Tis The Season

We made it to our hometown safely. Ummm....that was a heck of a trip. It is really about a 3 hour trip and it feels like 3 days with 3 little ones. Our man Fenley had had it near the end and decided to take the fabric off his car seat and chew the Styrofoam to entertain himself. I have never, ever, ever heard of a child doing this. Poor baby Bear cried and cried because he was exhausted, and Mary Ellie kept it pretty much together except for a few incidences with a dropped "kitty" (what she calls her paci because it has a kitty face on it). Nothing like being away from home to make you really appreciate it....absence makes the heart grow fonder.
I took a few pictures of our Christmas decorations thus far right as we fled town. I have a wee bit of work to do but we are past birthday time and into Christmastime. Yea! I love this time of year and this year is really neat because the twins are kind of getting it and are really into the spirit of things.
First things first, we went to get a Christmas tree! This is our first one in 3 years because the past two Christmases we have had newborns in the house and did not want the hassle. I was thrilled, elated, and over the moon that Joe acquiesced to my need for a real tree with a real Christmas smell. Off to the local tree lot, in 80 degree weather to find our family tree. The weather was a total bummer and nothing says Christmas like humid hot weather, right? We marched on to carry out this Griswold dream of ours. Total disaster. The children LOOKED the part but were as thrilled as Audrey and Russ Griswold to be doing this with us. Let's just say there were lots of tears.

This is what it looks like when our crew goes into public. Total craziness. I keep meaning to get a semi-decent single stroller but instead we use this really cruddy one we yanked from my neighbor's garage sale because they said we could just take it for free. Mary Ellie likes it because it is pink. Turns out Fenley likes it too because it became an all out WAR who got to ride in it and push it around the tree lot. Lots and lots of tears which brought on lots and lots of looks from other tree lot patrons wondering why we have so many kids and can't we get them under control?



Our Two Little Lambs and Bear running amok in the tree lot



"Teek-a-Boo" as Fenley says

Bear enjoying the tree search much more than the twins

Tada----the tree was trimmed during nap time over the course of a couple days. And yes, sadly, there is only one wrapped present thus far. Sooooo much to do and soooo little time!

I love our ornaments. Our sweet family friends threw Joe and I a Christmas Ornament Shower before our wedding back during Christmas 2004. Each ornament is from a friend or loved one with a few silly fillers along the way that we collected and now many sweet Baby's First Ornaments. O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree.......



My insanely messy dining room taking the brunt of my holiday shopping, decorating, and Christmas Card assembly line. I am up to my earlobes in Christmas Card tasks right now and even dragged this entire pile and mess with me on the road in hopes of finishing them with family. I am half way done and my mother complained that she was having to assemble her own card. Did I mention I like to put others to work? :) Thanks, Mom! Everyone will appreciate your adorable bows you tied if I ever actually get these out!



My lovely homemade wreath and garland from years gone by in the past. Still hanging in there with us.....



A close up of my homemade wreath. Smashed and just enjoying its month out of the back room storage. But still making the room merry and bright!



My pitiful garland and mantle not yet decorated. I promise to love on you and give you tender care upon our return and decorate you hearth. If anyone has any good mantle pictures please send ideas! I need to help this hearth.

Elf on the Shelf or the sad hearth in this case. I like this idea. I wish my children cared the elf was watching them because they do not care if they are bad or good. We need a name for this little elf. Help! We pondered as a family and came up with nothing but Patsy and Connor which happen to be the twins' favorite classmates at school. Please send us some names!

This was last year's Christmas Card picture. It was a riot. The twins were about 12 months old in the picture and Bear was around 2 weeks (if that old). Mary Ellie is poking him, the baby is yelling, and Fenley looks completely irritated at this early Christmas present that arrived in his house.



We frame our Christmas Card pictures with the date on the frame every year. Super fun to look back on and remember each year that has passed. We are still assembling and waiting for the pictures from this year. Stay tuned on that one!



Our Front Door Wreaths and Poinsettas. This sparked a great debate between Joe and I at the Tree Lot. The large wreaths were gone so we choose these. Joe seemed to want me to put up our old fake wreaths that I made years ago. I wanted to put up real....and so on and so forth. Please notice the beautiful real wreaths gracing the entry to our home now! :)

Our Home in the Daylight

Doesn't Santa look jolly perched on our tree?

I took some random other pictures of other family traditions around our house. Mostly just so my children would remember the little things we had and did in the past. They are not all out crazy, original, clever, pretty or really even finished but I thought I would post them just for grins. We are still visiting family in our hometown so I will have fun, new updates unrelated to the house we left behind that is waiting jolly, happy, and festive for it's family to come home again!

Not too Griswold-y but festive. Tis the Season!!