It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Picking out a tree at the Heindrich Tree Farm

 I didn't forget about Thanksgiving, but I didn't take any pictures! I was too busy slaving away in the kitchen :) This year, Craig and I hosted our first Thanksgiving as a married couple at our apartment. We invited our friends Aaron and Abby over and they brought their little pug, Wrinkles. We had enough food to feed at least 8 people! The leftovers have been keeping us well fed for days.

So now that Thanksgiving is over- it's time for Christmas! I love Christmas- the decorating, the shopping, but I also love the deeper meaning of  this season. Last Sunday at church the pastor talked a little bit about Advent and being content. During this time of year we're bombarded with commercials and ads telling us to buy buy buy and all the things we need/want. Material things do not equal happiness and contentment. It's a nice time of year to remember what we have and to be thankful/content for what we've been blessed with and who we thank for the blessings in our lives.

Here are a few highlights from our Thanksgiving weekend:

Found the perfect tree!

Craig putting up our Moravian Star tree topper from Aunt Nadine and Uncle Brian- a little reminder of home

All decorated! All the ornaments on our tree are from places we've visited- in one year we've accumulated quite a few. Can't wait to see how full the tree will be in a few years!

The mantle- Still waiting for our stockings to come in the mail, but Laney's is up!

The Santa reminds us of Craig's grandfather since he was a carpenter/contractor.

On Sunday we went to The Broadmoor for their famous brunch! We've been wanting to try it for awhile, but you have to make reservations at least 2-3 weeks in advance to get a table. It was totally worth the wait! We went with Aaron and Abby and spent at least 3 hours eating everything! The quality and selection of food was amazing. After brunch we walked around the grounds and admired the beautiful Christmas decorations.

Gingerbread house display

The front of the Broadmoor

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with great friends! Now trying to get back into the swing of work- good thing Christmas is only 28 days away!

Long Time No Post

Okay, so life has been just a tad bit busy and I've been totally slacking off on this whole blog thing. So I'm just going to post a bunch of pictures of what we've been up to the past few weeks!

Craig deployed to Afghanistan early October- Here's Laney relaxing on his stuff before he left

Before Craig left, we made a trip to the east coast for his cousin's (Amanda) wedding!

The beautiful couple- Amanda and Joe Frommling

Bev and I on the trolley car tour of Philadelphia between the service and reception

Hello!

Beautiful centerpieces at The Union League in Philadelphia

Don't Call Me Francis- amazing wedding band!

The first dance

After the wedding festivities

Work trip to Charleston, SC- Totally fell in love with this city and the food!

One of my nearest and dearest best friends, Jackie, came to visit me while Craig was away. We spent the weekend visiting Vail, CO

Found the best little bbq bar in a tiny mt. town near Vail, CO

Charming Vail, CO

My dear friend, Sylvia, also came to visit. All the pictures from her visit are on her camera. We mostly spend the weekend traipsing around Colorado Springs. 

I've kept myself pretty busy with work and friends since Craig deployed. So thankful that his deployment is short and he'll be home this coming weekend!

Jackson, Wyoming Vacation- Part 3

Entering Yellowstone National Park- located about an hour away from Jackson

Bison sighting! It was huge.

The Artist's Paintpots

Laney enjoying the fresh air while driving through the park

Mud volcano

The Grand Tetons

Visiting the Grand Teton National Park (not the same day as Yellowstone)

A clear day at the peak- the first few days were a bit cloudy

Hiking on the String Lake Trail

The Hidden Falls

The view from Inspiration Point

View of the mountains from Jenny Lake

A nice relaxing lunch at Pizzeria Caldera after hiking all morning

Downtown Jackson- The famous antler arches on the right

Super tired Laney on the drive home

I only posted the pictures from my iPhone, but we'll be posting more on Facebook from our actual cameras :) It was an amazing trip and we fully intend on returning. The cabin was so relaxing and it inspired us to buy our own cabin someday! 

Jackson, Wyoming Vacation- Part 2

Horseback trail riding at Mill Iron Ranch- A family owned ranch for over 30 years

Craig and his horse

View from the horse

Me and Dots! She was the best

Miniature horse- not a pony

Tired from all her adventures

Dinner at The Kitchen in downtown Jackson

Clockwise from L- Goat tenderloin, Steak tenderloin, and a giant chocolate chip cookie with ice cream in a hot skillet....YUM!!!

We found a great path that follows along the Snake River and dogs are allowed to run free off leash

First time drinking out of a river

The sun came out and you can see the Tetons in the distance!

Riding the aerial tram at Teton Village

Tram fits 100 people!- it was not that crowded on our ride up

On our way up!

View from the top- 10,000+ ft elevation

Yummy waffles after hiking around the top- Nutella and brown sugar butter- The brown sugar was the best!

My sleepy little family.