Your Leaves Are So Unchanging

Christmas time has come and gone. It's definitely my favorite time of the year. Always has been but having these young kiddos definitely brings the magic and excitement of it back big time. However, with all the happiness of the holidays, there was also a lot on the to do list. We also added in a December family vacation so we had to pack all of the holiday to do madness into an even smaller span of time. And that vacation really put me into a vacation mode I have had a hard time snapping out of. Anything above and beyond what absolutely had to get done just hasn't. So bear with me while I try to find some motivation before the end of the year and start catching up on a little blogging.

Just over a week after hosting Thanksgiving, it was time to officially begin our Christmas. First up, a trip to the tree farm to pick out our tree. It was a family event as we met Mike's parents and his sister and her family there. While Dylan was excited the whole way there, he turned into an introvert once we got there and wouldn't talk to anyone and frankly didn't really seem to want to be there.

Unhappy But Still Cute Dylan

Emily and Cade

Cousins!
Cade, Emily, Patrick and Dylan

While everyone else found their trees rather quickly, it took us freakin' FOREVER to find the right tree. This was just the first event of a full day for everyone and we just didn't really have the luxury of time so it was getting pretty irritating that we couldn't find a decent tree for our space. We finally found one!

Me, Cade and our almost tree.

This was "our" tree until we found an even better one close by. Around this time, Dylan perked up and decided that stomping tree stumps was about the most fun thing ever to do.

Stomp!

Mike Vs. Tree

Dylan Watching

Mike Won (Of Course)

Maureen with Cade who is trying to sock Emily.

Giant Baby or Little Tree?

Once we got our tree loaded and made the long trip home, it was a frenzy of activity as we were just a couple of hours away from hosting our annual Hines\Lee cousins Christmas party. The plan was to have the tree decorated. But between kids napping, lots of cleaning, getting ready and getting food out, there just wasn't time. So our lovely, but naked, tree was up in the entry way.

After the party, it was time for bed so tree decorating didn't start until the next day. Dylan did a great job of hanging ornaments on the tree all by himself. Cade was pretty content to play with some of the ornaments on the floor.

While we made a good start that day, I we were trimming the tree almost everyday up to Christmas day. After we did group decorating time, I added some of the more fragile ornaments. Then Mike had to add some at the top of the tree. Then we added the ones we got on vacation and then the ones Dylan made at preschool. And on Christmas Eve, weeks after our tree went up and just barely making the Christmas deadline, I finally got the bow on the top of the tree and the skirt at the bottom. Then Dylan helped me move all the presents under it. That was definitely the longest tree trimming process I've ever been through! But, the result is worth it:

And speaking of Christmas trees, "Oh Christmas Tree" is one of the carols that Dylan likes to sing. He's never been much of a singer, but in the last month or so, thanks to the preschool influence, he's decided he loves to sing. He loves singing the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and some other song that Mike and I don't know (and Dylan doesn't do in completion so we have no idea what it is). Now that Christmas carols are everywhere, he now also sings "Jingle Bells." About a week ago, he started singing "Oh Christmas Tree oh Christmas Tree, you're leaves are so unchanging!" Apparently, thanks to the Charlie Brown Christmas book, he and Mike had been working on that song as well. Hearing that boy sing always brings a smile to my face.

Merry belated Christmas to all my loyal readers! I hope your time with your families and friends made many happy memories. I know my time did. I hope to be sharing more of those with you soon.