Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and the Change of Seasons

We had a great Thanksgiving! My sister in law did a beautiful job on setting her table and all the food she prepared was awesome. I only wish we had some leftovers to enjoy today. Hmmm. Wonder if they want company this evening for dinner? LOL. We played games, did SingStar on the Wii, and ate, and ate some more, and laughed and didn't leave until 11:15pm!! It was a great day indeed! Thanks Gracie and Robbie for a great Thanksgiving! :)
******************************I am a Black Friday shopper. Years past, my Mom and I have gone out together around 7-7:30 and hit the Mall, Target, and JC Pennys, and where ever else we have energy for. But this year, she wasn't up for going out. It's been a busy and stressful few weeks for her and she just didn't have it in her to fight the crowds. And after what I encountered, I'm glad she wasn't with me.

I got up and out of the house earlier than I ever have before. I left the house at 4:25am and made it to Target for it's five am opening. When I arrived to the Target of my choice, the line started at the front door, wrapped down the front, down the side of the building, along the entire length of the back of the store, and a few store lengths more.

I made it in the store, and after several grid-locked situations and a few anxiety producing claustrophobic situations, I managed to get the things I came for, and a few extras and made my way to a line for the cash registers. A line that ended up being an hour and a half long just to pay for my items!!! Yeah, Target was pretty much a nightmare this morning. And this afternoon, my feet and legs are killing me from all the standing still.

I hit a couple other stores in that same area. And had the intentions of heading to the local mall, but after the Target fiasco, I just didn't have it in me to go and fight for a place to park, the crowds, etc. And as far as I knew, there really wasn't anything in the ads that jumped out at me that I knew wouldn't be on sale in the coming weeks. So I headed home and made it home earlier than I ever have on a Black Friday morning, it was 9:00.

And after sitting a spell, eating breakfast, and catching up on Facebook, the changing of the seasons commenced here at our home. The Christmas tree was taken down from the attic, things were rearranged, and I went to town on taking the Fall stuff down and changing it out for Christmas.

Every year I take pictures of my decorations and how I place things, etc, for a couple of reasons, the first one is for when I participate in Boomama's Christmas Tour of Homes, whereas I share pictures of how our home is decorated for the Christmas season on my blog and then people from all over the United States and even other countries visit your blog on the tour, and secondly, because I sometimes can't remember how I had things decorated the year before. LOL.

This year, as I decorate, I'm moving things a little bit here and there, putting different things out or in different spots of the family and living room. Things are looking pretty festive around here. The girls are so excited to get to decorating the tree. It looks like it's done and ready for me to get my ribbons and things on before I let the girls go at it with the ornaments. I think it was record time this year as far as putting up the tree. The unfolding and fluffing of the branches took less than four hours!!

Pictures to come.....