O Christmas Tree

20 days left!  It definitely makes the countdown go faster when I have to keep up with my own self imposed list of activities from now until Christmas.

This weekends activities, very strategically, included getting our Christmas tree Saturday, and decorating it Sunday.  The hilarious details of the weekend could fill their own post entirely, so suffice it to say that after one very late start, one toddler meltdown, and one wasted trip across town, we got our tree at a church 3 blocks from our house about 8:30 Saturday night.

Sunday after church we brought the tree in to decorate it.  

It's a lovely sculpted Grand Fir that we scored for $20.  As soon as Brian brought it in, the whole house was filled with the smell of pine, one of my FAVORITE things about the holidays. 

Unfortunately, it was followed not too long after by the smell of burning plastic. 

Again, long story short, but after one melted Hot Wheel and some flames shooting out of places on the wood stove that they shouldn't, we postponed decorating until Monday.

Some adorable father-son time.  Brian taught Jake how to safely start a wood fire this weekend. The plastic aroma and flames are not attributed to him.

They are, however, very much attributed to her:

Yes, she is lounging in a box.  I'm not sure why I bought her Christmas presents.  She's happiest with things like this.

Random cuteness.  My boys would have me take their pictures all day long if I was willing. Sometimes I just throw them in because they're cute, if not story related.

The lovely fire, pre-stinkout.  It was so nice and snuggly laying on the couch in front of it, until the smoke alarm went off.

Our tree, finally "decorated".  Lights and the angel, that's all it's getting this year. 

She's my favorite part, so it's okay.

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Today's activity was making homemade Christmas cards to send to loved ones.  Thanks to some craft paint and cute Christmas stamps (which I remembered last minute that I had) this activity was far less stressful than the weekend's events.