It's Officially Christmas Season!

My sister Diane made this cute turkey cupcake cake...it was yummy!

Today is the day after Thanksgiving and now it is on to the Christmas season.  I love this time of year!  Our lights are up, I am making a list for things I need for cookie baking, every weekend until Christmas is filled with activities and I am just about done with my Christmas shopping.  My favorite youngest daughter and I were one of the idiots that went out shopping at midnight on Thanksgiving.  We started at Target in Lake Stevens where the line wrapped down the front, down the side and down the back of the building.  We were able to get everything we wanted even though we were far from being first into the store.  We waited in line for 58 minutes to check out...but we had a good time chatting with the folks around us.  After Target it was on to the Everett Mall to visit Macy's.  I only needed one thing...even though I ended up buying two things.  We got home just after 3:00 am and by that time my husband and son-in-law had already left to run to a farm and garden store in Burlington.  Both my hubby and I feel like we are recovering from a bad hangover...even though not one drop of liquor touched our lips.  I guess sleep deprivation at our age is not a good thing.  It was a fun time being with Cassidy but we both really missed having Kelsea and Jenna girl with us!  That's what happens when those darn kids get a life of their own.  Here is a recap of my week...

Albertson's was having a great deal on gift cards.  Buy $100.00 worth of gift cards and get a $20.00 coupon to use towards your next Albertson's grocery trip.  There was limited information on which cards this applied to so I talked to the manager.  The manager was also unsure if there were any limitations so she told me if any of my cards did not create a coupon...she would issue me an Albertson's gift card.  I bought $500.00 worth of cards and walked out with (2) $20.00 coupons and (1) $60.00 Albertson's gift card.  I do not believe that all the cards I purchases were part of the promotion but Albertsons did honor their word. 

Albertson's...last day of using my double coupons.  Retail would have been
$59.60 ~ I paid $11.09.  An 81% savings!

We took advantage of a beautiful Sunday last weekend and got the lights up.  They officially were turned on tonight for the first time ~ the day after Thanksgiving!  This was the first time in years that I had to help with the lights...usually the girls' helped their dad...but this year one daughter is married and the other was at a slumber party. 

My hubby smoked two big pork butts for about 10 hours this last weekend.  We shredded it up and put in the freezer for a party that we are having in a couple of weeks.  Part of our menu includes bbq pork sandwiches...yum!


Now for some pictures of my family enjoying Thanksgiving together.  I have recently been accused, by my favorite oldest daughter, of taking more pictures of food than family...so I am trying to make up for that right now: