It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!

Happy December!

I have been alternating between distress and delight this December……how about you?

Here are some pictures of my delight.  Keep in mind that I am not a good photographer.  I just focus (or try to!) and click.  I don't edit the pictures before I post….sometimes I do crop them, but that's about all.  

On Tuesday before Thanksgiving, the other Kelly (that's what my children started calling our college friend, Kelly--to keep from mixing him up with our friend Kelly who is the husband of my friend Lynn) came over to decorate our house for the Christmas season.  Kelly as been doing this for me for 10 years now, and my house would not look nearly as pretty without his help.  He does all the arranging on the mantle, the dining room table, on a couple of other tables, my Santas, my light fixtures, and lots and lots of garland.  While he works his magic, the children and I put out other holiday whatnots, and try to help him when possible.  Mostly we just stay out of his way!

We bought our (live) tree that same day, but we waited to decorate it until Olivia came home from college for her Thanksgiving break.  I picked her up from the airport about lunch time on Wednesday, and we were home by about 2:00 (lots of traffic!).  I took a couple of hours to put the lights on the tree, and then the children decorated it while I prepared supper.  Olivia took a nap during this time which is why I do not have a picture of her.  But she was there!  And it was a happy time.  

 Beginning to place the ornaments

 Since Clay is the tallest, he has ladder duty.

 Our pretty tree

 One of the table arrangements Kelly did.

The cross-stitched Santa was made by my Meme (who passed away last February). The Johnsons pottery platter was made by Jimmy's sister, Jenny.

 My collection of Santa Clauses.  This is at the top of our TV cabinet.

 The finished tree

 Another table arrangement by Kelly.

This is the welded tree that Clay made me for Mother's Day.  I hung salt dough ornaments made and painted by Julie along with our purchased and dated family ornaments that I have collected through the years.  I have not hung this year's ornament on this tree yet. The tree topper was made by Leah--out of duct tape.

 My dining room

On top of the chest in my dining room

 Decorating the tree

 More decorating

The last table that Kelly did.  Jimmy bought me those three cute trees several years ago after I admired them in our local florist's window.  I love those tree!

So, that's some of my December delight.

My December distress includes the fact that I am training for a marathon, we are still doing school, I have not completed my Christmas shopping or even list making, and I have not made any handmade gifts.

I did get our Christmas cards ordered at 1:00 AM Tuesday morning!

I already know several changes that I plan to make for the time between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day to be more enjoyable next year.  Live and learn. You can't do it all.  More posts to come concerning ways I have simplified (a little) this Christmas season, and what I plan to do differently in the future. 

P.S. I am trying to put a family picture at the top of my blog like I used to have, but I cannot figure out how to keep it from being so huge.  And my blog title disappears when I include the picture.  Any words of wisdom?