Thanksgiving Week

We had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving week at our house.  Aaron was off Wednesday through Sunday and we enjoyed spending so much time as a family together.   We didn't plan a whole lot, but we had fun.  I worked half a day on Wednesday then came home so the girls and I could have our baking day.  We made two loaves of banana bread  and really enjoyed our time.  My girls love baking with mama!  Thursday we got up bright and early and headed to Oklahoma.  We managed to only stop one time on the way there.  We had lunch at my dad's sister's house.  After lunch my aunt had the cutest activity planned for the little kids.  They made concrete stepping stones with all kinds of bobbles in them and their hand prints.  We played football, went on walks in the woods and enjoyed my favorite foods all year long.  I live for Thanksgiving and Christmas food!!  The girls had such a good time in the country.  They are both country girls at heart.  For dinner we went to my grandparents house about 45 minutes away from the first stop.  Again, enjoyed the best food!!  I was able to breath fine after the first meal and dessert, but I was a goner after the second feast.  The girls love playing with all my cousins kids and they were so well behaved.  They make me so proud.  We drove home late Thursday night and got to spend the night in our warm comfy beds.  It made for a long day, but at least we were back home.  We didn't get to go to Aaron's parents' house this year as we have to skip someone every other year.  Next year we won't miss them.  

Friday we had Razzoo's for lunch then took the kids, along with Jamie, to see Bolt.  Cute movie!!  Now I've got to track down Bolt and Penny stuffed animals.  Poor Paige got all emotional during the movie.  She has such a tender little heart!  After the movie Aaron kept the kids and Jamie and I spent the afternoon clothes shopping.  We were so disappointed in the sales at the mall.  Kohls had a few cute things on sale though.  Then we hit the motherload at Macy's.  They had lots of cute sweaters and shirts on sale.  I was in desperate need of some winter clothes.  Check that off my list!  I will say that was probably the most relaxing and fun day I've had in a long time.  We got to enjoy the hustle and bustle of the mall on Black Friday, but the crowds weren't bad since it was later in the day.  The kids weren't there whining and I got to go in any store the suited my fancy.  It was so much fun!!  (Note: not that my kids are whiny all the time, but shopping with them is not on my list of fun things to do!)  I picked up a Christmas gift for Aaron and got some much needed play clothes for Paige at Kohl's half price!!  I also ordered Aaron's other Christmas gift from Amazon, which they promptly shipped to me the next day!  Check that off too!!  I'm done Christmas shopping now with the exception of a few gift cards and my photo books.  

Daddy buried Paige in the leaves in Oklahoma!  This girl LOVES the country!

Here's Paige and Addie riding Rio with Papa:

Saturday night we came home and finished decorating our formal tree.  Bonehead Laurie finally found a 1-800 number to call to get replacement lights for the silly tree.  The company was actually open when I called and my replacement lights should be here in 3-7 days.  So we went ahead and finished decorating it.  My girls just love Christmas decorating!  Then we got the wild hair idea to go to Garden Ridge at 9pm.  They had been open round the clock since Wednesday with great deals on Christmas decor so we went and bought our yard decorations!  The girls came alive when they saw all the Christmas stuff to be had.  We walked out with reindeer, porch trees, blow up Santa and giant ball ornaments.  We made a haul!! 

Sunday we lounged.  I'm still not out of my pj's.  We've having family moving night in a few hours, eating popcorn and watching Enchanted I think.  

I couldn't have planned a more fun week with my family if I had tried.  And the best thing about it is that I didn't try.  It just all happened how it happened and worked out great.  Tomorrow is back to business as usual, except the house is all Christmas.  Can't wait till Aaron's off a week for Christmas!! 

Now we start wrapping all those gifts and getting ready for party central next weekend!

Oh Freaking Christmas Tree!

The holidays are suppose to be filled with joy, right?  I'm one giant bah-humbug right now!!  This dang tree is going to be the death of me.  After going to 3 stores including the original one I purchased the tree from, Sears, I thought I had finally found the right replacement bulb for my tree.  Took every single burned out bulb off the tree, ripped a nail down to the quick doing it, and what do you know.......the new lights don't fit!!!  I'm walking away from this project for tonight before I take hostages.  Aaron will have to help me when calmer  heads prevail tomorrow or after Thanksgiving.  So much for getting it all done.   Our time constraints are over now anyway.  

I guess my options are to cut the strand off the tree and try and string another set up just like the tree making company did or buy a new tree?  Man, my redneck, lights clipped on self-prelit tree has stood up a lot better than this one has.  And I didn't pay that much for it either!!

Oh Christmas Tree

Due to some uncertain timing we went ahead and put up our Christmas decor this weekend. We have finished our family tree and are working on our formal tree. The kids had such a good time putting everything on. Addie kept clapping her hands saying "I LOVE Christmas, momma!" It was precious and so much fun. Paige loved seeing each of her personal ornaments. I felt bad for Addie because we went nuts the first year we had Paige having a new baby and everyone got her an ornament. Baby number 2 didn't get that Christmas excitement because she was nearly a year old by the time Christmas came around so she only has 1 "my first christmas" ornament. And I was bad and didn't buy dated ornaments last year so now Addie is severely short changed so I will have to do better from here on out.

Now, my second tree isn't decorated yet because we are having a lights problem. It's a 3 year old pre-lit tree and one set of lights blew out last year. There must have been a short because every light is burned out with black inside the bulb. We changed the fuses and tried to replace a few bulbs, but I dont' have the right size bulbs. So, I will make a trip to Hobby Lobby today to try and find replacement bulbs then replace EACH bulb in that strand. I don't know what else to do. The lights are literally wrapped around each branch so taking the strand off is out of the question. Who knew a pre-lit tree would be so difficult.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas

The girls found these tiny little Christmas trees months ago when Hobby Lobby had their Christmas stuff out with their 4th of July stuff.  I finally bought them for them and they had a ball decorating them.  Here's their trees and they are very proud of them.  I think it's cute as they reflect their individual personalities.  They picked everything out themselves. 

Addie's tree

 

Paige's tree