Oh, (my, oh, my, ) Christmas Tree!

So, here's how some of my first week of December went...

First, we drove up into Steve's sister's husband's grandpa's "ranch"...and by ranch, I mean, a bunch of land somewhere over there.






























Then we had to hunt for a good tree.










We (the girls) didn't have snow boots at this point, so I came up with a brilliant and innovative solution--grocery bags! (This is my sis-n-law, Danielle, sporting the newest fashion in snow-foot gear.)
We tied them around our ankles. They actually worked really well at keeping the snow out. Although, the traction was lacking BIG time. I biffed it a couple times. It's so hard to look cool while you're falling and you have no control over your body. I just pretended like it was my intention to fall on my butt with a stupid and horrified look on my face.

Anyway. I'm going to make the rest of this long, butt freezing, toe numbing story short...We found a tree and chopped it down.











Fast forward a couple days...decking the halls...

I'm convinced that decorating a Christmas tree was never intended for people like me. I don't think any ornament stayed in the first place I put it. I just can't leave it alone. "Good enough? Really? There's such a thing?" Even when I'm exercising in the living room--out of the corner of my eye, I'll see an ornament that just isn't right. Driving myself crazy.













































I decorated a little more. (Heather made me the "sign"...I LOVE it!!!!)





















This little music box (plays Jingle Bells) has dust on it that's older than me. My grandma gave it to me last year. I love it. It reminds me of being at her house when I was little.










These are some of my favorite ornaments...











This is one my mom made YEARS ago--the chunky bald thing is me as a baby. It's one of the three I have from my childhood that managed to make it out alive!











I've loved the Noah's Ark story ever since I was 19 and found a greater spiritual meaning in the story. Steve bought this Hallmark ornament for me the first Christmas we were married. It opens up and you can see all the animals. ( I have other Ark ornaments, but this is my favorite.)











My grandpa died last year in December--the week after we visited Arizona. He LOVED planes. His living room ceiling had hundreds of different model planes he had made hanging down--all sizes. It was pretty cool. So last year, I didn't have to think twice about what I wanted my ornament to be.











I love this one cuz it makes me think of Lily and her daddy.











This is one of my favorites cuz it's the one I bought for Steve the first year we were married. It just made me think of him. Plus, how cute it that! A little bear with moose antlers!

These next three marshmallow smore people are my favorite yearly-individual ornaments that we've gotten. We got them the year Lily was born.

This lumberjack mallow is obviously Steve's...








...this is mine...










...and this is Lily's.









So. Three weeks left to enjoy the atmosphere of a cozy living room...Christmas lights on a good smellin' tree...and all the Christmas movies possible.

The first full week of December is over...here, it ended with a good fluffy snowfall.