a very thankful weekend

what could be better than spending a lovely weekend at home with family and friends, giving thanks and partaking in tradition? that is how we spent our holiday weekend. unfortunately it was dampened a bit by the fact that stephan, kyle and i were sick. it wasn't going to stop us. i packed a large ziplock full of any and all possible medicine we could need to make us as comfortable as possible, and off we went.


on thanksgiving we went to colorado springs. we dined and gave much thanks surrounded by some of our favorite people.
i didn't capture as many moments from the day as i should have, i blame it on the distraction of all the food.

stephan and i joined forces and made pumpkin pies. i made the crust and he made the filling. delish!

i snagged this cutie long enough to get a picture with him. 

on friday we continued our yearly tradition of cutting down our christmas tree in the beautiful colorado forest. we go with a large group of friends from our ward. everyone packs lots of yummy food and shares. after we take photos with smokey the bear we seek a good spot in the mountains, park our cars and unload the food. then with full bellies and high hopes for the perfect tree, we set out on our tree quest.

i think he is contemplating whether we found the perfect tree or if we should hike further...

all credit goes to the boys. they scouted out our tree this year, and found us a delightful one.

i tried to get them to pose for a few pictures. the older boys were great about doing it, the younger ones...not so much. they didn't like having to hold still and be patient with mom and her camera. it's evident by the look on their faces.

despite the fact that i was feeling downright miserable at this point, it was a lovely day. i am so thankful to have this wonderful tradition. it adds greatly to the joy of our holiday season!