O' Tannenbaum...

So yesterday we put up the Griswold family Christmas tree. Mom and Dad nearly always cut a tree down from a farm and it's always nice and fresh and green. This year the tree is awesome but has some intersting holes in it's structure. The other thing about this tree is that it bites...like the dog! So because of this my Father put on thick, blue gloves to help. I found this incredibly funny and had to document it. we finally decorated it today and it looks gorgeous. I'll post pictures of this tommorow.
We've spent the last two days baking cookies. It's been a blast and there are LOTS of great things to munch on. I love all my granny's old recipes and although she isn't here to make them we do our best because we know she's watching and will have something to say if we do it wrong! Tommorow we are going to Church. They are doing a version of the Nativity. More about that tommorow!

Big Boy....

So my parents have a dog named Big Boy. He has that name for a reason as you can see below. He is a Cane Corso Mastiff (Italian Mastiff) and weighs over 125 lbs. He was a stray that my Father rescued. Little did he know that the dog was crazy...literally. They actually had to call in a behaviorist because the dog was a wack job and was going to eat them...seriously. So although he's still crazy, he's more manageable now and was allowed to stay...for now. He has to behave and be good in order to remain. He really is nuts, today he bit me trying to get the tissues in my hand. He was playing but his head is bigger than mine so you can imagine the teeth. No blood but a little sore. He's so freakin cute and sweet when he's not devouring you....

Shopping at Short Pump...

So part of my trips back home are usually spent shopping...Christmas or not. This shopping is done at Short Pump. Short Pump is a large area of Richmond where most major stores and then some are located. Not only is there stip type malls with your Best Buys, Circuit City's, and Borders, but there is also an open air shopping mall with stores like Saks 5th Ave. and Macy's. It's quite the experince and I have to say that although I like to shop, Short Pump is even too much for me sometimes. Below is a picture of just one SMALL part of the traffic situation around Short Pump. You spend most of your time there in traffic, not shopping!