It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas

As a child, I always looked forward to the weekend following Thanksgiving because I knew that we would be putting up and decorating the Christmas tree. Even as an adult, with children of my own, I still look forward to that weekend, and putting up and decorating the tree with my family. This year, as we assembled it and hung ornaments, it somehow didn't feel right. It just doesn't seem like it's time, like Christmas is only a few weeks away. I doesn't seem possible. Where did the year go? Well anyway, Christmas is just a few short weeks away, and will be quickly followed by yet another new year.

Today, we got a little tease from Mother Nature. We got to see a few snowflakes flying, and then it mixed with sleet and rain. I'm not sure if you can see it very well here. The best place to spot it is in front of the hemlock tree. Though the photo doesn't really show it, it was really starting to come down. But it only lasted a few minutes before it turned to mostly rain. No accumulation is expected, except in the high elevations. Typical.

I hope everyone is keeping warm and cozy. (Thhhbbpptt! This is obviously not for my FL and LA readers! :P)

Thanksgiving Week

The week started with Ben loosing a tooth on Monday night, while eating a favorite meal, spaghetti. (Note the red/orange ring around his mouth. lol) After dinner, he was going around making this face, and I said he looked like Nanny McPhee's great, great grandson! lol....
Thanksgiving Day, we pose for pictures before enjoying our feast....

The feast...I had made a list of all the usual timmings, and we each 'voted' on what we wanted most. But on some of them, I couldn't choose, so I made them all anyway!

On Saturday, the boys 'helped' Daddy rake and blow the leaves into an enormous pile for some fall fun....

Even Josie got in on the fun!

She especially enjoyed it when the boys tried to bury her in the leaves....

They had so much fun, they passed out on the couch after their bath as they waited for supper. Oh to be young and have such fun....and to be able to nap whenever and wherever....

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Did anyone go shopping over the weekend? Not I! That kind of madness is NOT for me! I stayed at home and started decorating for Christmas. Steve did go out to one store on Friday for a particular item that was on my Christmas shopping list that was marked way down. Thanks to him, I am done with my shopping, except for candy or something for stocking stuffers. ;) How 'bout you? Have you finished your shopping, or are you still trying to get started?

As always, thanks for stopping by, and looking in on us! ;D

D

Birthday Fun

We celebrated Josh's birthday in the usual way by going to the Fun Depot. That has been a "tradition" for several years now, with the exception of Ben's last birthday, when we went roller skating. Going to the FD is always fun, for kids and adults, alike. :)

We started our fun by playing arcade games....

Then to burn off some energy, the boys run and climb in the 'soft play' area....

Upstairs we bowl and ride the bumper cars....

Gramma even tagged along, and joined in on the fun!

The Birthday Boy's choice for dinner was Burger King. He's one cool dude! lol

At home, he was excited to see what was in the BIG bag....

A little help from Ben, opening cards, and counting birthday money....

A junior-sized football....

always a winner, Legos....

and a new Wii game....Sonic and the Black Knight!

And of course, the cake! His choice, German chocolate.

He received several cards, most with money. (Thank you P & N, Gramma, G.G. and Irene.) And as seen in the pics, a football, Legos, a Wii game, and a daily devotional for boys (from M & D). He was very happy. Though, he was a little sad that none of his friends were able to come, either to the Fun Depot to play or to the house for cake and presents, which always seems to be the case. Oh well. Maybe one year, maybe next year....

IT'S NOVEMBER?!

WHAT HAPPENED TO OCTOBER? AND SEPTEMBER?!

I don't remember much about September at this point, except making Christmas cards. October was just a blur due to the surgery, and subsequent pain meds. And I have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that 2011 is nearly over! Josh's birthday and Thanksgiving are just a few short weeks away, and then, before you know it, Christmas will have come and gone!! And we'll be looking 2012 straight-in-the-face!! GEEEZ!!

Whoa, I better slow down here! Let me just show yous guys some recent pictures. (Beyond, these pics, I don't know what happened in Sept. and Oct. lol! )

First, our sweet girl, Josie. She is a riot. And a "scaredy-cat." I believe she's afraid of the dark. If you hide in a darkened room, and call her, she's very reluctant to come, if at all. One of our favorite games is hide-n-seek. Josh or I will hide, and she will find us. Here she is with her favorite squeaky toy. We have to take it away after a few rounds of fetch, or else she start to try to rip off it's ears and feet!

That's her favorite chew toy....a nylon bone. The hardest, toughest one we could find, and in about two weeks, it's time for a new one!

She loves to watch for, and stalk the squirrels. She watches from the living room window, and when she sees one, she'll whimper to go out. When the door is opened, she races out, ferociously barking. If Steve isn't aware of what's about to happen, he nearly jumps at all the noise!

We recently bought her a new bed. We were a little skeptical about it because she chewed the last one to shreds. But so far so good. She really seems to enjoy it.

A couple weekends ago, we took our annual trek to Lyda's and Grandad's for our apples and pumpkins. We always love to see how they decorate their yards for fall.

Josh loves his veggies, almost as much as he loves to pose for the camera! lol

Despite the look on his face (this was suppose to be a smile), Ben is posing with one of the few veggies he likes--eggplant.

Mr. and Mrs. Tom Turkey. Seen here with one of their Chicken friends....Is it Thanksgiving yet?

My two little turkeys!....

Some pretty fall foliage....Bradford Pears, if I'm not mistaken.

One punkin....

Two punkin....

Ready to carve ol' Jack....

Mom draws on a face....Dad guts it (usually Josh does the gutting, but the innards were 'too cold.')

Ben carves the eyes....

(Meanwhile, Josh draws a face on his gourd that he chose at Lyda's.)

Then it's his turn to carve the mouth....

And here's the gang! The small pumpkin on the left is Ben's choosing from Lyda's....

And Jack, all a-glow....

For Halloween, the boys actually Trick-or-Treated twice. The first time was on the 24th, at the Cub Scout pack meeting. They held a trunk-n-treat that night. We even decorated the back of the van, well, a little. The boys took in a good bit of candy that night. But dummy me forgot to take the camera. (Blame it on the pain meds!!) It was too dark anyway...not sure how good any pics would've turned out.

But they were really surprised when we took them to the mall to trick-or-treat! It wasn't as crowded as I expected. Not to mention that a lot of the stores had closed down. It seemed so dead in there. (No pun intended!)

Ben was dressed as Obi-Wan Kanobi (Josh's costume from two years ago). And Josh is dressed as Emperor Palpatine (Darth Sidious). How they do love their Star Wars. (Notice how serious Josh is. He would not smile. He was now 'on the dark side of the force' as he put it. lol)

The battle rages on....

(Admiring their reflections in the empty, darkened windows....)

Yes, sorry, this was another photo-heavy post. I really do need to get back into this blogging thing again. But with so much already past to catch up on, and much more to come, what else could I do. I really do appreciate that you've stuck it out (you are still there, aren't you?).

Anyway, thanks as always for stopping by for a look.

Take care. D