Oh, Christmas Tree

It's actually been six years since we had a Christmas tree.  Orry was 6 months old.  Yikes.

Since then I've been moving a couple of boxes of ornaments around with us, never opening it up, never even thinking or remembering what was in there.

But this year is different.  We are staying home and the party is coming to us (so to speak)!  So you know what that means.  Ah, yeah!  Time to get a Christmas tree!

Unfortunately, it wasn't as simple as just go out and get a tree.  We first had to weigh the pros and cons of buying a cut tree versus a potted one.  We decided to look at the potted trees.  We searched for one that would look the most like a Christmas tree, but to no avail.  So we finally bought a cut tree and strapped it to our van as the rain came pouring down.  Troy got soaked.  The tree was soaked.  The kids and I were dry.

Fortunately, that was the end of the debating and the ordeals.  The tree was in the house.  A few strings of lights and a bunch of ornaments later...

So the tree is done.  Of course, snowflakes keep showing up and sometimes little hands just can't help readjusting an ornament here and there.  Next on the list is wrapping up the gifts.  And a question for you: When do you put out your wrapped gifts?  As you get them?  Or right before Christmas day?  

Deck the Halls With Ghosts So Spooky

It's been four years since we've decorated our house for Christmas.  And this year will make five.

I seems that we are always traveling during that holiday season.  And what's the point of buying and decorating a tree if you won't even be home to look at it.

I don't know what it is that kids love about decorating their houses for holidays.  Something to do with the twinkling lights, I'm sure.  I remember pressuring my own dad to put lights all over our house.  And I remember the sheer joy I felt when he finally got out the ladder and climbed on the roof, risking his neck to hang lights that would only have to be taken down less than a month later.  Ah, one of my happy memories.  Thanks, Dad.

So it comes as no surprise that Orry asked for "bat" lights when he began seeing other houses getting decked out for Halloween.

I love Halloween.  I love costumes.  I love candy.  I love Halloween.

So this year we have traded our "Christmas Decorating Fund" for a "Halloween Decorating Fund".  We carved our pumpkins with spooky ghosts and kitty-bats (Thanks, Grandma Tammy!).  We hung spider webs on our fence posts.  We even replaced our porch light with a black light.  We've got an orange string of lights for the porch and a spider string of lights for the window.  Our costumes are ready, though I won't tell you what they are just yet.  Okay, okay, here's a small preview because I'm sure you could have guessed it.

Orry had a really great time making our house "spooky".  He really loved putting the spiders in the cobwebs.  His pumpkin turned out pretty great too.  I'm not a 100% sure that the littler kids know exactly what's in store for them.  I am, however, 100% sure that this Halloween will be one heck of a treat!

His "pumpkin face"