We are headed north for Christmas but we are SOOOOO excited this year for everything Christmas. Dalby shoulders' slumped when I told her we were going to Michigan this year. I think she was disappointed because she thought we wouldn't get a tree here in Tennessee (which we originally weren't going to have one, but since we got a tree she hasn't stopped talking about seeing everyone in Michigan). She has been talking about a tree since November. As we were driving one day in early November, it was quiet in the back seat, which is normally filled with some sort of chatter, arguing or singing. I asked Dalby what she was thinking....her answer...."I am wondering where we will get our Christmas tree?" In the past Ryan and I have not gotten a tree because of our holiday travel. This year we decided we would get a small tree to decorate. It ended up bigger then we thought, not huge, but not table top size like I had originally pictured. It makes us happy here and is a great source of entertainment. We get up every morning and turn on the tree. One morning, it was 6:30am(we have already been up at least an hour if not an hour and half by 6:30am) and Dalby came racing in, "Momma, momma you forgot to turn the Christmas lights on." As if we had gone the WHOLE day in the dark:) Quinn and Charlie let me know I am slacking with one word, "Ites".
The day we got the tree was an adventure. We decided to get the tree early so we could enjoy it before we left on our trip. So the first Saturday in December we headed out early. All the kids were fed(at least once, 7:30am is usually morning snack time), dressed and diapered/potty and in the car by 7:30am. Where might you get a tree at 7:30 in the morning? Kroger. We drove down the street to Kroger to pick out our "little tree". We arrived and the little trees looked sad. So we upgraded a bit to a mid-sized tree that required mom to sit in the back and hold the tree as it hung over the back seat of car seats(We think Charlie got a bit of tree in his eye but he survived). We arrived home, dad trimmed the tree and we set it up to let the branches fall. I climbed in the attic handed ornament boxes down and unpacked non-breakable and repacked breakable ornaments and replaced the extra ornaments in the attic. During nap time we wrapped the tree with lights and that afternoon we decorated. Everyone got a chance to hang ornaments and most ended up on the lower half, but the tree looks great! It was a full day of decorating and I did a bit of baking too but then to top it all off Ryan and I had his company Christmas party that night. So we had a tree bought and decorated, baking done, showered, dressed and the house semi-ready for our babysitter all before 5:30pm. We were pretty impressed with ourselves!
Let's get a group shot before we go to Kroger to get our tree.
An attempt at "We are happy with our tree." You can see why Ryan calls Quinn "Popeye"
A picture of our whole tree. It comes a few feet from our ceiling.
Hmmm..... what is he up to? A look we saw often from both Charlie and Quinn. You knew it was trouble when you walked in and saw them standing side by side in the Christmas tree corner. The were particularly fond of the tree after we hung candy canes on the tree.
A sweet shot of all three as they admire a few presents we put under the tree. They were presents for our trip so they were opened when Daddy got home. Luckily we didn't have to guard presents along with the tree this year.
Merry Christmas!!!!!
