Decking the Halls

I can't believe its been a whole week since my last post. I do apologize. I have many pictures and lots of catching up to do, so I'll try to get better. It's been crazy busy...something every single day it seems. All the while trying to get Christmas shopping done in my free time, while getting cards designed and ordered, other presents ordered in time and before coupons expire. Etc, etc, etc....

So, let's start the season off. With decorating! We started a little before Thanksgiving and had it almost all done Thanksgiving weekend. Almost. We technically finally finished everything this past week, so I am behind (for me anyway!) on decorating this year too!

The girls love to help of course and we love to let them! I think half the memories are made while decorating the tree and such. :)

Every year, Brad's in charge of putting the tree up. I refuse to. Our tree is probably about 18 years old. I wish I were kidding. And I am not exaggerating when I say how bad it is. Every year I swear it is its last. And every year, he makes it do-able...just one more time. And every year we vacuum up the pile of needles it loses in the process and rig up the branches to make sure they don't fall down. But then, every year...after the lights are on and the ornaments are up, our tree looks beautiful. I think.

So, he puts the tree up, I put the lights on, and the girls help decorate. They each have their own special box of ornaments. The box itself has meaning and poem from Muna that we re-read each year. Then we talk about each ornament as we put it up...who it came from and why, etc. I think it makes your tree special when the ornaments mean something. And each year, they get to go pick out a new Keepsake ornament for themselves.

The above picture is of Brenna holding THE oldest Santa in existence. I promise. It has to be. I think it was my mom's when she was a little girl..and actually its probably been in the family even longer than that! He's a little creepy looking honestly, but each year, the kids love on him. I tried to get him cleaned, but no one around here will touch him! He's just too old and fragile.

Anyway, we also let them help (read: play outside) while we decorated the outside as well. I get bummed each year because we live in an older neighborhood that doesn't see a lot of traffic, so I wonder each year if I should really go to all the trouble. No one ever sees it anyway? But......I do. Each time we round the corner to our house, it makes me happy to see all the lights and decorations.