Trimming the Tree

We went to pick out the perfect tree Sunday morning after returning home from Thanksgiving.  It didn't take us long to find a good one!

 These two goofballs insisted on taking one inside the wreath!  As long as they agree to a photo, Ill take it!

 Our yearly ornament tradition continues.  We collect them throughout the year on our vacations and then I wrap and them for the big day!  I also get the kids ornaments that represent them and that year.  This year Ellie got a horse and rider and Bobo got a Cubs baseball glove and baseball. 

 We turn on Christmas music and get to work!

This was another new one this year.  After Ellie's recital I had them make a glass ornament out of her picture.  It is so cheesy, but so stinking cute!

 This is still one of my most treasured!  Ryan and I got this the day we got engaged in NYC! 

 Our tree is not magazine worthy by any means, but it represents us and so many wonderful memories!

We also put up our porch tree!  I am still trying to get a good picture of it at night because it is so pretty with all the lights against the dark pond!

 I have told Ryan that I would love one year for someone to come and decorate my house for Christmas, but for now this will have to do!

Thanksgiving weekend

 We have already decorated for Christmas and I still haven't blogged about our amazing Thanksgiving weekend!  We had our second annual dinner with friends...mainly just a reason for Ryan to smoke a turkey!

 This turkey is out of this world!  Seriously it is that good! 

Those are the only two pictures I took all night, but I promise you there were lots of other amazing dishes and lots of wine and lots of laughs!  I am so thankful for our friends in Charlotte and all the lifelong relationships we have made.  

On Thanksgiving morning we loaded up the car and headed to Wilson, NC to Grandma Linda's farm.  Papa Fred had a hay ride set up for us all.

 They have horses, chickens, cotton fields and lots of toys at the farm.

 This guy loved being able to ride the four wheeler solo this year.

 Ryan took countless videos of Ellie because when she drove she would just laugh so loud.

 We would go on long gator rides and go see the cotton!

 I adore this pic of Ellie.  She has a smoked dress, helmet and is feeding a horse.  This just sums her up so perfectly.

 My step-uncle is a chef and prepared the majority of our feast.  Not sure we could ever top all these dishes he made for one meal!

We stayed a few nights at my parents house and for the first time in forever all the siblings were together.

BG had lots of fun crafts and things to do.  The boys played golf one day and we went to get mani/pedis!

 We all went out Friday night to a new bowling alley in Raleigh.  We had a blast bowling and playing lots of air hockey!

 Saturday morning we headed back to Raleigh for the final game of the season! 

 Love our Wolfpack family and very thankful for a W against the Tarheels!

Halloween

 We unfortunately didn't make it to the pumpkin patch with our friends this year, but I did take the kids a few times.

 We had a blast playing, riding on the hay ride, sipping apple cider slushies and picking out lots of pumpkins!

 We waited until the week of Halloween to actually carve a pumpkin, but let the kids decorate one using this spider kit early.  I swear they like this more than the carving.

We carved the pumpkin on my birthday and made lots of different pumpkin seed flavors.

 Ellie is very into pictures lately (wonder where she gets that haha) and constantly takes pictures.  I love this because I am rarely in the pictures and it is fun to open up my camera and find random surprise pics!

We attended our clubs annual Halloween party.  Another party, another hay ride.

 These two love to dress up together and have been saying they wanted to be the ninja turtles since last Halloween.

 This is our 5th Halloween and our fifth year taking this same photo with the Shwedo family.  I am such a sucker for traditions!

 On Halloween night our neighborhood gets together for a party and everyone brings a dish.  I made this with the kids.  We call it the throw up guac!

We went with a family theme again this year, although Ryan and I could have stepped up the costume a bit better than just the mask.

 Hornets basketball player, Cody Zeller, moved onto our street last month and made it to the party too!  The twins were so excited he gave out full size KitKat bars.

 Before trick or treating we take a group pic of the kids and then they all go down our street together.  I just love this holiday.  Every year I feel the same way...I think my kids are going to be overwhelmed and crazy and instead it is a very fun family night.  After about 10-15 houses we slowed down behind the big group and just the four of us and we just had the best night!

 We were all sad when we had to stop and go home....

 The kids scored alot of good candy....now lets just try not to eat it all!!