25 Days of Christmas

DAY 1

Happy Holidays Everyone! Christmas is here once again. For me, the season always seems to be gone for way to long, then it hits you in the face before you are ready for the full impact of the season. Last year I had just had little Austin which truly changed my regular Christmas routines. Memo to me... no more babies around the holidays. (Well, I guess that only goes for the one more we are planning on in the future unless I completely loose my mind somewhere along the way and want more in which case I really hope someone throws cold water on me and reminds me that four is my personal limit, for sanity reasons.) Anyway, back to the topic at hand. So as I was say, last year wasn't very festive for me. I remember barely getting my tree decorated in time of the holidays. Eric was about to start at a new company and we buckled down on the gift buying, and I mean really buckled down. (Which was actually a plus, but really threw off my groove of Christmas shopping, which I actually LOVE) We looked at Christmas lights regularly with the kids, but there were no other decorations around my home to help make my days merry and bright. I remember I went right back to work taking pictures after the baby was born and was SWAMPED with work onto top of having a new born. So blah, blah, blah, long story short, the season came and went last year and I didn't ever feel a thing in the way of the Christmas spirit I love so much. So this last week, as I prepared for the month ahead, I took some time to sit back and enjoy life. The week of Thanksgiving was one of the most enjoyable weeks I've had in a while. I spent time with my mom, my family, my friends and my work. It was a busy week, but every day held so much joy and love I couldn't help but want that to spread over into the next month.

So I have decided, to really make this Christmas real and tangible, my family and I will do something in the Christmas spirit every day. Yep, EVERY SINGLE DAY. It might be doing decorations, or caroling. Maybe just making some Christmas cookies and watch a Christmas movie as a family. I know this weekend we have several things planned, and by tomorrow the family and I will have something on the calendar to do each day until Christmas. I am especially excited to teach the boys about the true meaning of Christmas and hope to have them understand what it means to feel that spirit of love and joy this holiday season.

So today, being the first of our 25 days, what a better thing to start with that getting a tree. We headed out after dark to find the perfect tree.

Eric and I toyed with the idea of a fake tree, which I had not intention of ever considering.... ever! And after we looked at some last night, we both came to the conclusion that fake trees just aren't our style. (No offense to anyone who sports a fake tree. More power to you. But after 26 years of real trees, I can't give it up.) It is a process for me to find a tree, and gratefully Grandma and Grandpa also came along so I could inspect the trees one by one while the kids ran around the lot.

Austin snuggled right into Grandma when we arrived. I caught this cute picture of him smirking as he rested his head on her shoulder as he had the warmest spot on the lot.

Tyler freaked out the tree lot dog at one point and in turn really worried me too. He was playing in between the trees, and while we knew the general area he was in, no one really had an exact whereabouts as to his location. As Eric got closer and closer to him, Ty let out a loud growl to scare him. Apparently it was a rather loud growl because the dog on the lot heard it too and came braking and snarling in Ty's direction. My mom hairs went up and I quickly looked around for my son. My mom took off running to find him too. Luckily the owners called the dog off and Eric was close enough to Ty to keep him from any real danger. But god to know that Ty can growl well enough fake out a dog.

After the perfect tree was found, we all headed over to Starbucks for a camel apple cider and a quick update of the days events from the whole family. We ended back a my place for a few quick Christmas gifts (I'll grab pictures of them in the morning) from my mom, just to help keep this holiday going in style.

This is my day #1 of my Christmas count down. I can't wait for tomorrows events. Keep the good times coming!!