Since Marty is fundamentally opposed to chopping down a Christmas tree... unless it is in our own yard
like last year, we headed to a local tree lot and picked out our tree.
Josie, as usual, had a definite opinion about which tree was to be ours. Josie and her pick.
The last couple years Marty has gotten in on the decorating and it is much more fun for everyone. I normally don't put ALL the ornaments on the tree and if I do I hide the ornaments that I don't like very much in the back. When these three decorate all the ornaments go in the front. It is a bit crowded but it is decorated with love and a lot of enthusiasm.
Most of the Christmas decorations I have gotten from my mom over the years. This nativity set below I bought while on a family trip to Israel and this set was bought in Bethlehem back in 1995 (ish). The kids like to use it like a doll house even though I tell them it isn't a toy. Lately Josie yells from the other room, "Mom, Benjamin is playing with your Jesus center thingy!"
My mom was clearing out all of her Christmas decorations a few years back. It was the middle of summer and Christmas was the last thing on my mind. But I took it all and now I'm so glad I did. These candle sticks were my mom's and the advent calendar was a gift from Julie to the kids when she lived here. The pointsettia table runner I bought in Mexico back in 1999 in Mexico City, I believe My friend and traveling partner, Marjie, convinced me to buy this and in the middle of July I thought it was a silly choice but every year I bring it out I have fond memories of our epic Mexico trip. A journey that took us from the outer beaches off of Cancun across the entire country of Mexico where we then flew out of Cabo San Lucas. Thank you Julie and Marjie and Mom for all of the awesome decorations and the memories.
These snowmen.. also from Mom.
As well as these elves and a bunch of other decorations that we put up each year.
This year Josie said all she wanted for Christmas was an "Elf on the Shelf." I was a bit hesitant because that is a lot of work for, ummm.. the elf to have to fly back to the North Pole each night and then sneak back in the house and hide in a new and unique place each morning. Josie received her elf for our traditional Julklapp exchange at Thanksgiving. It was a boy, it even says so on the box. It says "I am a boy" and Josie really wanted a girl elf so she just took a Sharpie marker and crossed out the "I am a boy" and wrote over the top of it, "I am a girl" and then proceeded to name her elf, Rosabelle. She turned out to be a bit naughty. She often would just hide on a shelf or in the tree or someplace no so unique but several times she was caught doing naughty things. A couple times she was found on top of the TV set.. watching it of course. She also was found in a bag of M&M's and even once was on the couch playing the guitar. No photo representation of those.
Below she stole Josie's glasses and prompted herself up to watch some T.V.
She was also caught kissing one of the nutcrackers
Reading to the Christmas friends.
And trying to get some hummingbird nectar
Rosabelle turned out to be more fun and less work than I had anticipated. We will say goodbye to her tonight (Christmas Eve) and look forward to more of her antics next year.
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