DECK THE HALLS....

Key Lime Pie, Kotten Kandy and Lollipop

So... it takes us 4 days to put up ALL of our Christmas decorations.  And it's only day 2.  I think that Lollipop is most excited about getting her own stocking.  Thank you, Aunt Kerri, for making her one too!  It was a HUGE hit!  Here here is a preview of our decore:

Lollipop and Key Lime Pie decorated the tree...

Scott and Kotten Kandy put up almost 100 nativities...
only about 100 more to go.

I love these girls!

Also...  Lollipop got to "do the wishbone" with Key Lime Pie.  She won!  Her wish will come true!  She'd never pulled a wishbone before.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

How pretty is our table?  I thought it was so pretty!!!

The three girls decorated the table and the flowers are from our friends the Youngs.

I love Thanksgiving!  I love Thanksgiving for all the same reasons that everyone else loves it!  It is truly wonderful to pause and give thanks for ALL we have.  And Scott and I have truly been blessed.  Yesterday I made a list of things I am thankful in my journal.  The list was so long and I realized how much God has truly blessed us.  I won't share my entire list, but I am truly grateful for family: NEAR - Scott, Key Lime Pie, Kotten Kandy and Lollipop!  FAR - Mom and Dad McCallister and DeGooyer, and our brothers and sisters!  and CHOSEN - Bettenhausens and Thorntons!  I'm also grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ!  And I'm glad it is still beautiful weather in Kentucky!  Yeah, warm!
We got to spend Thanksgiving with some AWESOME people!  We even had to have two tables - adult table and kid table!  Just like Grandma T used to do!  I felt so blessed.
I have to brag on my husband for a minute:  He's AMAZING!  He single-handedly made the turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes.  He's so talented and giving and kind.  He's my biggest blessing here on earth!
Here's pics:

Lollipop and Key Lime were peeling potatoes...

Kotten Kandy photo bombed.

I'm actually washing dishes...

Kotten Kandy can't believe it.

Kotten Kandy is in disguise - she's playing with the kids.

Apparently they were spies and had to infiltrate under cover.

Aren't these the cutest kids ever?

Jelly bean wouldn't look at the camera -

Nuts is grinning on the top right.

Marmalade looked beautiful in her new dress.

Eggplant is one of my gorgeous new piano students.

Apple Jacks is so cute and LOVES the color turquoise.

Cocoa Puffs is only two, but sweet as can be.

Apple Pie is so loving and gives me tons of hugs.  I love Nuts hugs!

Clockwise starting with Scott in the center.

Lollipop, Kotten Kandy, Key Lime Pie, Juice, Mark, Amy, Heather, Stuart and Brian

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE THANKSGIVING...

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving!  And we have so much to be thankful for.  One of the things we are thankful for is all of our family and friends we are celebrating with tomorrow.  (We are also grateful for the family and friends that won't be with us....  But this post is about Kentucky DeGooyers.)  So to get ready for all of our company, we cleaned house today and made LOTS of homemade rolls.  We ended the day breaking bread for the homemade stuffing while watching The Mentalist (season 1 on DVD).  Lollipop joined in our breaking bread tradition.  (I broke bread too... but somebody had to take the pictures... so I'm not in the photos.)

THE END OF A TRADITION

Yesterday we celebrated our final Hunger Games tradition.  It was bitter sweet.  Amy, Key Lime Pie, Kotten Kandy and I have spent the last 4+ years celebrating the release of the Hunger Games movies by watching them together and eating Steak and Shake afterwards while discussing our love of Peeta, our disgust for the Capitol and the implications of the out of control government in Panem.  This year we shared our tradition with Lollipop.  She loved it too!  The movie was BEAUTIFUL!  None of us were disappointed with the final installment in this franchise.  We laughed, cried, screamed and fell in love with Peeta AGAIN....  The only true sadness about last night's activity is that this is the last one.  Afterwards we went to Stake 'n Shake again.  Mmmmmm!   Lollipop was soooo cute when she saw this restaurant.  She said, "It looks SO American!  It's how I imagined all American restaurants to look like!"  She took lots of photos of the fast foot place....

CAN SOMETHING BE TOO GOOD?

Two weeks ago we got our family pictures taken.  They turned out wonderful!!!!  (Thanks, Becca Clary!  She does awesome work!)  Unfortunately, I'm not sure which pictures I like the best to have up on the walls.....  So I need y'alls help!  I'll number the pictures below and you let me know which ones you think should be up in our front room.  I'm willing to put up more than one, but I don't want to put up too many.  Please get a pencil to help you remember which # you like in each category.  Please only choose one print for each category.  Thank you!

CATEGORY 1 = Family of 5

#2 

#3 

#25 

#44

CATEGORY 2 = Sisters

#5 

#47 

#48

CATEGORY 3 = Dad and Daughters 

#7

#49

#50

CATEGORY 4 = Mom and Daughters

#51

#52

CATEGORY 5 = Three Sisters

#33 

#45

CATEGORY 6 = Family of 4 (You can choose more than one in this category!)

#8 

#24 

#27 

#28

#34 

#39 

#41

#54 

#55 

#56 

#64

CATEGORY 7 = SD2

#20 

#22 

#23

CATEGORY 8 = Lollipop

#10 

#11

CATEGORY 9 = Kotten Kandy

#13

#59 

#60

CATEGORY 10 = Key Lime Pie

#17 

#18 

#19

Thanks for you help!!!!!!  Please comment numbers below.