This time of year...

This time of year is exciting right?  

I was so excited about the festival of lights that I didn't mention Thanksgiving or our new tradition that we started this year.  So a little recap for you.

 Doesn't this make you thankful?....Me too...

We had a very relaxed Thanksgiving this year.  The couple we invited over cancelled at the last minute so it was just the three of us.  It was fine with me since I'm still taking everything in this year and enjoying our first holiday season as a family in South Dakota.

The Friday after Thanksgiving we bummed around, no Black Friday rushing around for us.  We did have a special breakfast though.

Our Elf on the Shelf moved in.  We had a special morning with a tissue paper 'snowball' fight, mini candy canes and 'snow donuts'.  We read the story of the Elf on the Shelf.  

We named our elf.....Nathan picked the name.  

After the exciting morning Dave went down to the basement to get our Christmas decorations.  We spent the afternoon putting up the tree and decking the halls.  It was really exciting to find places for my Christmas things in this new house.  

Bonnie has been handling the tree well.  

Our tree this year.

 I was playing around with my shutter speed and took this photo of Nathan jumping in-front of the tree.... talk about creepy eh?  He's fading into the tree..... eeeek

 While going through our Christmas decorations we unearthed our old village!  I thought we got rid of it when we left Phoenix.  I have not seen it since 2004!!  It spent four years in storage while we were in Misawa.  Then in New Mexico the first Christmas we spent apart as Dave was TDY, the second Christmas there we hardly decorated because the movers were coming three days later.  Last year Dave was gone again so I barely decorated since I was treading single parenthood waters just trying to get by. So four years after their four years in storage they have finally been discovered! Its a Christmas Miracle!  

   

This is our family TOGETHER this year.

We have a lot of really fun things planned this month!  

Its Been Awhile

I dont know when I last posted a whole post of puppy shots... since she just turned one on Monday I thought it was appropriate!  Buckle up.... or click off....

She likes watching TV like this...

and she watches me eat cheese like this....

and when you're hogging the sofa she looks at you like this...

and when you've been gone for two days she must touch you when you return  

shes a good flusher... and she will retrieve the bird too... its not to icky for her to carry in her trap....

Dave is her favorite.... 

BFFs

She likes to 'cuddle' with Nate

and she reads FB updates over my shoulder... just like her BFF

she digs a nap....

No matter who is on....

or all alone.... she is wierd eh?

She is good at diving

and loves to swim

and cuddle some more

she has a Mohawk

and she likes to quilt

she looks naked shaved

and loves the sprinkler and slide

and smiles with three inches of tongue showing...

and likes a cold floor on a hot day

and wants to nap while touching me so I dont leave her like Dad....

or nap ON me so I cant slip away... "where's dad?"

She is a happy girl

and she is weird

and she likes to keep an eye on things...

and you!  

and she is weird

and she likes to play with Nate

and annoy Anna

and she used to be this little fuzzball....

She's part of the family now.

Festival of Lights Parade

Last Saturday we went Downtown Rapid City for the big tree lighting ceremony and the Festival of Lights Parade.  

Downtown was just beautiful!  At the stage they had people singing carols....

People were ice skating.... They had a big countdown to the tree lighting... it was just plain perfect!  

 After the tree was lit, the parade started.  It was chilly.  Like around 30 degrees... but atleast it wasn't snowy.

 The horses and motorcycles decked in lights reminded me we are in South Dakota here....The rodeo will be back in a month or two... and Sturgis will have me locked in my house again before I know it... LOL 

 Giant snow plows decorated reminded me blizzards really happen here....I'm waaaaiting.

 And the Ellsworth AFB float, which was greeted with lots of cheering and applause while it passed by, was really cool.  But it also reminded me of why last Christmas really sucked....

.... but the fire department's smoking float reminded me of this.....

..... and this is my favorite thing right now.... so when I saw the smoke I got to exclaim,"Oh Lord Jesus it's afirre!" And all was right in the world again...and the night was just plain wonderful!

The Birthday Girl

One year old today! 

 My how she has grown eh?  

Iwant to kill her sometimes I love this girl!