We’ve been going to Geer’s Tree Farm for almost a decade now! It was raining the day after Thanksgiving so we waited until Saturday. That meant our tree decorating was interrupted by some parade viewing (the husbands stayed home for Finn- and football-watching). It wasn’t exactly warm but it wasn’t frigid, so it was perfect Christmas activity weather. We dragging our Thanksgiving guests around with us because I love them too much to not see them every possible second, but I also love Christmass too much to delay it TWO weekends, which would be the next time E could come pick out a tree.

The Norwich Winterfest Parade goes right through our neighborhood – you can see my green house in the background of half the photos – and it’s my second favorite holiday after cutting down our tree. A lot of the organizations throw candy for the kids, so they end up stuffed with sugar. Caroline talked one of the guys selling junk from a cart into giving us 4 of these ribbon wands for $3, and they had a great time waving them around.

Evan lost the battle with the wind.

SANTA! I KNOW HIM!

And then Christmas threw up ALL OVER my house.

This was the next morning, which explains the daylight and matching jams.

Happy Thanksgiving! I’m a little late and fully into Christmas mode now, which is my favorite part of the year. I’d like to just live in the 4 weeks before Christmas forever. We had friends here for the holiday and it was so, so great. They did so much work/child entertaining that it felt like a vacation instead of hosting.

Sunday:

Super excited to give this to Evan for Christmas

The extent of my Thanksgiving decorating

Sibling cuddles

Monday:

First snow!

Linc likes “helping”

Hello cutie

Tuesday:

Making his Christmas list

The most beautiful wrap in the world

Sunset = same time as bus pick up

Wednesday:

Shop til you drop

Don’t even care what they watch as long as they’re quite for 20 minutes

Thursday:

Men doing manly turkey frying

Potato masher

Caroline is the quality control department

Friday:

Black Friday Hanna shopping

Linc was SO into decorating, it was adorable

More gingerbread building

Saturday:

Christmas tree hunter

Small town adorable parade

Tree is up!

For the record, I am still sick. It’s now been 4 weeks with the cough, that has now become a sinus infection, most likely an ear infection and a weird painful bump on the roof of my mouth the internet tells me is probably related. I’m almost desperate enough to go to the doctor, although I’m still 90% sure they’ll say “it’s a virus, nothing we can do”. Maybe just MAKING an appointment will scare the virus into going away. I’m pretty sure that’s how viruses work.

Today I am thankful for photographs (even the ones that live in my computer instead of on my walls) so I can remember weekends like this one.

And YOU can be either a) thankful for something to look at on the internet besides funny misspelled kitten pictures b) thankful for the “x” in the upper right hand corner so you can skip a zillion pictures from our weekend and go look at funny misspelled kitten pictures instead. Here, let me help you.

Zombie Baby hunts for trees AND brains

Helping Daddy cut down the tree

How am I supposed to eat leaves off that tree if it doesn't have any?

A gaggle of gingers

Evan tried to ride the tree and ended up dragged across the field instead.

Family Photo avec un two and a half year old

Ridin' dirty

We accidentally went to the local holiday parade because it was at the end of our street.

Giving the traffic cop the side-eye

Parade dog

He liked the fire trucks

The parade was at least 50% emergency vehicles

Self portrait in my husband's glasses

I'd say she liked the parade

So cute

Best seat on the street

Colored lights & a lifetime of ornaments on the tree

Helpers

Twinkly

Failed (mostly) photo shoot

The magic of Christmas

Sharing his holiday spirit with you