It's Beginning to look a lot like....

Christmas!! So yesterday was the big day to decorate the house. We cleaned first and then I went under the stairs to pull out all of the Christmas Decorations. The funniest thing that happened was when I pulled out the tree. Adelle and Lydia looked bewildered at how small it is. I just reminded them that they are getting bigger each year. Granted it is a pretty small tree. I think it is less than 6 feet tall. I don't need a ladder at all to put on the star. There are times I consider getting a bigger one, but then I remember that the circumference of the tree would be larger as well. We have a pretty small living room so this petite tree works well for us.

I bought the tree 8 years ago when I was living in a small apartment in Bothel, Washington. I decided that I was going to celebrate Christmas whole hearted! I went to the local department store and picked up a tree and a copy of Charlie Brown Christmas on DVD. I absolutely love the holidays and am quite sentimental. I think that is a trait I picked up from my dad.

Every year the girls and I love putting the ornaments on the tree. Wes participates as well, but I don't think he gets quite as excited as the girls and I. I love pulling out each of the ornaments and remembering where they came from. It was a family tradition growing up to get a new ornament every year. It is one that I have carried on with my kids. I actually have some of my original ornaments. I even have the ornament from my very first Christmas.

We pick up ornaments when we go on vacation, like our little crab holding a Christmas tree from our Oregon Trip 2 years ago. The tree almost becomes a scrapbook of our adventures and memories. There are even a few sweet handmade ornaments from Lydia. I have even added this year some antique ornaments that my grandmother gave me last year.

My grandmother Walter no longer puts up her tree so she gave it to us last year along with all of the trimmings. Sarah picked up her little tree from us yesterday. I went through the ornaments and found some beautiful handcrafted glass ornaments. I think they must be from the fifties because one of the boxes actually had a price tag of .49 cents. Can you imagine?? I placed these gems near the top of my tree so my cat can't use them as her toys. They add a nice touch to the tree.

We were tired after all the preparations and spent the rest of the evening watching Rankin and Bass' "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". You know, the old TV specials with the stop motion animation. We also watched the original cartoon "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas".

We are planning on decorating our Gingerbread House tonight after church! I will have to post pictures.

Here are some fun pictures of the girls from yesterday:

Adelle holding her new ornament for this year. It is a little cat that is also a bell.

They really are getting tall compared to the tree.

My precious girls! I am really excited for the festivities to come as well. There are Christmas parties, visiting of relatives, the giving of presents, and of course the Christmas Music!

I also wrapped all of the extended family presents yesterday and they are sitting under our tree. Now I just need to wrap Wes' and the girls' presents. I am also done shopping. Woo Hoo!