Christmas Tree

After much debate.... we got out Christmas Tree the first weekend in December. As usual, we cut okay, so Bob cut it. We tromped out back into our neighbor it ourselves...'s woods (with permission, of course) and cut down a tree we thought would work for us this year! Since we'd just had a "dusting" of snow, which then mixed with some "frozen stuff" we had a mostly white, solid ground to walk on. It was enough to pull kids in the sled... one of Bob's favorite parts of the experience.

On the way back, Peter lost his mitten... so Gabi and I walked back through, looking carefully because the mitten was a very pale grey (the very cute mittens Aunt Cheri had sent when Bethie was born... love those mittens). We found it at the far end of our Christmas Tree hunting trail... go figure!

We also discovered that Peter loves to be outside... okay, we knew that.... but unlike most kids, he happily (laughing most of the time) got into his snow suit, boots, hat, mittens, and then waited by the door! What kids likes to put on a snowsuit - at his age - even when they do like to be outside?!?! I sure have one strange little boy... but he's so happy about it all... I guess I have to admit I like that part of his "strangeness"!

Our tradition is to get the tree on Saturday and then decorate it on Sunday... Gabi has learned to be patient, but she's still vocal about how she has to wait and it's soooooooo hard to do that! She kept trying to figure out ways that we could decorate the tree without Daddy... or at least sooner... maybe even stay up and do it when Daddy got home from work (somewhere around midnight).... nope... we waited for Sunday.

This year we didn't put the balls on. It didn't feel like anything was missing though... the tree was simple - the homemade ornaments from years past (mostly from when Bob and I were kids), and a few homemade items this year... with a few more added later in the season. It just seems right... simple... and yet still beautiful!

The kids pretty much decorated it themselves this year... that's new... but it was so nice to just watch them... and on occasion to just hand them another ornament!