Christmas Tree

I love the day after Thanksgiving. Not only because you get to enjoy Thanksgiving leftovers without having to cook anything, but also because that's the day we pick out our Christmas tree! Christmas is in full swing at our house. I've already been listening to Christmas music for weeks now! Daniel's favorite song is Sleigh Ride - he calls it the "horsey song" and requests it every time we get in the car. We listen to it over and over and over agian. Last year Daniel was too young to really enjoy Christmas, but this year should be fun. I'm really looking forward to it...and it's just getting started.

Picking out a tree at Stew Leonard's.

Decorating the tree.

Daniel didn't seem too surprised to see a tree in our house - he just said "cool" when Shannon brought it in.

The Macy's Parade

This year we decided to go to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Since the weather was so great this year (65 and sunny) - we decided that this was the year to go! It was such a fun experience and I'm so glad we went! The parade started at 9 am and we got there at 7 to get a good spot. We found a great spot at 65th along Central Park West and we were only 2 rows back. We were able to meet up with our friends the Hoyt's there - it was nice to have some company. Oh and how random is this: the people that sat next to us during the parade all had on BYU gear and were visiting from Utah! Small world in a BIG city!

Daddy and Daniel playing

Yeah it's starting!

The Hoyt's

I like this picture. It almost looks like Daniel is one of the balloons! :) He loves Jo Jo.

Shrek was a new float this year.

Doesn't it look like Shrek is just about to pinch Daniel's head?

This was the crowd behind us. All of these people piled up on the truck that was blocking the road to get a better view.

This is for my nieces! High School Musical star- they are such big fans.

Another one for my nieces! High School Musical star.

Thanksgiving

We enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner at the Martinez's house. We each brought something. I brought the mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, a sour cream apple pie and a sour cream apple-cranberry pie (my favorite). All of the food was excellent and the company was great!

The tables looked beautiful.

Allison in the kitchen carving the turkey.

The kids at the kids table. We were so impressed that they were actually all sitting there together at the same time!

Plymouth and Cape Cod

I love taking little road trips! It's so much fun to have some uninterrupted (well- sort of uninterrupted...with a 2 year old in the back seat) time in the car with Shannon. This past weekend we took a trip to Plymouth and Cape Cod. I was so glad that we went right before Thanksgiving - it was such a neat time to go. Now I have even more appreciation for these early settlers. What amazing people! I was worried about the weather and although it was cold - the days were clear and gorgeous! In true "Amanda fashion" there are 500 pictures... but don't worry Jensen's - I'm saving some for the Symposium - so this is just to spark your interest....

Plymouth Plantation: The English Village

The people in the village are role players - so they talk to you like it's 1620. This lady greeted us when we came in with "How fare thee?" and asked Shannon to help her carry fire wood to her house.

Daniel in the garden at one of the homes.

Plymouth Plantation: The Wampanoag Home site

Here they have recreations of the Indian village. The Wampanoag's were the Native people living here when the pilgrims arrived. The staff working here are really Native people - some are Wampanoag, some are from other Native Nations. Very cool.

Mommy and Daniel outside of the smoke house.

The Mayflower II - a recreation of the original.

It is an actual sea worthy vessel and this is it's 50th anniversary year. When it was built 50 years ago, they sailed it across the Atlantic just like the pilgrims.

We got to go on it and see what it was like. I can't imagine crossing the ocean in that ship!

Plymouth Rock

Daniel and Mommy with the Mayflower behind us.

John Alden's home site marker. My dad read me The Courtship of Myles Standish on our way back from Boston the last time he visited - and I didn't realize Myles and John Alden and Priscilla were real people until now... I know, I know...I have nothing to say for myself...it's embarrassing.

We drove out along the National Seashore. (Thanks for the tips Meredith!) In Provincetown there is a Pilgrim Monument which was really neat. It is 252 feet tall and is the tallest all granite structure in the US. We hiked up to the top and it had such a great view! Totally worth it - even if we had to walk very slowly half of the way because Daniel insisted on walking himself...

........one........ step..........at........a..........time.

This is looking up through the middle of the stair case...yikes! Now imagine again what I was saying about Daniel insisting on walking himself....

I have to mention that this is also where Daniel decided to have a really messy diaper. We were half way up when I caught a whiff and I wasn't about to go back down - so it was going to have to wait! I just think it's funny how really messy diapers lodge themselves in your memory. For instance - I will never forget that at Shannon's graduation I missed him walking in because Daniel had the worst diaper EVER and I was in the bathroom with him in the sink trying to clean him up with my mom! That's just how it goes - exceptionally bad diapers are things mothers remember.

View from the top!

Here's the little culprit - walking up the stairs in the tower.

Daniel looking up at the monument.

So tall.

Daniel eating some grass or something.

This is an 1124 lb. pumpkin! Supposedly the largest on Cape Cod.

One of the lighthouses we saw.

Beautiful beaches - I definitely need to come back in the summer.

Daniel and Shannon walking toward Cape Cod's Highland Lighthouse.

Family picture by the water.

Daniel and Daddy

As we were leaving to drive home - the sun just started to go down! I already want to go back. Maybe next time when it's warmer!