On our own for the holidays

Ben brined our 20 pound turkey. I thought he was pretty clever to do this in our planter pot. That is a tinfoil brick sitting on top, to make sure the turkey didn't belly up like a dead fish.
A whole day later, this was the result. Nice and juicy.
I made some scrumptious sides (yes, the table is only set for two . . . we will be eating our 20 pound turkey for the next month). My most notable side was the gravy. My mom's recipe took about three hours to whip up, but it is so worth it. My pumpkin pie was pretty dang good but Ben sliced into her during my nap, so I wasn't able to get a picture of the beauty before she was destroyed.
Mmm, leftovers for days!
It wasn't a very colorful meal, but still almost Food Network worthy.
Today we drove a bit out of town to pick up a Christmas tree. I thought we were going to a cut-your-own place, but turns out that aspect of the farm isn't open till tomorrow. That is weird to me.
After a trip to Wal-Mart we were ready to decorate. I did most the decorating but Ben did his best to help.
The final product. It needs a garlin, but I couldn't find any I liked. It also needs a skirt, badly . . . but the stand and the tree have already but us in enough holiday debt, so I'll have to hold out on the skirt for a couple of years. If any of you crafties want to make me one, feel free.

I feel like our tree is a tribute to my life. My family has this tradition that I think should be passed on to every family. Each year us kids were given an ornament that kind of captured something monumental from our life that year. It was always so exciting to see what our parents would think of. And now, it is just such a joy to unpack them and let all the memories rush in. Sadly, five are in the repair shop and two (one of which is my all time favorite) are missing entirely. I'm really praying my mom stole the fav one for her self and she'll come across it while she decorates.

Anyway . . .
This year (about two hours ago) I bought this ornament for Ben and I to recognize our accomplishments for 2009. We were so excited for and then proud of our Thanksgiving feast. And really, thanks to Food Network, we've both been working pretty hard on our cooking skills all year.

It really was so fun to finally have my own little holiday festivities, instead of waiting till I went to the families to enjoy some good food and some spirited decorations. It finally feels like Ben and I are out of that newlywed stage and really starting our own family traditions. Luckily, I love him even more with out that honeymoon sparkle.