I’m back in Ocala after a weekend of Thanksgiving fun!
Last night we played games (who says Outburst Junior is for kids?), ate a delicious dinner and enjoyed ice cream with homemade chocolate sauce for dessert.
We were all feeling a little slap happy (Ryan, Ross and my dad were drinking Wild Turkey 101 – how appropriate!) and I had a blast.
This morning, after church and monkey bread, it was time to pick up the family Christmas tree.
We let Ryan and Ross exercise their masculinity and load the tree on top of the car.
After some trimming and sawing by my dad when we got home, the tree was placed in its stand and is now awaiting decoration in my parents’ living room. When we unwrapped the twine around the tree, a lot of random vines were found among the needles which was a little odd, but we plucked them away and said that as long as there is not a squirrel in the tree a la Christmas Vacation, we’re happy campers.
Lunch
With the tree assembled, it was time for lunch!
I made myself a plate of chicken sliders with leftover chicken, muenster cheese and mustard. Fruit salad served as my side.
Once our bellies were full, Ryan, Ross and I rounded up our dogs and hit the road… Ross to Jacksonville and me and Ryan to Ocala. The drive back to Ocala took a good 50 minutes longer than usual due to crazy traffic, so it felt pretty fantastic to walk into our house after a long time on the road.
Next up on the agenda for today?
Put away the fall décor and, if I’m feeling ambitious, bust out the Christmas decorations!
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We just put up our tree and it’s so wonderful and cozy! Hoping you’ll have energy for your decorating today, if not, there is always tomorrow!
How fun! I love putting up the Christmas tree with the fam. Such great memories 🙂
Glad you arrived back safe!
Love that you got your Christmas tree! Our neighbors in my neighborhood back at my family’s house in Vegas had their Christmas lights and decorations on almost as soon as Thanksgiving dinner was over. Love it!
Why have I not seen your dining room table before? It’s lovely!
I’m so pumped that it’s almost december..and I love reading about everyone getting their Christmas tree! How does Sadie do with a big tree? haha I can only imagine her going a bit crazy 🙂
We definitely brought a mouse home in the tree we cut down last year!!! Thank God for our cats-it stayed in the tree we were able to find it before it made itself comfy in our house. We quickly took the tree down and let it out into our yard! We’re cutting this year’s tree down next weekend, lets hope we don’t bring home extra friends again!
Christmas trees don’t go up for another couple of weeks here, though I’m tempted to get some decorations up early! Love the way you guys include fruit as part of your entrees, sweet and savoury combos are inspiring. (I’m so making sweet potato casserole this Christmas!)
We’re decorating today too! It’s hard to get into the holiday season when it’s so hot!
I’m glad you only had random vines in the tree. With my luck, I would have faced a snake or a family of spiders because those creepy things seem to like to give me a heart attack at inconvenient times.
Sounds like a fun weekend! Christmas decorations are waiting til later this week for us since we just got home from visiting family out of town all week. I sure can’t wait to decorate!
Aw, fun! Now I want to go get a Christmas tree! It always seems like if we put it up too early, it dries out realllly fast, so we always wait until a couple weeks before Christmas.
how did you make that dinner (the chicken, potatoes and veggies)??? it looks delicious!!
I hate when drives take longer because of traffic! so frustrating! But I’m excited that it’s time to start decorating for christmas!
I’m pretty much go into full-Christmas mode after Thanksgiving is over! Bring out the decorations! 🙂
Jealous you got the tree already 😉 way to go!!
I cannot wait to decorate! The Christmas tree is the best part 🙂 Sounds like an awesome weekend!
I love your fall decor! Can’t wait to see the Christmas stuff!
We put up our tree this weekend too. I’m getting married next summer, so it’s my last Christmas at home with my parents and sisters. I’m trying to enjoy it!
Those roast chickens and vegetables look so good! I wish I were having that tonight for dinner!
Putting up Christmas decorations always makes it really feel like the holidays. I also love how cozy and warm they make out home feel!
Christmas already! Haha, And I’m still trying to savor Thanksgiving 😀 How fun~I’ve always wanted to actually saw down a Christmas tree.
🙂 Glad you had a fun time with your family!
Sounds like the perfect way to end the Thanksgiving weekend! 🙂
We’ve been decorating all weekend and loving every second of it!!
Not to be a Debbie Downer, but poison ivy often gets up into Christmas trees. I’m hoping that those weren’t the vines you encountered!! Still, better than a squirrel.:)
Looks like we had the same agenda today – our Christmas tree and decorations are up, and all signs of fall decor have been put away until next year! Can’t wait to see how you decorate for your first Christmas in your new house! 🙂
We need a dorm christmas tree. It’s decided.
Love the chicken sliders idea! I’ve been wanting to make sliders at home.
Eeeep Julie this makes me SO pumped to get a tree 😀
At first I thought those chicken sliders were scoops of ice cream and I was going to say “mmm ice cream lunch!”
Getting a Christmas tree is so fun! Is it weird to have Christmas without snow? I dont really like the snow, but it would be weird not to have it at Christmas time.
I love switching out decorations! I helped my mom decorate this weekend and it was so much fun. I can’t wait to see pictures of yours.
That big bowl of fruit looks delicious (still stuffed from days and days of food!).
Yeah for the tree! I just remembered that we sold our fake tree last year so we could go for the real thing now on. So, we didn’t put up a tree or get one yet. But we threw up the garland with all pretty lights entwined. 😉
I looove putting up the Christmas tree! It makes it actually feel like Christmas time is finally here!
Looks like a great way to round up the weekend! I can’t believe Christmas is less than a month away!
I LOVE decorating for Christmas!!! 🙂 Hopefully I’ll get my house decorated this upcoming weekend.
Sounds like a great end to a fun weekend! 🙂 I love your dining room table decor! So pretty!
We havent got our Christmas tree yet, but plan to soon! 🙂
Yay for Christmas decorations! Have fun decorating 🙂
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