Christmas traditions: the old

Since becoming an "adult," my Christmas traditions have changed a lot.  I'm very lucky to live only an hour and a half away from my parents so I can still participate in some of our "old" traditions, and I am also so happy to be starting "new" traditions in Connecticut with my friends and Mike's family.

now that's a blue spruce

As soon as Thanksgiving is over, Christmas begins.  We don't celebrate "black friday" in my family, we celebrate "green friday."  Every day-after-Thanksgiving, my family and I head out to rural Connecticut and cut down our own tree.  I'm all about full tree that have strong branches that can hold tons of ornaments.  My parents and I have TONS of ornaments.  Part of that comes from my parents both teaching for 30+ years... kids LOVE giving their teachers ornaments for Christmas haha.  Also, my mom has bought me a few different Hallmark series over the years that add to that bunch.  I have "daughter" ornaments, Barbies [that thankfully ended this year because I have 19 on our tree], cats, dogs, and Mickey Mouse's Christmas Carol.

25 years of daughter ornaments

Barbies and puppies

aaaand what a typical box of miscellaneous ornaments looks like

In addition to decorating our tree, it has always been my job to put out our "village."  Since before I was born, my parents have bought one piece for our Department 56 village each year.  We stopped buying new pieces around 5 years ago because we ran out of room, but it is fun to put it out in a new design every year.

Finally, Thanksgiving weekend is all about seeing my friends.  Working such weird days/hours, I don't have a chance to get home too often, so I only get to see many of my friends on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the 4th of July.  I was so happy to see so many of them in the short 24 hours I was home, and I am so thankful that we have all been friends for so long.

hibachi - my favorite!

I cannot believe we've been friends for 15 years

enjoying some hard cider at a great hometown pub with Christmas lights across the river

Linking up with Jane for insta-Tuesday!