Getting ready for X-mas

Today officially marks 18 weeks!  Two more weeks and we will be half way there!  Thanksgiving went great.  After a huge feast at Natalie and Dave's house I went to work and feasted yet again there.  The deep fried turkey was a huge hit and nothing was left but the bones by the end of the shift.  I did, however, forget to remove the bag of gizzards.  Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know.  Ryan told me to clean the bird and so I pulled the neck and one large bag of innards out and threw them away.  I thought that was it.  Little did I know that there is a little bag, big bag, and a neck! It still tasted great even though the plastic bag of gizzards were cooked right along with it!

I have always sworn that I would never attend a black Friday event.  Well, I was up at 4 and 5am when everyone was standing in their lines but I was still working.  Since I didn't get off till 7am I went home and slept.  Woke up early afternoon and Ryan and I had decided to go get the X-mas tree and lunch.  Since we had still yet to visit Roberts new restaurant that he is managing at back in Michigan we decided to go there.  Robert is still in training but progressing quickly from what I hear at the On The Border Mexican restaurant in Grandville, Michigan.  I LOVE Mexican food so this for me was great news.  Their food is awesome and all I want for Christmas is a gift card!!!!

After lunch we headed over to Babies R Us.  Let me just say that this was quite an experience.  While it was fun to browse and look at everything we also felt like greedy people registering for items.  The registry was set up that day.  Saw a lot of things that we really liked.  Also saw a lot of things that just seem like space wasters or senseless shit.  I looked at a lot of this stuff and wondered how our parents survived when we were born without things such as the diaper genie, bumbo, and boppy to name a few.  Though to also see how much some things have advanced.  For instance, the baby monitors............. So back in the late 80's I remember them being these huge radios and you heard a lot of static on.  Now we have video monitors, in color.  Yup, added that to the list! I just pictured myself in the pool with a margarita while the baby was napping and how I didn't want to get out wet and go upstairs just to check on them.  I'm dreaming!  Everything that is more advanced just makes the parents more lazy!  So anyways, we are registered and I'm sure I'll add more things as we find out what we are having on December 7th.  Registry can also be seen online at http://www.babiesrus.com/.  You'll have to enter either mine or Ryan's name.... FYI  It is under Katy Rutter and not Maricatherine.

After that eventful part of our afternoon we headed off to get our Christmas tree.  Last year we looked for a blue spruce and of course didn't see them until we were out of the parking lot on our way home with a noble fir.  This year we were determined to find the blue spruce.  I just love the color (blue of course) of them and also the smell.  We found one, loaded it up, and hauled the 8ft tree home.  I spent most of Saturday putting it up, running to Walmart for more lights, and more lights, and more lights.  Here is a picture before and the after didn't show up so I will have to get those posted here soon.  Clark Griswold got out the ladder put up our lights outside.  This year was a little bit more difficult than last consider the peaks on the house are like 50 feet.  Oh, and did I mention that we need a crap load more lights????  More pictures to come of the rest of the decor but here is the undecorated tree for now.....