~ THANKSGIVING & BEYOND ~

We had a nice & very yummy Thanksgiving at my parents house - my mom is usually working on this holiday (so she has Christmas Eve & day off), and it was so nice to have her there with us this year. The kids started the morning off by watching the parade with daddy, while mommy cooked, baked and prepared... An interesting way to watch the parade!

The next day daddy had off from work, so we had planned to go see Santa and get a bite to eat...I wasn't sure if this was a good idea being "black Friday" and all; but surprisingly, it worked out great! No line for Santa and no line at the "Ch**secake Factory" for dinner!

The boys with Santa

Mia was so scared of Santa,

she had her legs wrapped around me and

her head in my shoulder, crying...

Santa got up from his chair and stood behind us,

hoping that would ease Mia's fears...

good old Santa!

*So, after the picture was taken the boys talked with Santa...and I asked Mia if she would like to tell Santa what she wanted for Christmas...she picked up her head from my shoulder and said "yes". She took her thumb out of her mouth just to say "Strawberry house" to Santa and quickly hid her face again :) Santa said, "yes, I have some of those" - so sweet!

Mia with her buddy, Madison at dinner


Yesterday we put up our Christmas tree and the decorations inside the house. It was so nice to have the Christmas music on and have my family around me decorating and reminicing over the ornaments... my favorite moments :)

I started a new tradition this year for Mia, her China-tree:

yes, she seems happy about it :)

this was from H*llmark, I think from last year...

this one from Pi*r 1...

when we went out for our anniversary back in Oct.,

we stopped at this great store The Pearl River Market

and I bought each of the kids their zodiac animal in an ornament...

There aren't many oranaments, but it will be fun to collect them through the years, we have ladybug ornaments ;and I didn't get a photo, but a cloisonne panda bear we bought while in China and a cute cloisonne teapot a friend gave me last year. Of course, I am on the lookout for small trees for the boys, of course they need to decorate a tree all their own!

**oh, that's right, I just picked up a great ornament (at H*llmark again) called China Rose, it has a little brown haired girl, dressed in pink holding a star. The back reads,"sweet, celestial China Rose Beams happily......Her one small star, when polished bright, Can fill the world with Love's pure Light" ~ how appropriate :)

Off to finish decorating...the outside now!