Christmas Tree Farm

It is our annual tradition to go to a Christmas tree farm in Carnation on Black Friday to find our Christmas tree.  The kids are always excited for this outing since it means it is getting a lot closer to Christmas, one of their favorite holidays.  It was very icy and cold the year before, but we were blessed with a sunny and warmer weather.  The blue sky and faint green of the mountains were very pretty to look at and so were the deep green and proud looking trees all lined up waiting for someone to take them home.  It usually doesn't take too long to find our tree.  The children get more excited to find the tree than finding the pumpkin they like at the pumpkin patch.  It probably is because we never actually buy a single pumpkin at the farm.  We only go there to take pictures! 

We found the lucky tree in a short while and Daddy got busy cutting it down.  We laid the tree carefully on the pull cart and the girls helped pull it to the tent where they prepare the tree to go home.  Watching the man swiftly load the tree to the vibration machine to shake off the excess debris is always fun.  They wrap the tree in a net to compact it and the tree is ready to be loaded onto the car.  We usually have the workers at the farm secure the tree on the roof of the car, but Mike tried it this time.  Mike opened the sunroof cover so that we can see the tree as we drove.  Sean noticed that the tree was shifting as we hit the highway.  It started to tilt sideway and the kids were terrified that the tree might fly off the car.  I was starting to get worried, too.  For me, the worry was injuring someone behind us.  We decided to exit the first exit in Issaquah to stop.  I didn't know how but we ended up safely at Krispy Kream parking lot, tree hanging 75 degrees sideway.  We were so glad that we didn't lose the tree and the whole stressful ordeal was over!  You should have been in the car.  It was a crying and screaming madness!  :-)  So, we got the doughnuts and we all felt better!

We set up the tree downstairs in the family room.  I miss having the tree in the main level though since I can't see it from the living room and kitchen where I usually spend time in.  We are not doing whole a lot on decoration this year since Mike and Sean are going to Japan and I didn't want to be left with the taking down duty by myself.  The kids are a bit disappointed that we didn't set up the outdoor lights, but I told them we will go see plenty of lights in other peoples' houses. 

Now that it is just five days before Christmas, I feel a bit of calm.  Presents are bought and half of them are wrapped.  The kids finished their school for the break and happily playing with each other.  The post flu shot cold made some of us sick, but we are recovering now.  The flu shots this year went incredibly well since it was given in nose-spray format.  No freaking out and running away.  I was relived!  Sean acted very strangely for a few days though after the spray was given.  He was extremely oppositional more than usual and acted out of sort.  I strongly suspect he has PANDAS, pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder.  It is an autoimmune disorder that causes the brain to act abnormally since the body has built an immunity to a strep bacterium and it also attacks the brain.  When he was as young as five, I noticed his behavioral changes after having a strep throat infection.  I'd mentioned it to his pediatrician and he asked me to monitor him.  According to some websites, kids with PANDAS react similarly to flu shots, particularly when given in the nose-spray format.  Go figure, but it was still worth it!  I almost felt like dying last year and the year before with a fever as high as 104F from flu, so I am glad my children all got vaccinated.

We might get a white Christmas this year with a slight chance of snow.  Sean is counting on snow and it would be a magic if everything was white outside in the morning.   I love this time of the year.  Being a family of six feels extra special during the Holiday season.  Despite all, I am so incredibly lucky to have a great husband and four cute children.  I am usually the type to see the glass half empty, but in some rare times I see it full :-)

Thanksiving 2015

I sort of become a squirrel around this time of the year running around collecting food from various stores and storing them into our two refrigerators.  At about the same time, the parking lot and shopping etiquette of people go south, probably from the stress of conquering all the things they have to do between mid November and December.  Those two months are the busiest months in America and ironically the time we forget what actually we are celebrating.  I can't really complain because I am one of those unspiritual and ungraceful ones.  Let the acid boil in the stomach, it's a Holiday time!

Thanksgiving was very cozy and nice at our house.  Shasha and grandpa drove all the way from Lewiston with their energetic puppy, Archie.  Kids were so excited to see Archie and kept talking about the reunion for days and weeks.  I asked them "are you more excited to see Archie or granndpa and Shaha", and they took some time to think about that.  Sorry, Shasha and grandpa.  Archie has a strong grip on the kids' heart.

I was better prepared this year than previous years.  I decided on the menu and printed them out way in advance, made the shopping list and bought non-perishable items early.  It got hectic the last three days pre-Thanksgiving, but I found everything on the list by the day before.  I am glad because Trader Joe's was crazy busy.  The checkout line was dragging all way back to the back of the store.  Luckily, my line went fast which is a very different scenario than usual. 

I changed things around a bit this year with the menu.  Instead of rubbing spice mixture on turkey on outer skin, I put the mixture under the skin.  My goal was to make the turkey moist and flavorful.  Even the stuffing was a bit different.  I made Mushroom and Leek Bread Pudding by Inna Garten on Food Network and it was delicious!  It was lighter than my usual recipe since it doesn't contain any sausages, yet the texture and hint of mushroom flavor mixed with sweet leek was a perfect match.  I will keep this recipe for sure.  All the guests liked it.  I didn't make the traditional green bean casserole, either.  The problem with the typical casserole is that it is way too rich.  It tastes good but I can't eat more than two bites.  I picked Green Beans with Lemon and Garlic by Patrick and Gina Neely.  I am a Food Network fan as you can tell.

We enjoyed the dinner very much.  We had Nana of course and Mike's colleague from work who brought us two beautiful poinsettias.   The kids didn't eat much as they were excited about the whole ordeal but we let them slide.  Archie cleaned the floor by eating all the food we dropped.  We need a dog just for that part.  Our cat Grace didn't seem so cool for her lazy cat attitude.  Poor girl was hiding in my bedroom since Archie was here.  She does not like any other animals and she becomes a beast when she sees another. 

Grandpa's visit was short but he promised he will be back in spring.  The pass to get here gets snow, so winter is a tough time to visit.  Thank you for making the trip, Bob and Marsha! 

Now the big event, Christmas!  And... only five more days until kids' school is out!!