The Last

Family.  Football.  

And the last Thanksgiving for 2019.

 Because who isn't sick of turkey by this point?

Christmas Kick-off

For 19 years now, we have been going to a local tree farm to pick out and cut down our own Christmas tree.  Christmas just wouldn't be complete if we didn't do it.  In fact, 12 years ago, a mere week after Bree was born, we were out walking the rows selecting our tree.  Look at us now!

 Bree checking for squirrels.

Dad, did you bring a saw?

2019

2017

Clark, do you think there's enough room for the angel?

Is your house on fire, Clark?

 I welcome you all to the Griswold Family Christmas!!

Thanksgiving Lasagna

Thanksgiving in our house starts off like anyone else's.  

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and Black Friday ads.

That is where the similarities end. 

In our house, Thanksgiving is about eating what we love, what we crave, what Momma has seen posted on facebook and just has to make it.  This year:

Thanksgiving Lasagna!

Strategically I used a slightly smaller pan then what was called for so we had enough ingredients leftover to make a second smaller lasagna for the freezer.  

After yet another disappointing Lions game, it was time to eat!

I may have overcooked the bread, but if that is the only thing wrong, then I think it was a successful holiday dinner!

 Happy Thanksgiving!!

TSO

Eight years ago Jim bought us tickets to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra.  We were the sixth row back and it was absolutely amazing.  I loved it so much that I went back to see them again a few years later....

,,,aannnnd again this year.  But this year I brought Bree for her first concert experience.

There were lights.

There were flames.

There was lightning and fireworks.

And lots of amazing music and entertainment!

Zoo-ing It

We don't always have a Zoo membership.  

Even if we do, we don't always use it to its full extent.

But this year we had a membership and the weather was mildly warm enough so in the wise words of Clark Griswold:

"We're kicking off our fun old fashioned family Christmas by heading out into the country in the old front-wheel drive sleigh to embrace the frosty majesty of the winter landscape and visit that most important of Christmas symbols."

Bree, your eyes are closed.  Lets take another one.

Yeah.... that's a better one...

Gift Giving

I have been the recipient of many wonderful Christmas gifts already this year.

 Some even as early as October!

You really know the way to this girl's heart.

Giving Thanks First

 The Sunday before the holiday is our first Thanksgiving.  

And what a big one it is.

A little pick-me up is usually needed halfway through all that celebrating.  

Happy almost Thanksgiving!

F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

High school friends.  Life long friends.

Friends that we don't speak the actual number of years we've know each other because there is no way we are that old yet!!

Old School

Sometimes you just need to move the couch up to the tv, order some chinese food, get rid of the kids....

 

... and have an adult only video game night.

Ending

Bree's volleyball "season" has come to an end.  For the past 8 weeks, the girls have been practicing and fine-tuning their skills in preparation for the school's volleyball team try-outs next summer.  Bree has talked about wanting to play on a team for many years and this Parks and Rec opportunity has given her a chance to learn and grow.  Now the ball is in her court (pun intended) to continue to practice on her own and be ready to show her value to the team and to the coach.  But until next summer comes, we have a lot of work to do.

Not Sick

No one in the house is sick.  Yet.  There are small complaints of tummy pains but nothing ever comes of it and it never stops them from running and playing and eating and more.

Until bedtime...

That's when we stay up an hour past our bedtime whining and crying about the pains.  The logic that she has to stay up because her tummy only hurts when she's laying down is used to counter any wise parental advise on what to do to feel better. When all else fails, we give in to her demand to "stay up" instead of laying down to sleep. 

However, I do believe this compromise has already began to backfire.  Upon waking up I was informed to not move the beanbag chair because she wants to sleep like that all the time now.  

Growing Up

It's this girl's for real birthday today.

This time it is a low key family celebration.

Soup, fresh baked bread, and the first cheese ball of the season.

And, of course, a few presents.  

Most importantly - a new village piece.

This village piece is not like the others in her collection.  This handmade plastic canvas treasure comes already filled with history and memories from Great Grandma Graham.  It is a reminder of simpler days past and how a little imagination can go a long way.

Happy birthday, Breezey-girl.  May your love of books continue to carry you to far away places while keeping your feet on the ground.  May your fiesty, sassy personality get you want in life.  And may your ability to laugh at yourself never diminish.  

Problem Solved

It was a typical Sunday morning.

We got up, ate breakfast, worked together as a family to reset the house after a wonderfully busy weekend.  That is when we noticed one of our neighbors parked by our car with their trunk open.

When dropping Bree off to us from church, a neighbor saw that the front driver's side tire of our car was flat. We wouldn't have noticed it from the house and when it would be discovered would be when we needed the car to leave.  So they did the neighborly thing - they came back with a tire-inflator and air pressure tools to fix it for us.  

They saw a problem and took care of it.  

We need more of this in the world today.  

Zoup

Birthday celebrations continue for Bree today!

Today was about experiences and quality time with Aunt Becki.  Biggby to start the roadtrip, real make-up shopping at Ulta, impulse buying at Kohls, slime ingredient browsing at JoAnn Fabrics, and lunch at Zoup!

There was no real agenda for the day making it a laid back trip - just what a girl's shopping day is supposed to be. 

Slumber Times

Bree's birthday is on Monday so we began celebrating a little early with a small sleepover.  

They baked cupcakes, decorated them with fondant, and did a slime make-over.

Their conversations were.... interesting.  

Their energy was endless.  

Their laughter was contagious.  

Hopefully their memories will be as wonderful as they are.