On the hunt for the perfect Christmas tree!!!

Just like last year, we headed to Ferrell Farms to get our Christmas Tree. There really isn't another place (besides the mountains) that is like this farm. You cut your tree down, haul it to the road and they come and get it and bundle it for you. All the while you are sipping hot cocoa or hot apple cider and eating candy canes. It is amazing!!

We had another lucky adventure and it was a mild day, really only sweatshirts needed. Jason was first up this Thanksgiving but he managed (probably because of my nagging) to take a few hour break to come home and get a tree. My parents joined us this year and hopefully Tony and Kellie will be able to come next year...they were both working this year!

self portrait :)

Jason doing the work. Me taking the pictures. Typical.

Tagged and ready to be picked up!

Enjoying the fire!!

Hot cocoa with a candy cane in there somewhere!

The Eeds'

The Oakes'

tackling the Christmas season...

I have big plans for this Christmas season. We shall see how the turn out...I'll report back in January!

~ When writing the Christmas cards I want to take the time, aka start now, to write something meaningful to the recipient on the inside! I am also whittling down my Christmas card list. I've been keeping track for the last 3 years about who sends us cards and the list this year is considerably smaller :)

~ Start making Christmas cookies and freezing them to make the week before Christmas less stressful. I've made my inital list of what cookies and treats I'm going to include and if they can be frozen and for how long.

~ Spend what I say I am going to spend! We have set budgets not only for what to give to each other but other family members. Last year we went a little crazy and there is just no need too! We are also going on a nice trip for Spring Break (can you say Kauai!!!) so we we will be spending some money then too :)

~ Give back to those who are in need. During Thanksgiving our local Safeway had these bags by the checkout that were $10 and went to local shelters and families who were in need of food for Thanksgiving. I know 10 dollars isn't a major amount but it is my hope that that helped a family. I want to do something like that at the grocery store once during this season and then go to a store that is has a tree that has presents or ages of kids to buy for. Again, that doesn't cost me a lot and I can certainly afford that. This is kind of like a pay-it-forward type of thing :)

Gooble, Gooble Who is that??

We had two different Thanksgiving celebrations this year with 2/3 of our families. We started the festivities the Friday before Thanksgiving in Auburn with Jason's Mom's side. His cousin Amy, her husband Brian, and their son Blaine were in town from Texas and we were invited to their Thanksgiving and we hussled up after work to make the festivities!

It was a nice night and it is always great to see Amy, Brian, and Blaine. Jason and Blaine had an especially busy time!!!

Mike, Blaine & Jason

Jason and Blaine played cars for over an hour!!!

Blaine and his great-grandma's.

Uncle Jason is the comfiest seat in the house!!

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On actual Thanksgiving Day we headed over to my parents house to have a calm Thanksgiving the 4 of us.

As you can see my parents are working hard.... ;-)

My Mom always has fancy napkins...

Christmas crackers for Thanksgiving Day :-)

This was SO much food - especially considering there was only 4 of us!

Delicious food.

After dinner Jason had to head home to work but I stayed and did our anual after dinner Christmas craft. You can see the bath salts & homemade cocoa mix by clicking on the link.