Rockin' around the Christmas Tree

Every year, the day after Thanksgiving, we put up the tree.  This stems clear back from when I was a little girl.  It was usually after we recovered from Black Friday shopping.  But I wasn't in dire need of anything this year so I spared my sanity and didn't go.  Ok, honestly, Jason had to work a graveyard and didn't get home until 7 am so I would have had to drag the kids with me.....not a good idea with all the crazies out.  and I really didn't see anything advertised that was on my shopping list. Anywho....so we decorated the tree today.

We're lame and have a fake tree, with the lights already on it.  With kids and dogs....that's always been the safest and cleanest route to go.  One day we'll get a real tree.  Plus, this year I was smart and used shatter-proof ornaments.  Last year, Ian would take the ornaments off the tree and say "Ball!" and then proceed to throw them or smash them together.  Not a lot of my ornaments survived.  So after Christmas I got some on sale =)

We had a few kinks getting started.  I plugged in the tree and there was a row of lights burned out.  EEK!!  Especially since this I a prelit tree, you can't just take the lights off.  The lights are supposed to be the type that if one bulb burns out the rest stay lit (which I saw demonstrated on a few other spots).  I changed the fuses....nothing....made sure all the bulbs were plugged in....nothing....I really didn't want to take every bulb out and test them....that's a pain.  So I decided to just buy a strand of lights and wrap them around it.  So I shuffled off to the store and got some lights.  As I was wrapping them around the unlit branches....all of a sudden, they weren't unlit anymore!  I guess I jiggled something and the lit back up!  YAY!!!  So then I put the lights around my window =)

Then I let the kids get down to business:

I let tehm decorate this little mini tree while I was getting everything ready =)

Of course you need window clings!  Especially when you have a huge window!

Now the fun part:

I think this was longest they went all day without fighting!  It was wonderful =)  Until we ran out of ornaments......

They were pleased with themselves.  I let them do pretty much all of it.  I did move some ornaments because I hung all the ornaments on one branch =) Silly boy!

Happy Turkey Day!

We didn't do much for Thanksgiving.  Just stuffed ourselves silly with turkey and mashed potatoes.  We stayed home this year.  My dad came down and ate with us.  The kids were excited because Papa is their favorite toy =)  Nothing too eventful but here are some pictures of the kids (and Papa) having fun:

I love my chitlins =)

Even Sasha had to give some loves to Papa =)  She knows she can wrestle and play rough with him.  As soon as the kids come around she stops.  

Had to include this =)  We love deep fried Turkey so that is Jason's contribution to the fest.  I do everything else and he throws a turnkey in pot of boiling oil.....hmm...I think he gets the easy job.

Do I have cute kids or what?!

My friend, Dallas, took some super cute pictures of my kids a few weeks ago.  I LOVE them!!!  She did such an awesome job!  Of course, when you have such cute little models to work with it's hard not to get cute pictures. =)  Here are some of my favorites: 

(I couldn't get this to flip the right way for some reason)

(This one wouldn't flip either)

~Happy Halloween~

I hope everyone had a good Halloween.  We did =)  I was so glad that the weather decided to stay nice.  It was great being able to take the kids trick-or-treating without bundling them up in 50 layers.  We went around our neighborhood this year and did some actual foot work, no trunk-or-treat this year.  I was bummed at the lack of Halloween activities this year.  Usually there is something for the kids to do everyday for a week before.  Maybe I'm just out of the loop but it seemed like there weren't many going on.  Oh well.  We had fun with our corn maze, pumpkin carving, and a few parades.

We did a little bit of pumpkin carving this year.  Jason wanted to do a mean looking one:

I didn't want the usual face so I did a skeleton face:













 usually get little pumpkins for the kids to decorate and paint but I didn't this year.  I know, I should have.

We had our ward Halloween party Saturday.  It was fun to go see our friends and neighbors.  I did a post earlier about it.  I was excited to win the costume contest.  Then right after the party, Ian had a costume birthday party.  He had a blast!  I need to get some pictures from my friend since my camera broke.  He was dressed as Superman (a pair of his jammies that have a cape =)  )

I had both the kids dress as skeleton's this year.  I don't think I'll get a way with dressing them the same much longer so I'm enjoying it.

Brenna was excited to dress up for school!

While Brenna got to have fun at hew Halloween party at school, me and Ian went trick-or-treating with Jason at his work.

While we were walking in the parking lot, Ian told me "Mommy!  Take a picture!" and he struck a pose =)  What a goober! 

Here are the kids, ready to go =)  We had friends come with us and i forgot to get a picture of all of them together =(

Here's Jason in the white out contacts that he insisted he just HAD to have for Halloween =P

Trick or Treat!!!