Family Traditions!!

Thanksgiving 2011!!

What a fun week of family traditions and the beginning of the Holiday season. This time of year is my absolute favorite. I catch a lot of grief for enjoying this time of year so much. The thing is I really enjoy spending time with the people I love and this time of year more than any we get extra time to enjoy family and friends. This is the reason I enjoy it so much. Christmas always makes me feel like a kid again. The 'spirit' of Christmas is so full of joy and laughter but most of all LOVE, and I love love!!

Our Thanksgiving celebration started off with Jase's Thanksgiving Day feast at his school.

Thanksgiving Day was hosted at my house which I enjoyed very much. This year was special to me because my brother, the oldest of us 5, joined us with his wife and 3 kids. I hadn't seen him in 5 years so it was really nice to have him and his family.

Jenny, my sister in law and Mommy to be!!

My brother Albert, dad, and oldest brother Victor.

Paul, my father in law, and of course Jase!

My sweet girl Chloe wanted to join in for the picture.

Jase and my nephew Austin

Andrew carving the Turkey. It was delish thanks to AllRecipes.

Ahhh. My adorable husband! What a handsome man!!

Our traditions continue on....

The Saturday after Thanksgiving every year we road trip to Trimble MO to a farm called Reindeer Lane. Its always a fun time and just about every time we get lost. I thought that since we now have a navigation system in our vehicle that it would prevent us from getting lost.....i was wrong....well we weren't completely lost the navigation just had us turned around. We had a fun time despite the freezing wind chill. We found the perfect tree after about the 20th "oh this is it" and then realizing its imperfections. So Andrew and his father cut it down and off to see Santa we went. Inside Santa awaits with hot chocolate and popcorn. Joel wasn't too keen of Santa but we still enjoyed it. After getting pics taken we took a carriage ride around the farm which Jase and Joel had the honors in riding up front which they truley enjoyed.

Finally, the weekend ended by taking a trip to Crown Center. Joel enjoyed squeezing inside the little house. It was a fun time seeing the trains and neat toy store.

That evening the boys and I decorated the tree and I have a feeling I will be decorating it all season long with Joel taking the ornaments off. Ha.

It was a fun week and Im really excited to that the Christmas Season has began!