pablitorun: Thanksgiving

For Thanksgiving this year, we decided to delay our celebration by a day. Madgie and Patch wanted to spend Thanksgiving Day in Jacksonville with Mimi and Nana. We wish we could have spent it with them too! So we went to a friend's house for a Turkey Bowl party, which was fun. The next day, Friday, Madgie and Patch flew in early in the morning. We picked them up from the airport, grabbed some breakfast, and headed straight north to a Christmas Tree Farm. This year we went to Richardson's Farm based upon a friend's recommendation and really thought it was great. It had tons of trees, all in really good shape. What we didn't anticipate was that being just a little further north meant there was a lot more snow on the ground! We had to take a hay ride out to the Farm, so here are Abbey, Madgie and Matthew on the hay ride.

Juliette and Daddy

Ben and Patch on the other side - it was crowded!

After much searching, we finally found the perfect tree!

Madgie and Patch haven't gotten a real tree since we were kids, so this was a fun time for them. Although when we went looking for Christmas trees (in FL), it wasn't nearly this cold!

Then Paul, Patch and Ben got down to the business of chopping the tree down.

While Matthew watched, probably wondering why we were out in the cold staring at trees!

Time to bring the tree down and catch the hay ride back.

Juliette and Abbey kept an eye on our tree to make sure we didn't get switched up with anyone else's tree.

Cutie Abbey wanted to ride on the edge.

Ready to go back - I am freezing at this point!

As usual, Matthew just goes along with whatever we are making him do!

The place had a heated area with free hot chocolate, so we warmed up in there for a bit.

Once we got home, we got the turkey in the oven to have our Thanksgiving Feast. Matthew's first Thanksgiving! Look at all that delicious food! Where to start??

I would say he enjoyed it very much.

Then we put on his Thanksgiving PJ's (that Ben wore on his first Thanksgiving) and took a few more cute pics to remember the occasion.

The next day, Madgie wanted to take the girls down to the American Girl store. The girls were so excited!

The ladies were ready to go down and have breakfast there and walk around.

Juliette brought her bitty twins, so she let Madgie hold one of them.

I don't know who was more excited for the store to open, the girls or Madgie!!

We had some time to walk around the store before breakfast. Abbey wanted another picture with the Saige display.

Then it was on to breakfast. Juliette got set up between her twins.

And Abbey was with Saige.

It was a lovely breakfast!

Then back to the store to shop around.

Madgie so kindly bought them each an outfit accessory too - they were so thrilled!

It was a very fun morning.

And while we were downtown being girly, the boys went to Lego Land, where Matthew seemed to have a great time!

We picked Matthew up so he could come home and nap and the boys spent a little more time there. Matthew had fun, but he was very tired.

Then we set the tree up and got down to decorating. There is always a fight about who gets to put the angel on top, but when it comes down to getting up there, everyone gets a little scared and Dad ultimately does it. But here is Juliette attempting it.

Abbey tried with the ladder - since it was Juliette's year to put up the angel, Abbey got to connect the lights.

And Matthew decorating his first Christmas tree!

Juliette has this process down by now!

So does Abbey.

And Ben, who just wanted to decorate, not get his picture taken. But I am thankful he indulged me with a slight smile anyway.

Patch fully indulged my picture taking though!

Then it was time to get out the rest of the decorations, like the Mickey musical set given to us by Nana and Patch last year.

Matthew was very intrigued by them - it was so cute!

And the best part...the trains!!! Ben was so excited to show Matthew the trains.

Matthew thinks it's pretty cool!

Oh, my boys and their trains.

Oh, all of my boys and their trains!

Matthew had a great weekend getting into the Christmas spirit!

And he really enjoyed it when Madgie read to him too.

He basically likes to turn pages, whether you are finished reading that page or not!

Thank you for coming up Madgie and Patch and for all your help getting us into the Christmas spirit. It was especially fun to pick out the tree and decorate with you since we won't be with you on Christmas this year! At least we had a mini celebration!!