december, already?

when i was younger i remember my parents always saying how fast time seemed to fly. and they always said it during the times that it seemed to d r a g on for me, like waiting for christmas or every birthday. i'm starting to understand a little better where they were coming from, though.

it is definitely starting to look a lot like christmas around here and you better believe i am loving it! (guess it doesn't hurt that i've been listening to christmas music since halloween. shh, no one tell my mom. *love you mom) christmas decorations are up, tree on monday, christmas parties start this weekend, family starts arriving next weekend, christmas shopping is wrapping up, the weather is turning colder and the days are getting longer, and i can't stop thinking about BAKING christmas treats galore. too bad i promised myself and travis that anything i bake this season, i will be giving it away. neither of us need it around here, that's for sure.

before christmas posts start, though, i better give a little update on the last little while.

-we had a great thanksgiving with lots of family around! we are lucky to live by a lot of travis' family so we had a great meal with 28 of us together. it was my first thanksgiving with travis' family and it did not disappoint. i am so lucky to have such great in-laws.

-amber came to portland again for thanksgiving this year. i love that she has family here to come visit so that i get to see more of her even though i already consider her family. she's so good to my boys, too. amber has a love for books and reading that i admire so much and i'm glad she passes it on to my boys. love ya am! (sidenote: amber, i just realized that i call you am and alisa calls you ber. has it always been that way? kind of funny/wierd.)

i had to throw this one in there, too. innocent kissing cousins. look out all you 1 and 2 year old girls!

-last, but not least, introducing the newest additions to our family! i haven't left you all out in the cold on purpose, promise. calvin got two new chicks for his birthday. he's been wanting "pets" forever and i just don't like them. somehow travis convinced me that this was a good compromise since they'll never come in the house and that within 6 months i'll get fresh eggs, too. so far it really hasn't been that bad and i really don't have to do anything for them. travis takes care of most of it (which isn't much) and i just open their door during the day so they can come out and wander in our yard if they want. here they are at 5 and 6 weeks old after we first got them:

look how tiny they were compared to the apple.

and now big chick-a-dees walking around our yard.