Thanksgiving Tree Cutting

Like last year on Thanksgiving we went up to the mountains to cut down a Christmas tree. This is definitely a Christmas tradition I want continue with my own children. I look forward to it all year and it is the funnest part of Thanksgiving for me. This year we cut down two trees. One larger tree for Julie and Bob and one tree for Drew and I. We are getting our own tree since we will most likely be spending most of our holiday season at home. Since Drew works at Cabela's and I have to work as well we are a little tethered to home right now. Sigh. How nice it was when we would get 2 weeks off for Christmas with no work and no school! Double sigh. Dinner was amazing as usual and on Saturday instead of hitting all of the black friday sales we went to the thrift store and dollar store and got some great stuff!! It's funny how many people were at the thrift store, I guess everyone is cutting back this year. I got a lot of our Christmas decorations there so I don't have to go out and buy any. Grandma got a tree stand that was brand new for $2.50 and I got 5 brand new bestseller books for .50 cents. It was such a great trip. Better than the Catholic yard sale even. Bottom line: better books and actually things I needed/wanted not just stuff for cheap. And BYU won so it's been a great week!

Halloween

I know it's late for these posts, but Halloween feels like it was just yesterday. We went down to Gardnerville. It was so fun! I love going down there. I like it because growing up I've never enjoyed Halloween, but in Gardnerville Halloween is fun and I always look forward to it. We carved pumpkins and watched Halloween movies and handed out candy to trick-or-treaters. In the past it simply has come down to the fact that I hate scary things and Halloween just gives me the chills. But I am truly having a change of heart ever since I married Drew. Drew's favorite holiday is Halloween (next to Christmas) and I'm usually mystified. How is Halloween a favorite holiday?

HOnestly, July 4th has to be on the top of my list, and Christmas, of course. But I guess it all comes down to fond memories. I can't remember a single bad Fourth of July I've had in my life and that's why I love it so much. Perhaps that it how Drew feels about Halloween. In Loveland 4th of July is an all day celebration in the park and fireworks on the lake, but there don't even have fireworks in Reno.:( Provo was a lot of fun around Fourth of July too! Drew and I first held hands at the Thanksgiving Point fireworks, and I loved watching the Stadium of Fire fireworks from the MTC field. Always a good memory. We usually went to Monticello around Fourth of July or around the 24th of July. And what about Fourth of July parades! They are the best. Yeah... Fourth of July that's got to be my favorite holiday by far.

Anyways.... back to the subject. I am liking Halloween significantly more each year that Drew and I are together. He seems to bring out all the good in the holiday and we spent another year down in Gardnerville celebrating by carving pumpkins. Here are some of our pics!

Venice & Ossoppo

I am just now getting our pictures from Venice and Ossoppo. I have been so delinquent lately and a little lazy so I just put up a few of my favorites. We were able to go to Venice for a day trip (and a half counting the day we got in) and stayed with my sister for about 3-4 days. While we were in Venice one cool experience we had was being able to go Stake Conference in Venice. We used headphones for translation and it was interesting, but we were able to go to Ossoppo (an old fortress). It was so beautiful!