What? It's Christmas?!

Improvising: playing with lights, listening to holiday tunes, enjoying the fire.

I'm not sure how, but Christmas seems to surprise me every year. I promise you, I start thinking about it earlier and earlier, but it never fails, 10 days to go and I'm already missing it and wondering...what was that? Then I just shrug it off and focus on a fun New Year's. For the 3.2 people that read this blog, expect a happy new year's card...if we even get it done this year.

This looks like such fun to me, and she LOVES it.

We kicked off our decorating this past week, with the best of intentions: Brian turned on the gas fire place (a once yearly occurrence), we turned up the Christmas music (thanks Sirius!) and put some cookies in the oven (yum) ...only to discover the main bin of decorations - and we're not that big of decorators - was completely missing. Poof. Gone. For days we tore every inch of the house, basement and attic apart. Somehow, there was one red bin hiding in a remote corner of the garage. I think the dogs were just messing with me.

Our first snowfall for the season - a real beauty!

Roland has completely figured holidays out since Halloween this year and was up in arms about decorating. He wanted a Christmas tree! True to my life, everything is about 75% right, the other 25% is always in progress, or broken, so even when we found the bin, half the lights were working and we had no tree. Our plan was to buy a live, balled-root tree like last year but even with two trucks and my SUV, we had no room to transport one. Hm.

Then crazy good fortune struck.

I spotted a sign in a yard that read, "Free Christmas Tree" and told Brian we should give them a call, but he wasn't turning the car around for the number (sleeping kids) and we figured if we went out later and the sign was still up, I'd call. Brian instantly started explaining conditions of what type of free tree we would or would not accept...knowing full well that if the tree was available I was taking it! AND IT IS THE MOST AWESOME FAKE TREE EVER! It's a 7.5 foot REALLY nice tree. I'm shouting because I was so excited and this little old couple was so nice and it's in great condition! They are definitely getting a holiday card and some holiday treats from me! Whoo-hoo!

Got my snowflakes up, and the door of holiday cards is steadily growing!

So we swapped the couches, pulled up the rug, vacuumed twice for good measure, and set up our awesome, huge, free 1998 tree. (They had the warranty paperwork! HA!) A secret, I don't decorate the backs of my Christmas trees...

And now, without further adieu, our tree.

There it is, just leaning ever so, looking great!

Ah, our original trees from our first apartment, a 400 sq ft studio. I got these at Michaels with a bundle of coupons and made all the ornaments from our sea shell collection. Those are bathmats for snow/sand! By far, my favorite of the holiday decorations.

Brian and I put the lights and ornaments on after the kids went to bed. When Aria came down the next morning, she was is awe. She kept saying "Oooo. Wwwoooowwww. Ooohhh." and then played with every - safe - ornament she could touch. (The breakables are at the top). I know a couple of you have some pretty awesome traditions of decorating the tree, getting the ornaments just right, covering the house in lights (Steve-O), and more. I hope everyone is enjoying these fun holiday happenings, they sure do go by fast!

Granted, since we got a late start...this will all likely be up well into the new year!