Turkey, Shopping and Lights!

Thanksgiving Came and went and did not disappoint.  It was perfect.  A morning spent in PJs watching the Macy's Day Parade, crisp Fall air, yummy smells all throughout Nana's house and a whole lotta food.  Delicious, buttery food.  All baked and cooked by my sweet Nana. YUM.  This was my first year in 3 years that we were able to eat with extended family and I was so pleased about that.  It was so much fun to visit with Holly and get our kiddos together for hours of play time.  If you know me and Holls, you know that we practically never stop laughing around each other and it is always fun :)

After going through the ads, I was excited to hit up a few Black Friday sales on Friday morning.  But I didn't go crazy this year with midnight shopping like the past couple of years.  I woke up at 6:30 (instead of 1 am) and was happy to get some items checked off our lists!  Thank goodness for Black Friday.  Santa will be bringing the girls a really great gift this year...one that he wouldn't have been able to bring without my Black Friday Sales :)

And, as tradition goes, Shawn and I started a puzzle.  Our Thanksgiving tradition for the past few years has been to buy a new game on Black Friday and play it together all weekend.  This year we bought a puzzle and we are ALMOST finished- after hours and hours and hours staying up way too late.  We LOVE puzzles.  They are so addicting! "Just one more piece....Ok, just one more.  Wait, hold on, ONE MORE!"  And on and on it goes.....  Almost as addicting as the egg-nog that has been accompanying this puzzle...

Anyway, after a much needed nap on Friday afternoon, we all bundled up (I mean seriously bundled- layers of clothes that had us all sweating before we got outside- Piper was the epitome of "The Christmas Story" kid) and went to Coeur d'Alene's Annual Festival of Lights.  The girls LOVED the fireworks show.  It was really good.  To see the whole town light up in one bright moment- with Christmas music playing and a whole community who has come together with lit candles- was, honestly, the best way to ring in the Christmas season.  It was fun for all.  Not to mention, the Ball Family was with us, and any event with them is fun :)

Now onto more egg-nog, more baking, and more holiday "stuff" to do!

Good night all!

Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree!

The Holiday Season is upon us, my friends!  

This brings me so much pleasure! 

It is, without a doubt, THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF YEAR! 

I usually wait for Christmas music, Christmas decorations and Christmas tree decorating until Black Friday, but this year was different for 3 reasons.  1) Thanksgiving is so dang late this year, that if it were any other year, Thanksgiving would already be over and so yes, my house would have been decorated by now anyway.  2) Even though we were only living in somebody else's home for 3 1/2 months, the feeling of settling down and moving into our own home right when it started to get cold outside had me itching to settle in AND bring out some Holiday cheer (I already had to endure October without digging out my Christmas decorations and I just couldn't stand it any longer!). And 3) last year it was a little difficult for me to get into the Holiday spirit because I was so large and painfully pregnant with Piper that all I could think was "PLEASE GET THIS BABY OUT OF ME!"  I remember huffing and puffing as I hastily put up our Christmas decorations and being so nervous that I'd fall over and hurt something (or someone) as I stood on tall chairs to hang lights and garland while not being able to see my feet....it was a mess.  So I feel like I skipped out a little last year.  I definitely had reason to celebrate a week before Christmas though, when Piper finally did arrive.  But until then I just couldn't seem to muster up that Holly Jolly Mood.  So this year it's practically oozing out of me after being suppressed for so long.  Hence the reason why I started listening to Christmas tunes November 1st, changing Piper's nightly lullaby serenades to Christmas hymns (she HAS to be sung to while she drinks her nightly milk or else she won't drink it. So every night I rock her and sing to her) and I already have every inch of my house decorated in red, green and glitter :)

Anyway, we decorated our tree last Friday night with the girls and Lucy had such a good time.  She really did good hanging the ornaments on the tree!  She put them all in one clump (I don't have the heart to reorganize it because it makes me smile every time I see them) and had a blast doing it. Piper even got in on the action!  So far they haven't messed with the ornaments this year so it looks like we have a chance of keeping them on our tree all season long (last year they only lasted for a day)!  Hopefully next year we can buy a real tree, but for now- this tree has been perfect for our little family.  It was given to us by Dan and Tiff our first Christmas together and it's a cute little treasure that I'm extremely thankful for! I'm blogging about the tree now because we have a LOT coming up this season.  Thanksgiving, Piper's Birthday, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year's Eve and every Holiday moment in between.  So I know I will have lots to blog about and thousands of pictures to take.... (sadly, I'm not exaggerating.  One event sometimes produces over 100 pictures...thank goodness for that "delete" button!)

Lucy's clump of stars and other ornaments :)

So I'm starting off the Holiday blogging escapades a little early this year so that I don't fall behind!  

As you can see, we've even started our Holiday Crafts a little early as well :)

And our Holiday Cookie baking....

Only 29 days til' Santa gets here!

Lastly.....

Look at the difference this year has made in my sweet "Christmas Baby" :)  

 Happy Holidays everyone!