We had the best intentions of cutting our own tree down this year but instead we got one at a pre-cut lot.  That didn't stop the kids from finding the most magical, huggable, perfect tree for our house.  And it was the first one too which made Reghan particularly happy since she found it.

It's impossible for this girl to take a picture with a straight face but we were thrilled that our dear friend Robert stopped by during one of his trips through.  It was a quick visit but very fulfilling.

Heath could just barely reach the top to place the topper on top of the tree this year.

Let's not forget Reghan's twelfth birthday.  Twelve people!  She had water polo practice the night of her so we had a quick celebration between school and practice with a bigger dinner to come in the upcoming weekend.

The following weekend was the big Tree Lighting and holiday celebration in our town.  This year Ashlyn had a friend who was posing in a store window so our first stop after seeing the tree was to make her laugh as much as possible.

As is quickly becoming a tradition, we waited in line for the freshly made candy canes.

And they didn't disappoint.  they were in the process of making a fresh batch just as we reached the front of the line so when we got our's they were still warm and pliable making them even better than before.

That weekend closed out with a massive event.  Aunti Jewelz's wedding dress shopping and Ashlyn was in her element.  No sneak peaks here but it's safe to say our girl was in dress heaven.

Later that evening we had a family birthday celebration for our big 12 year old which turned out to be one of the most memorable birthdays shes had.  As the kids are getting older, it's getting more and more difficult to grasp how they're maturing so quickly.  Reghan's developing into such a wonderful young lady, we couldn't be prouder.