It Must Be Christmas!

It must be Christmas! On Tuesday I was quite surprised with this lovely set of handmade cards from Karyn. They are truly beautiful. And so well made. Almost too pretty to use! Thank you, Karyn! I love them!



On Monday I set up Christmas tree #2 in our formal living room. I only had enough time to put up the lights and the wooden "cranberry" garland. On Tuesday Mason and I decorated it while Spenser and Sawyer napped. I usually decorate this tree by myself because I use sentimental and fragile ornaments on it, but Mason was so sweet that day and really wanted to help. I could not refuse.

Our house is 130+ years old and I try to decorate it how trees were decorated in years past. I have a lot of glass and wooden candies on my tree, although back then they would have used real candy. And I use the wooden cranberry garland, instead of the real, messy cranberries. (Have you ever tried to string your own popcorn/cranberry garland? I remember doing that as a child and poking my fingers way too many times with the sharp needle! I do not wish to repeat the torture! Wooden works well for me here.)

Glass "hard" candy.

Wooden lollipops.

Wooden peppermint candies.

Little mittens.

I also have a few glass icicles and a bunch of mini-candle holders (above). In the olden days, trees were decorated with real, burning candles. I use white birthday-style candles, although larger candles would work, too. I don't light our candles (obviously), but I still decorate the tree with them. (My mother has several antique icicles and candle holders and mini red candles from my grandmother.)

* * * THANK YOU * * *

Thank you everyone for your very kind birthday wishes to Taylor. I let him read the comments and he was very happy. A few more came in after he went to bed, but I will make sure he reads them before school. I'm sorry I was not able to respond to everyone. It's been a little hectic here lately. (Joe and I put up beadboard in our upstairs bathroom today. And it took all. day. long!)

* * * ADVENT * * *

And, I've been slacking on my Advent activities. I've been a little forgetful lately, too.

Monday -- we were singing Christmas carols when the fire-engine-riding Santa rode down the street. Then the children ate oranges and candy canes, courtesy of Santa.

Tuesday -- the children received their homemade Christmas ornaments. And, Capello, just so you know, I did not have time to redo Jack's ornament, so he got the funky one.

Wednesday -- this is awful, but we didn't do anything. Taylor wanted to go to dinner for his birthday (Chinese) and go to Target to buy his birthday present. By the time we came home, gave baths, sang "Happy Birthday" to him, ate cake, read scriptures, and said our family prayer, it was 9:45 p.m. -- way past their bedtime. I had planned to give them some Little Debbie Christmas-tree shaped brownies, but we really ate too much at dinner and had cake at 9:30 at night!