Let There Be (Colored!) Lights

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here. Even more so this year than last, because this year we have colored lights on the tree! Thanks to Nathan, I finally have a swing vote to trump Mark's desire for boring old white Christmas tree lights! :) I don't care if you call me a redneck -- colored lights are just more jolly, plain and simple. And we're not going for classy here anyway, we're going for festive.

(But don't worry, the outside of the house still has white lights only; even I have my limits.)

Buying a tree this year was chaotic because of Nathan's newfound Santa-fear. The Santa display at the farmer's market, combined with the cold rain, made for less-than-ideal shopping conditions. But we found one -- a BIG one -- and were on our merry way, two screaming children in the backseat.

Once we were home and dry, we did have fun putting on the (colored!) lights. Well, I don't know how much fun it was for Mark, considering he wasn't thrilled about the colored lights,
and two of the light strands crapped out on him when they were halfway on the tree. Which I'm pretty sure is part of the tree-lighting experience, right? My dad's fights with tree lights over my childhod years are some of the more humorous things I remember from Christmases past. But he was able to grin and bear it, as you can see.

One of my favorite things about our tree, even more than the (colored!) lights, is that most all of our ornaments have memories. We don't go for one of those all-matching, stick-to-a-theme department store trees. We buy ornaments on our travels, and to mark special occasions or seasons in our family's life, and then as we decorate the tree every year we can relive those memories. (And make fun of the ugly ornaments. Every family has a few of those, right?) We even have some ornaments from our own childhoods. Actually, Mark and I both have the same "Baby's First Christmas 1980" ornaments that go on the tree every year. :)

So Nathan has a few ornaments that are "his," and this year he could actually help decorate! (Mark and I had to help him a little.) He was so sweet -- he kept saying, Look at that! Look at the tree! It's got lights on it! And then talking about all the ornaments. I hope he grows to love the memory-filled way we decorate our tree as much as I do.

We also hung up all the stockings over the fireplace. (It took some convincing for Nathan to believe these are stockings and not boots.) It's official: no more surprise babies, we are out of stocking space!! Jesting aside, I do like seeing Anneliese's stocking hanging up there with the rest of ours. I have no idea what Santa will put in it, considering her needs are so basic right now and she can't play with toys yet, but I'm sure he (or his reindeer -- since if Santa himself comes to our house, Nathan might have a panic attack) will think of something.

Before bed, we busted out the Christmas pj's and put the kids under the tree for some pictures. Clearly I don't know how to take good pictures without the flash, but they do look awfully sweet and yule-tidey.

Happy Advent from our house to yours!

Now I'm off to wrap some presents....