Christmas 2012 Part 1-Getting a Tree

We kicked off our Christmas season with decorating and getting our REAL tree.  Last year we got our tree a little early and it was dying long before Christmas came around.  This year we held off for a couple of weeks.  We tried to go one Saturday afternoon and the boys were jumping off of equipment at Home Depot.  So we went home without a tree.  They were so sad.  So when Monday night FHE rolled around, I may have threatened a little, saying that we wouldn't get a tree if they didn't behave--then Santa wouldn't be able to find our house.  They were angels and even charmed the people at the nursery to get some candy canes.  They all helped pick out the perfect tree.  It really was.  I was in love with it this year.  It was fat and taller than me (anything looks small in our oddly shaped, large,  vaulted ceiling room) and smelled oh so good!

Here are a couple pictures of the boys with the tree.

Carson was making everybody line up.  Not sure why.  Hudson's monkey hat is from when he was an infant and it is way too small.

Travis' little clone.

We barely had the tree in the stand when Carson put on the first decoration.  As soon as we walked in the door with the tree, he ran upstairs and started making candy canes.  He told me he was going to make 100.  Then Porter joined in and they had a candy cane making factory going.  They were playing so well together and being so cute, we let them stay up extra late!

Earlier that day Carson had found a box that he asked if he could use.  So he put stuff in there and drew a ribbon on it.  Then he asked me to help him tie real ribbon on.  It was for me!  He put that under the tree right away and it stayed there until Christmas when I got to open my box of previously owned (by me) cardstock.  He is so sweet.

We didn't decorate the tree completely that night because we didn't have enough lights.  So here is a picture from Christmas morning.  By this time it was a bit disheveled.  But I was surprised that the boys left it alone for the most part.  The only time we had problems was when Hudson would get a little crazy playing ball.

We started decorating for Christmas and they were so excited.  We put up garland and lights, signs, stockings, wreaths and more lights, snowmen, snowflakes, mistletoe and lights and a wreath outside too.  I still don't own a nativity.  I just won't fork over the almost 40 bucks for the little people one and have never really spent any money on Christmas decorations.  That is my goal for next year-get at least 1 nativity.  Carson and Porter also made a lot of "Christmas signs" and taped them to the walls all over the house.  It was so festive and fun to see them get into the Christmas spirit.