Happy Holidays

So I've been away from this space for quite some time.  I guess all the Holiday crafting got the better of me.  But now things have slowed down so let's catch up!

Ryan, Shanda and the dogs came to visit us the first week of December... We took the dogs to the dog park and then they helped decorate the Christmas tree.

Natalie fell in LOVE with Uncle Ryan and had to be with him all the time.  It was SO cute.

We tormented the Dogs with Antlers...

And the kids had a great time decorating the tree... Natalie has mostly stayed away from the ornaments, she has pulled the feet off the frog and decapitated a flamingo... but Loren was able to fix them with super glue

Natalie just LOVES her animals, especially Sam

Here she is with her beloved Uncle Ryan

I asked her to stand in front of the tree... she set this up herself

Loving each other.  They are playing so much better together these days.

With both of us laid off we have been going on almost daily walks... here Loren is riding Aiden's bike... cute huh?

Our tree... We went out to get our tree at a local tree farm and when we got there they showed us their price sheet (I had already set my sights on a "big girl tree" after years of 3-4 foot trees at the old house) and they wanted (gasp) 80-100(!!!) bucks for a 8-10 foot noble... Seriously???  That's highway robbery, and we told the guy that, lucky for us there was a 'bargin coral' of trees that we assume people cut down then refused to pay 80 bucks for.  So we got this tree for 15 dollars.  It was the quickest tree trip in history.

I even made Natalie her stocking finally (furthest on the left).  Last year she just used mine and I am working on sewing Aiden's stars on with embroidery thread.  When mom and I made them for Aiden's first Christmas we just glued then on as the pattern suggested.  But every year one or two fall off and need to be re-glued so I figured I'd just sew them.  Now he has informed me he needs many little stars to go with the big stars.  We'll see.

It has been so much fun to have room to decorate the house.  Mom and I even got outside lights and put them up the day after Thanksgiving.  Yep, we're that kind of people.

and GIANT snow flakes... these were just to annoy Loren with :)

Festive greenery and our cute little nativity scene.  We also have a cute bear one that we got last year but Natalie has been moving them around and throwing them so they had to be put up out of harms way

At Fern Ridge Damn on a walk

The boys

When did this little boy of mine get so big?  He's growing out of things left and right!

We even got some snow before Thanksgiving... not much but enough to make the house look pretty.

and for the kids to go outside and play in.  Natalie was busy trying to wipe it off of everything.

Aiden LOVED it, as did the dog.

here he is making snow angles... his way..

I asked him to smile for me.... this is what I got

Thanksgiving my mom came down and we did the whole spread.. it was nice to have her help and company...

Loren even helped with... I had to take a picture of it!

MMM... I love thanksgiving, any holiday that is just about food and family is good with me!

Natalie hamming it up in one of my old dresses. I have more pictures to post of gingerbread houses, and men, bird decorations, crafting fun and what not but this is a good start.  We hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season!