Lights on the Tree

So we bought lights!    I looked all over trying to find some similar to our old ones.  I loved our old ones - they blinked in like 10 different patterns.  I found some that have 15 patterns and while I love the patterns, I don't love the colors.  But I didn't figure that out till they were on the tree.  We left them for this year, but now I'm on the lookout for the perfect lights for next year.  Now for the fun part of the tree.

Look how happy my boy is!

Quick, look!  Teenagers... getting along... and smiling... in the same room... at the same time... while around one another!!  (And you can see Nathan finally woke up.)

Elizabeth remembering her Dora ornaments.  I love the history/nostalgia part of putting up ornaments.

Dad always gets to put the tree on the top.  Speaking of history/nostalgia: this is the same star ornament we've had since we first got married and were starving students.  That is a star ornament from when I was a kid.  It had no special meaning then.  My mom handed down a few ornaments when we got married so we could have something to put on our tree. There was no way we could afford to buy a star for our tree so we tied the ornament up there.  We put it up every year and have for the last 19 years and tell that story and remember how far we've come and how blessed we truly are.

I don't quite know what they're doing here - just being silly I guess.

We put up stockings too.  Lydia and her ever-thinking mind decided to wear her stocking.  She cracks me up!

Let the Christmas Season begin!  I LOVE this time of year!!!

Decorating the Tree

Caleb thought the branches were meant for sword fighting with Michael.

We decorated our tree on Sunday afternoon and woke Nathan up from his Sunday afternoon nap.  He was a good sport about waking up, but was in quite a daze.  He sat like this on the couch - not moving, just staring for a long time.  Poor Nathan.  But he does get credit for attempting to be there.

This looks like a grumpy face from Michael, but he wasn't grumpy.  He volunteered to be "in charge" of the tree last year and we gladly passed the torch.  I love it that he wants to be involved and is old enough and big enough to do it.  I just take pictures and put up the lights now and watch the fun!

Lydia - thinking out of the box as usual.  ;)  She's so creative!

Elizabeth joins the creativity.

This series of pictures cracks me up.  Is it possible to hear a laugh with pictures?  I think these pics prove that it is.  Caleb kept trying to sword fight Michael with a duster and thought it was the most hilarious thing ever.

More creativity from Lydia... jingle bell earrings.

Santa hats

And of course Lydia has to wear it her own way ... "Look mom, I'm SantaPhant!"  (Santa the Elephant)

Almost done...

And then we put up 3 of the 4 strands of lights and realized that the last strand didn't work (even though we tested it - it didn't work on the tree).  

So we took down all the lights and waited till the next day to buy new lights.  We did, however, have some eggnog since it's tradition.

I love this picture!

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!!!  It was a fun, mostly relaxing day.  We had our traditional salmon, as well as deli sundried tomato turkey (easy, and the only kind anyone will eat), homemade mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls with raspberry jelly, sparkling grape juice, and pies... banana cream (everyone's favorite!), pumpkin and pecan.  

Elizabeth and Caleb helping make banana cream pie.  Helping = licking the bowl.  Elizabeth now has a favorite dessert - banana cream pie!  She wants to have it for her 7th birthday next year.

Everyone waiting for dinner:

Happy Birthday Nathan!!

Sixteen years old!!!!  Wow, how time flies!  Nathan is the awesomest (yes that's a word today) teenager ever!  He's one of the most amazing kids I know.  He's very responsible, reasonable, sensitive, helpful, funny, has a huge heart, and a great sense of humor.  He loves to tease his siblings, however.  At dinner, he points to Katie... doesn't say anything or do anything but point at her.  And he does it so I don't see it.  It drives Katie absolutely crazy and she whines and cries till I get mad.  Nathan gets great pleasure out of this, even though it drives his mommy and his sister crazy... or should I say because it drives his mom and sister crazy.  But if that's the worst thing I can say about him, he's doing pretty darn good!  Happy Birthday Nathan!!!  We love you!

He's having a party later and he wanted to wait and have cake when he has his party... so no pics yet.  But here's a timeline of the digital pics I have which are basically from 2005 till now.
Oh wait, I do have a few baby pics.  Wasn't he the cutest chunka baby ever?!