It's beginning to look a lot like....

.....CHRISTMAS!!

Let's forget to discuss Thanksgiving Day though.

We had a terrific day with a delicious meal. Papa Cody, Maw-Maw, Uncle Jas, and Mam joined us for lunch. Daddy Buck fried a turkey and Maw-Maw and I prepared homemade macaroni and cheese, corn pudding, boiled new potatoes, green bean bundles, cucumber salad, challah bread and sweet tea. And for dessert...fruit tart, coconut pie, apple pie, lemon squares (courtesy of Mam-Maw Margie), and Oreo "clumps".

We gave all of our family members our family portraits as a Thanksgiving gift and I had the boys a special Thanksgiving "treat" too. They each got a Thanksgiving puzzle (Frank-o's a turkey and Buck-a-roo's the Mayflower ship) and Buck-a-roo got a harmonica and Frank-o got a penny whistle. It was such a great idea that I had to get the boys old-fashioned muscial instruments in an effort to foster the love of music in our childrenThe rule was quickly established that they could only be played outside and they enjoyed them immensely; so much that they became snake worm charmers with them.

Or, we could call this....let's use the flashlight to blind the poor, innocent little earthworm while we blow his brains out with the blissful tunes from our harmonica and penny whistle and threaten to take its life by stomping on it with our baseball cleats on this beautiful day of thanks!!

Did I mention that my mom and I decked the halls all day on Friday--no Black Friday shopping for us. Here's several pictures from in and around our now-festive home....some pictures in the daylight and some taken at night all lit up. Please do take note of the new ribbon/garland that coordinates throughout the Christmas tree, front entry garland, wreath, and trees....it's my favorite new detail!!

Now that our home is ready for the holidays...we are still trying to perfect the whole issue of 'Santa's watching' and 'have we been naughty or nice?' !!