Friday, November 28, 2008

Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Decorating for Christmas

We had a GREAT Thanksgiving this year. We were invited to spend the day with two great families . We started the day off eating the main meal at the Brown's home. The food was delicious and the kids had a lot of fun playing. Another family in our ward was able to be there with us and they have a little boy who is Landon's age named Matthew. Landon and Matthew go to the same preschool so they have become good friends. It was so fun watching Landon and Matthew play together (and to watch Tori follow them around everywhere). I loved spending Thanksgiving with the Browns and we had a wonderful time.
After we ate at the Browns we headed over to the Millers, another family in our ward, for pie. Every Thanksgiving the Millers cook a pie for every adult who is at their home for Thanksgiving. On Wednesday I wet over to their house to help them make pies and we made 17 pies! They turned out delicious! It was great spending time with the Miller's and their guests.
The Browns and the Millers taught me a valuable lesson this year. Despite having plenty of family nearby to fill their homes these two families remembered the members of our ward who are far away from their own extended families and invited us to join theirs for the day. They made us feel completely welcome and wanted. I hope that in the future when we have plenty of family near by to fill our home for the holidays that we remember to include those who may not be so close to their family in our holiday plans. This ward has really taught me a lot about service and what it means to be a ward family. I am really going to miss everyone here when the time comes for us to move.
Here are some Thanksgiving pictures:
This morning I braved the Black Friday sales. I got some good deals but it was CRAZY! I witnessed a fight outside of Target and I learned that Walmart is never a good idea on Black Friday no matter how good the deals seem.
After I got home from shopping I took a nap. Once I woke up Landon really wanted to put up the Christmas tree. So we got out the Christmas decorations and went to work. I don't have a ton of decorations but we have no room in our tiny house for anything but our nativity set and our Christmas tree. I look forward to the day when we have a house big enough for some decent decorations, but I digress. Landon and Tori had so much fun putting up the decorations and I love seeing how excited Landon is for Christmas this year!
In this picture Landon is playing with an AWESOME Nativity Set that Fisher Price makes that my Mom bought for the kids this year. I highly recommend it for all of you with young children.

9 comments:

Theresa said...

I can't wait to get my fisher price nativity! i love the pictures of the kids hanging their ornaments.

I am going to have to post about my christmas decorating adventures. I climbed up on our roof and started putting up our christmas lights and I'm going to have to go buy a bigger tree tomorrow. our old one is too small. maybe we'll give it to kyle and jenny or karrae or jenna.

Jeremy B said...

My kids have that Fisher Price Nativity. They love playing with it. Even Devin plays with it.

I'm glad you had a good Thanksgiving.
Robin

Unknown said...

It sounds like you had a great Thanksgiving. It is so nice to have good friends nearby to celebrate with when you are far from family!

I agree about Wal-Mart on Black Friday - never a good idea! But yay for you for doing it and getting some good deals!

That nativity is awesome, I really want one, but haven't bought one yet. Clayton also loves Christmas this year. We decorated yesterday and this morning when he woke up his first words were, 'is it still Christmas in the living room?' It was pretty funny, but I love how into it he is this year!

The Watts said...

Sounds like you have a nice Holiday. I woke up at 3:30 to venture out on Black Friday, but had a really bad head ache and it was raining so I went back to sleep till 8:30 then ventured out, still got all I wanted at Kohls and Old Navy's ad went all day, so I did quite well, the line was long at Kohl's though had to wait in line for an hour and a half.

Ellsworth Family said...

I am so glad that you guys had a great Thanksgiving, I must say, that I am also thankful for our ward family, without them we would have spent this holiday ALONE!! I love decorating for Christmas, I was going to wait until after Thanksgiving to put everything up, but I couldnt wait, so I but it up the Tuesday before!!!

BDN said...

I love Landon, Tori, and Baby Ella!! :)

Summer and Hunter said...

You are such a fun mom. I can't wait for Jack to get excited for Christmas!

Shayla said...

Your mom sent us that nativity too. We were so excited! Brighton loves the angel. He carries it around the house. I'm glad you have such good friends and such a friendly ward there in Indiana. Sounds like a great place!

Indiana Haffners said...

Like everyone else that Nativity is the greatest. I am bummed that they've changed it though because I don't have the shepherds, just the wisemen and now I have to buy a whole new set just to get some shepherds. Stinkin' capitalism. :)