It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

We decorated our tree yesterday, and today is our first Christmas celebration of the season! This time of year always brings back so many fond memories of growing up. My parents did a fantastic job of emphasizing tradition, highlighting the nostalgia that comes a long with the holidays.

Decorating the tree growing up was quite a task. Once we had settled into the house on the hill Dad decided he wanted to get a big gianormous tree to fill up the entryway. And he did just that. I think most trees were 22-26 ft... So just getting the tree in the house and secured was quite an ordeal. It can be an ordeal even with a 6 foot tree!

After the tree had been tethered down to random points in the entry way with twine we started to decorate. With a ladder. Tinsel too. On my dad's side many ornaments were passed down, meaning many from Germany. Since his parents passed when I was very small I always felt like when we opened the many ornament boxes their spirits came out as well and helped us decorate. I would like to go through those boxes of ornaments someday and experience that again.

Our Christmases are a little more simple here. We have a 6 foot beautiful tree. We have 2 plastic tubs that house our decorations, christmas books, towels, and holiday wrap. I was thrilled last year to only have 1 tub of decor but then I wised up and packed up all the other stuff (towels, wrapping) that I didn't use throughout the year, so I am okay with having 2 tubs.

Owen really enjoyed looking at all of the ornaments, finding photo ones of himself "when he was a little baby". Ara had fun chewing on the fake fruit ornaments and putting them by the tree.

Today is the Schledewitz German Christmas at the Aubins and Erik has flown in from Texas! So excited to gather today!