It's the most wonderful time of the year!
We had a very nice, peaceful Thanksgiving at my parents' house this year. Lots of yummy food and drinks, and everyone ate their fill! I attempted to take a group picture, and it turned out pretty badly. Especially in color! So here is the best version. I will blame all the wine!
As soon as we got home that afternoon, we decorated the tree. I had been chomping at the bit to decorate, and it took every fiber of my being to "respect the turkey" (to quote Niko). I must say, though, that the kids did a fantastic job getting the ornaments up this year. They were careful to make sure they were distributed evenly, and made sure every ornament was secure. They are getting so grown up! How did that happen??
The next day, Black Friday, I went out shopping in the morning with my friend, Caryn. We were already 99% done with our Christmas shopping, so it was an excuse to buy some new clothes for ourselves and get coffee, mainly. We had a great time! I was home before lunchtime, and got all the outside decorations up in the afternoon. I'd say it looks pretty good, inside and out!
On December 1st, we celebrated our four-year "Massiversary." I can't believe it's been four years since we woke up in this house for the first time! In some ways, it feels like a lifetime ago. Other times it feels like it was yesterday. Still, all things considered, and despite being something we could have never anticipated, this move ended up being one of the best things that has ever happened to us. We love it here, and love the four years of memories we have already made. Here's to many more!
And then we got the kids' school pictures for the year. I always feel compelled to buy these for posterity, even though I have thousands of better pictures. But I present to you: their official photos for the 2015-2016 school year!
And some better pictures of those same two goofballs in front of the Christmas tree. :)
That brings us to this weekend, and the Festival of Trees! This is a great annual event in our town. We didn't go our very first year (first WEEK) of living here, but we have been every year since. Santa is there, and you can bring letters to him (and he will write back!).
In addition to Santa, there are rooms filled with beautifully decorated Christmas trees, gingerbread houses, and wreaths. Different people and organizations can buy a spot and design their trees how they wish, with all the proceeds going to to town Historical Society. Our Cub Scout pack had a tree, and the second graders from the kids' school had a wreath. All the kids made these cute little owl finger puppets in art class (our school mascot is an owl). Here is Niko pointing to his owl:
After we admired all of the trees and cast our votes for our favorite ones, the kids turned in their scavenger hunt cards and received little baggies of "reindeer food" to sprinkle outside on Christmas Eve. Then we went home and had a delicious dinner of chili and cornbread before heading back over for the official town tree lighting.
We will likely head back over to the Festival of Trees after lunch today, to go on an antique fire truck ride and maybe listen to the live music. But it's Niko's name day, so he is calling the shots! Cinnamon rolls for breakfast and a local diner for lunch. No complaints here!
No comments:
Post a Comment