It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I am so excited about Christmas this year!   Really, I should say I am excited about Christmas every single year but this year I am pretty excited to be spending it in our new house.  We started decorating on Friday evening and we are still working on it now.  I am sure it will take us the rest of the week to finish things up, but it is so much fun! 

The boys really wanted to help Daddy get the tree out of the box and put up! 

 They were so excited!  It is so fun to see Christmas through their eyes.

 Cade couldn't wait!  Seriously, he was jumping up and down from excitement.  It was precious!  I hope they always stay this excited. 

 We have a pre-lit tree and we had some light issues this year.  This is our third or fourth year with this tree, or I don't know maybe have had it longer.  But it was the perfect size in our old house.  It looks small and lost in our new house.  It is going to work this year but next year I am sizing up- maybe a 9 foot tree or 10 foot tree?

 Restringing Lights!

 He couldn't wait for the lights be done

 Little tree that we put in the boys room.  It turned out pretty cute.  I had a whole bin of ornaments for them to choose from and this was what they choose to put on it. 

 Santa waiting by their bedroom door!

 My Christmas plate in the kitchen.  I have had this thing forever and I still love it.

 I have so many of these little trees so I stuck two in the kitchen.  I love the colors on them!

 Our Days Til Christmas board!  I love this little board!

 We don't have a mantel so I had to put our stockings on this table.  I am still working on the look for the table.  I wish I could get my garland to stay up here.  Any ideas?

 My tree... I experimented with the deco mesh this year.  I like it but I wish I was better at putting it on my tree.  More practice I guess! 

 I also had a mishap with my angel and had to search around for another one!  This angel isn't exactly what I wanted but do you have an idea how hard it is to find an angel tree topper?  I could only find those crazy 70's stars!

 Our little basket!  I love this basket - but I especially love the Grinch!

 My favorite wreath EVER!  Larry put this together for me last year and I loved it! 

 My little table with Santa and more of those trees I love! 

I am still adding decor.  But this what I have up already!  I can't wait to see everyone elses Christmas decor!  I need more ideas for my house.  

Thanksgiving Fun

Everyone gathered at our house this year.  It really was a lot of fun.  We ate, laughed, and played.  We also did a little preparing for Christmas.  Each year we do a little something different with Larry's side of the family.  Sometimes we draw names and purchase a gift, sometimes we buy something small for everyone's stocking, and sometimes we do draw stockings.  This year we decided to draw stockings.  

Deana was shaking up all the names! 

 Cade was helping out!  He would pull a name for her and she would write it.  He loved this!

 

 He could have done this ALL day!  He even wanted to write the names for her.  It was so cute!

 

 Nana had a great time watching all of this unfold! 

 Deana and Caila were playing with the boys in the backyard and I couldn't resist snapping a quick picture of them together.  I hope they will always remember the fun with family on holidays.

 Key Lime Pie!  Yumm-O!  I am not a huge pie eater and especially not Key Lime but this one was to die for yummy!  My sister-in-law, Deana, made it and I am totally using this recipe and making it for our next get together. 

Thanksgiving 2012

This year we hosted Thanksgiving at our house.  I was pretty impressed with how smoothly things went.   We smoked the turkey the day before.  OMGEE!  Has anyone ever smoked a turkey before?  I took 10 hours to get that baby finished BUT it was totally worth it.  

We also had a ham but it was precooked so all we had to do was heat it up and glaze it!  It was so yummy!  I made green bean casserole in the crockpot, corn, and mashed potatoes.  My mother-in-law brought dressing and two desserts.  My sister-in-law brought rolls and fuzz salad.  It was super yummy and super easy.  I wouldn't mind doing it again next year!

Turkey Toes - yes I figured why not "rename" them for Thanksgiving!   

 Larry's appetizer tray - so fancy!! Haha!

 The kitchen during the process of cooking...

 

 All of the food - yes it was serve yourself!  Nothing fancy!

 

 Fuzz Salad is my favorite!!

 

 

 

 Everyone serving themselves! 

 Eating and talking, talking and eating!

 More eating!

 Yum, yum!  Or maybe I should say Gobble! Gobble!

 Aunt Deana couldn't make it Cade's family birthday so she brought his gift to Thanksgiving dinner. He was pretty excited!

 

 I just couldn't resist this picture of the marsh!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!   

Today we have so much to be thankful, and I can't just choose one thing I am most thankful for because there are so many.   These boys...I couldn't be more thankful for them.  I have been truly blessed and every single day I am truly thankful.  They are my life! 

I think Colin is thankful for his big brother today.  This melts my heart! 

I am thankful I am their mother and they are my mini-me's! 

I am thankful they have an amazing father and I have an amazing husband! 

Enjoy your day with your family!  Be thankful for what you have been blessed with each and every day.