This is Peyton's tree. It is pretty cute and fits him...very random and hodge podge. This was also purchased our seventh year for Peyton.(We actually lost a tree in all of our moves and hope to make it up...it was called twig tree and it was made entirely out of twigs. We had it out on our porch and used bird houses and birds and kept it outside). Peyton loves his little tree. He can decorate it anyway he wants and we add a few ornaments for him every year! He informs us that he wants to take the blue snowflake tree into his room next year, but that goes in our room!This is "Twelve Days of Chrismtas Tree". It has carolers, music note ribbon, snowglobes-each with a different 12 days inside, and then four of each of the 12 days of Chrismtas ornaments. This is tree was purchased our seventh year. 
This tree below was I and Andy's first tree. It has all of our decorations on it. We purchase a fresh tree for this tree every year. It has all of our first ornaments on it and a lot of homemade ornaments that we like. We like to think of this one as our snoopy tree. That is what we usually like. However, this year was a really nice tree and doesn't look like the snoopy tree.
This tree is a smaller tree and we purchased it the year right before Peyton was born. This was in our sixth year of marriage. It is "Smores tree". It is actually a really cute tree and all of the ornaments and garland are smores stuff.
This tree was purchased last year(number 10) and is a smaller table top tree. It is actually referred to as "Symbol Tree". Each ornaments is supposed to symbolically represent something with regards to Christmas...however I do not have the guide and cannot remember what each item represents.
This is snowflake tree. This was the first tree we got after our real tree. This is actually Andy's favorite tree. It is blue with silver and white snowflake ornaments. It is a cute tree.
This next tree is actually called "Berta Hummel" tree. She is an artist who sculpts and paints little children. I collected the ornaments for about three years. This tree was tree number eight. It is our most expensive tree and matches our living room. Most trees we tree to keep within a lower budget, but after all of the collecting and the price of a flocked tree this one wins that award.
This next tree is angel tree. This tree was our fourth actually tree and it is a good thing we were able build a house because the "Rat Trap" (what we called our old house) didn't really have anymore room for trees. Our home right now, although very full of trees, still has room for some more. We will see how sick of it we get! Angel tree I think is one of our prettiest. The ribbon says Silent Night, Holy Night, and there are probably close to 100 different angel ornaments.
This is a our ninth tree and one of my most favorite. It is just whimsical and cute. It is called Candy Cane tree and is strictly red and white. I also purchased a cheap Walmart white tree and it is just really cute.
This next tree is my most favorite. Even the name makes me smile. This is "Tacky Fruit Tree" with bubble lights. You know the ornaments you purchase at Walmart after Christmas-the ones that no one wants because they are really tacky...well that is tacky fruit tree. It even has the traditional Christmas Pickle on it.
Finally our tree for this year is actually very clever, small, and funny. We call it "Bad Economy Tree". It is about three inches tall and can't even support one bulb. We figured it was all we could afford this year...but the tradition must go on.
I hope you enjoyed the tour through our festival of trees! Merry Christmas!
This tree below was I and Andy's first tree. It has all of our decorations on it. We purchase a fresh tree for this tree every year. It has all of our first ornaments on it and a lot of homemade ornaments that we like. We like to think of this one as our snoopy tree. That is what we usually like. However, this year was a really nice tree and doesn't look like the snoopy tree.
This tree is a smaller tree and we purchased it the year right before Peyton was born. This was in our sixth year of marriage. It is "Smores tree". It is actually a really cute tree and all of the ornaments and garland are smores stuff.
This tree was purchased last year(number 10) and is a smaller table top tree. It is actually referred to as "Symbol Tree". Each ornaments is supposed to symbolically represent something with regards to Christmas...however I do not have the guide and cannot remember what each item represents.
This is snowflake tree. This was the first tree we got after our real tree. This is actually Andy's favorite tree. It is blue with silver and white snowflake ornaments. It is a cute tree.
This next tree is actually called "Berta Hummel" tree. She is an artist who sculpts and paints little children. I collected the ornaments for about three years. This tree was tree number eight. It is our most expensive tree and matches our living room. Most trees we tree to keep within a lower budget, but after all of the collecting and the price of a flocked tree this one wins that award.
This next tree is angel tree. This tree was our fourth actually tree and it is a good thing we were able build a house because the "Rat Trap" (what we called our old house) didn't really have anymore room for trees. Our home right now, although very full of trees, still has room for some more. We will see how sick of it we get! Angel tree I think is one of our prettiest. The ribbon says Silent Night, Holy Night, and there are probably close to 100 different angel ornaments.
This is a our ninth tree and one of my most favorite. It is just whimsical and cute. It is called Candy Cane tree and is strictly red and white. I also purchased a cheap Walmart white tree and it is just really cute.
This next tree is my most favorite. Even the name makes me smile. This is "Tacky Fruit Tree" with bubble lights. You know the ornaments you purchase at Walmart after Christmas-the ones that no one wants because they are really tacky...well that is tacky fruit tree. It even has the traditional Christmas Pickle on it.
Finally our tree for this year is actually very clever, small, and funny. We call it "Bad Economy Tree". It is about three inches tall and can't even support one bulb. We figured it was all we could afford this year...but the tradition must go on.
I hope you enjoyed the tour through our festival of trees! Merry Christmas!
Lawrence did his turkey cutting job and actually tried a new method of cutting this year because he read it helped to keep it more moist. I only really care for turkey if I can snitch it, so of course I went and stole a piece after I took the picture. You have to be careful though that Lawrence isn't using the electric knife while you are snitching because I did get my hand swatted. 
Holly was here for Thanksgiving and set the table very beautifully. We actually had quite a crowd for Thanksgiving and the day after so it was a lot of fun to celebrate this year. 
As you can see the kids are getting fed up with waiting for the food (especially Adam!). They pretty much did in the olives before we started. Of course they were getting yelled at by all of the adults, so we ushered them downstairs for one of my favorite things to do at Thanksgiving.
Andy and I spent the most time playing with the kids and it wasn't too bad, but it definitely was a goalie game!
So we finally got to sit down and eat...probably later than we ever have. The dinner was great and I didn't have to sit at the adult table this year and listen to all of the health problems of all of the older people! :-) I got to sit at the kid table and for the most part it was very enjoyable! 
My most favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner is stuffing and jello! At our Thanksgiving, we have about 10 different kinds of jello. I really only like three specific ones, but I will try the new ones. The shot of the one below is my favorite. It is a lemon pudding with whipped cream and marshmellows and pineapple. It is great!
I have for the last couple of years wanted to make a pie for Thanksgiving because it was something that I had never tried before. I decided I would make a fresh apple pie with real apples and everything. I have always been a little intimidated because my grandma and my mom are such wonderfully awesome pie makers that I have'nt wanted to try, but anyway I bought seven different kinds of apples and I did a lot of reading about different ways to make a pie. I had a lot of fun making it. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be and I thought it was really good. I think it was the prettiest pie over there, but my mom still wins hands down on the best pie. You will see below two pictures of my pies and one of her cherry which is still my favorite! Kudos to Marie!
One of the things that Peyton was really excited about was spraying his hair black and he was very insistent that he have the curl that Superman has. It was a lot of fun getting him ready. His excitement was contagious.
Peyton attempted to clean the guts out, but gave up about two handfuls into it. He thinks it is gooey and cold and yucky. And as you see he is not too thrilled to be doing this part. 
One of my favorite pictures to take is of Peyton pretending to eat the guts. This is actually about as close as he gets to being by the insides of pumpkin.
The choice of a design begins. We are pretty picky about the types of designs we pick. I remember when I was a kid, we would just draw the face and have it carved in 15-20 minutes. Peyts wanted a spooky face and so we found a pretty good one. He wanted to do it "all by myself", but Andy manned the knife and we got Peyts pumpkin carved. 
Of course I'm very partial to witches lately (maybe it is the profession I'm in that makes me partial to them!). This was the design I selected and although it wasn't perfect, I think my witch actually turned out really well. 
Andy picked a haunted house this year and I thought it actually turned out really well!
