Our First Real Tree!

 And Hoff says it's our last because of having to water it. But the smell the first couple days was so heartwarming...big sniffs of fresh evergreen! Ahhhhh! The whole experience was sort of a National Lampoons Christmas vacation - packed the tree in the car.

 Got it all situated and then began to cut the strings......

 And it whipped open into a big beautiful tree - this also reminded me of National Lampoons where the tree whips open and breaks their windows. Love that show.

 This is the earliest I've ever put up a tree (2 weeks before Thanksgiving), but we seen them in Menards and they smelled so good, I thought they might lose their smell if we waited.

Once the lights were on, we called it quits for a while. The next night Gracie gathered everyone around the tree to sing, "O Christmas Tree" - it was great fun I tell ya. I'm sure we'll be caroling all season long!

Halloween 2011

 Mom and Dad even got into the Halloween spirit this year as they attended a Halloween party and Mom got 2nd place with her chili! Way to go Mom!

 Hoff was Superman and I was a fortune teller.

 The girls at the Knotty Pine - Maria, Me, Jana, Laura, and Cherri - we had a lot of fun!

 My little trick o treaters!

 My little witch Evie - this was the perfect outfit for her. They are really into witches.

Gracie as a beautiful mermaid. The girls had a ton of fun going door to door. They definitely figured out what trick or treating was all about and they were eager to keep moving. After an hr and half of trick or treating the girls were ready to go home. There they had almost more fun handing out candy to the kids than getting the candy. It was a great Halloween with beautiful weather - we were walking much of the night without jackets!