2 Christmas Trees in 1 Year

Yes, you read that correctly.  2 Christmas Trees in 1 year.  I love decorating our tree (lights I can live without) but decorating and pulling out the old ornaments, I love.  However, when you do it twice in one year. It is not as much fun.

Saturday after Thanksgiving we went and picked out our annual tree. It is yearly tradition and one I cherish.

Finding the right tree can be a tough job.

Then on Sunday we started putting on the lights. I unfortunately hurt my neck so I was useless in helping but my men were up for the job. 

It wasn’t until the next weekend and several chiropractic appointments that I put on the decorations. As I was adding the decorations I noticed the tree was VERY fragile but I thought it was in my head.

Then after another week our tree was looking SAD.  Needles falling EVERYWHERE, the silverside of the branches were facing up. It was just bad.

Collins took off all the ornaments (only the half I put up) and returned it to the place we bought the tree.  (thank goodness they exchanged it for free)

The ornaments and the pile of needles it left behind.

Our new tree!!  Looks much perkier! 

Then we had a fiasco with the lights.  Mini lights are HARD to come by.  Buy them now while they are still around. 

It might of taken twice but it was well worth it!!! Our beautiful tree with all the presents on Christmas morning.

Was it really Thanksgiving?

Our Thanksgiving took a very untraditional turn this year thanks to the unwelcomed guest of the stomach bug. 

It all started the Friday before Thanksgiving while I was out camping with my GS troop. This is me looking all “campy!!”

 

I started throwing up around 1AM in the morning! Fun times. Got home Saturday morning and was sick all day.  Was much better by Sunday evening. Then Wesley got REALLY sick on Monday.  It was just plain BAD.  He was sick Monday, Tuesday and part of Wednesday.  Then Collins got sick on Wednesday.  We had to call our family and tell them “Please make other plans, we are too sick for guests.”  Wednesday night Lawson got sick.  Joy, joy. The amount of laundry I did in 5 days was INSANE!!

Thursday, Wesley was 90%, Lawson was 60% but no one was in the mood to eat.  So we played outside while Collins blew leaves. He was about 80% Thursday will no appetite, but the leaves were driving him nuts so he was outside blowing for about 4 hours. He went to work and picked up his leaf vac and we cleaned the yard.

The leaves this year are SO BAD!!  Our yard alone filled up an entire leaf vac and we (collins) just cleaned up 2 weeks before that. Geez. 

By Friday we were all doing better so we had our first Thanksgiving feast by ourselves and with no help in the kitchen.  Surprisingly we did really well working together!!!

Homemade giblet gravy, homemade BB’s rolls,collards for our garden were some of the specialties of the night!

Here we all at the family table.

Our family giving thanks to the Lord.  (yes, I had the timer camera on, and yes, you can see who has their eyes open!!!)

We have so much to be thankful for and really Thanksgiving is just a day, it really doesn’t matter when you celebrate it!! I love this sign.

Cailyn is 22 months

Lordy, lordy Mrs. Glory where has the time gone??

Out baby girl is not quite a baby anymore and showing that us that she is a BIG GIRL!

Here are some pictures of Cailyn the past few months. 

Talking: She loves to jibber jab all the time here are a few words we have mastered.  Maw (me), Daddy, Wes, La-La (Lawson), go, bow, diaper, Nana, Gra (for Grammy), poo-poo, Gigi (her blanket), Dah, doggie, cookie (of course), chic-chic (chickens), girl and more I just can’t remember them all.

She can push toys forward now.  So stinking cute!!! She loves wearing hats/helmets.

Following her sister’s footsteps. We have another little girl addicted to HIGH HEEL Shoes!!

Cailyn might have been slightly delayed in pulling up and walking but she is showing us NO delay in her interest in being potty trained.  This might be TMI- but she did her first BM on the toilet Oct 31st (21mo)and has continued to tell us when she needs to go #2 and go on the potty (if I feel like it).  I will admit, I am not in as much “rush” as I was with the other kids to potty train so I will just hold off until she is at least 2. 

(Kenna Family- who does this remind you of?)

Of course, growing up there are a few growing pains.  We have now experienced timeout.  As you can tell, she is not a fan, however, she surprisingly did really well staying put and curving her temper tantrums after isolation. This little social butterfly does not like to be left out of anything!

We have had our fair share of oopsies!  When she found a pen and decided to color my couch AND her brother!!! Yet, he didn’t realize it was his job to tell her no!  Lovely. I did get the pen marks out for the most part thanks to rubbing alcohol.

But seriously who could be mad at this face for long?

Our sweet Cailyn is growing by leaps and bounds everyday and teaching me a things or 20 along the way!!! Love you baby girl!!