By 3 pm this afternoon, I was all nice, cozy and comfy in my pjs, in my bed, enjoying my lazy Sunday (for once!) catching up on my favorite show, Fixer Upper, when this girls kept insisting that we HAVE TO get our Christmas tree today. Since we’ve been getting our trees right after Thanksgiving day for the last few years, she wants to make it our family tradition.

So…we made it out.

I was so tired, I was seeing double..

Shoving down a donut very skillfully.

That’s the one we picked!

Happy campers !!!

I admit, I’m glad she dragged us out of the house to get the tree. Kudos to you Chloe! 😉

Flowers: Artificial thistle flowers + silver dollar eucalyptus + seeded eucalyptus + lambs ear leaf.

We invited our lovely friends from town over for a dinner. Even though we see each other almost daily basis because of our kids, it was nice to just spend time catching up over a meal without rushing to another activity. Love afternoon like this…

Chloe made us cards. Love her…

Photo credit: Chloe

We definitely worked up a good appetite. I mean, just look at my plate. While I still tried to eat healthy, my “portion control” went out the window. 

At least I didn’t eat any sweets. I just stared at it for a long time.

Kids (and I) found it funny Andrew was super nervous about us being remotely close to the edge.

He would literally try to pull us away from even the fully fenced areas.

I planned a fun day for the family to spend a whole day at Mohonk Mountain House , a Victorian Castle Resort in New Paltz, NY.

This stunning Victorian castle resort is nestled in the Hudson Valley, surrounded by 40,000 acres of pristine forest and protected wildlife. The view is breathtaking.

Shane found a narrower, rocky hiking path.

Every turn we took along the lake, we stopped to enjoy the view.

Here’s what I cooked up today:

Mushroom with caramelized shallots and fresh thyme, recipe here This was my favorite! It had so much flavor and so easy to make.

Cranberry sauce

Stuffing, gravy, roasted beet & arugula salad and sauteéd green beans.

My sister in-law brought mashed potatoes, yam and blueberry pie. 🙂

Here’s my 20 lbs turkey used WS Fruit & spice liquid brine this time

Cousins love

Let’s feast!