  And she got to keep the key too.   I don't know about other kids, but Abby is obsessed with keys!