Hey Griswold. Where do you think you're gonna put a tree that big?

Around here, Christmas Vacation gets quoted nearly all year long. But it seems that on our annual trek to cut down a tree I mutter this line more that any other. I would love to say that its just my husband that is Clark Griswold, but the reality is, we haul three ginormous trees out of Grupp's Christmas Tree Farm every year. Each of them topping over 11 feet tall. One for us, and one for each of Patrick's Aunts.  PS, none of us have 11 foot ceilings- so they all need trimmed to fit in our respective houses, but tiny trees are for scrooges.

 

The best part of this year was that my MIL flew in to join us in the hunt.  It only makes sense, because Pappy got to pick out a pumpkin with Grayson so Gigi was here to get the tree.

 

 

Look below, see the pink dot in the middle of the trees? Yeah, that's the MIL and Grayson. They were on the hunt.

Please note, Im about 5.5 feet tall. That tree was easy 14 feet tall when we cut it down.

 

Why cant we find a tree in a flat field?

Cause they're all picked over, lets go down the hill!

 

Rethinking that down the hill, aren't you tree haulers?!

 

 

I give you the Griswold family Christmas tree- I mean, the K Family Christmas Tree!

 

Let the Christmas Fun begin!

 

 



Christmas Pictures!

This year we were so incredibly lucky to win a Christmas Tree Farm mini session with the incredibly talented and sweet Samantha Nicole Photography.

 

I was super excited, eventhough hubs couldn't join us, because I figured we could get some good pictures for the Christmas card.  What I got were images that were beyond words adorable.  Sam was awesome to work with, super sweet and great with kids. She was also apparently a ninja, because everyone knows that getting great images of a three year old is darned near impossible. As you can see, what she got was perfection.  We actually took these pictures over two days. The first day was, and I'm not even kidding, 18 degrees and a freak rain/sleet/ice storm that started the second we got out of the car.  The next day it was 60 and sunny. Pittsburgh weather, you are officially weird.  

 

 

I can not wait to schedule a session with Samantha when all three of us are able to get pictures, if you're in the Pittsburgh area by all means check her out!



Halloween 2014

Early in September my mother in law texted me a picture of a Buzz Lightyear costume for Grayson, saying it would be cute if he wanted to be Buzz. Well at that time it was a lion, then a yellow bee, then a super guy. Fast forward to when they were in town for Grayson's birthday and we hit the costume store, where Grayson decided he wanted to be none other than Buzz Lightyear. 

 

Well the costume at the costume store was pretty chincy looking, so we trekked out to the Disney store and Gigi and Pap suited him up as Buzz. A few weeks later we hit the streets.

 

 

 

 

Of course, the weather was crappy. It was semi misting/raining. That wasn't going to stop this kid though, he was on a candy getting mission.

One of my favorite things about the neighborhood is the fact that the firefighters participate in the holidays. So obviously, we had to make that our first stop. 

 

It wasn't to infinity and beyond, it was more like once around the block, but we still had a blast! Grayson came home with two pumpkin buckets full of treats and a sugar high to last for days. Id call that Halloween success.

 



Pumpkin Patch- 2014

This year my father in law was in town to go get our pumpkin, and Grayson was so excited to take his Pappy to the Pumpkin Patch.

 

We've gone to Sorgels Orchard every year since Grayson was literally three weeks old. They have so much more than just pumpkin picking to offer, and I love that each year we get to do more and more there.

 

Its crazy when they're actually big enough to climb on the play things. Stop growing now, please?!

 

Hey Mom, Ima drive the tractor.

 

For the past two years they have also offered apple picking and someone was super excited to pull the apples from the trees.

 

It only took us about 20 minutes to fine the pumpkin this year, because Grayson was far too interested in checking out all of the boo boos on the pumpkins.

 

Waiting for Daddy to pay for the pumpkins, Grayson offered to take me on a little drive. I think this is how my future will look when he turns 16. Only then I may need valium.

 

Until next year, Sorgels!