Tree up

No judging. Just see the cuteness with me. We put up our Christmas tree tonight since we won't be here all week, and it was convenient. Afterward, the kids all curled up under the tree and just stared at it. Love it! I remember doing that as a kid and wanting to be as close to the tree as possible in the evenings when the lights were on. Putting up the tree and decorating the house is one of the best parts of Christmas. What I really love is that nearly all of our ornaments and decorations are handmade by us or the kids, so even though the tree looks a little hokey, the kids love it all and they all have some special meaning. This is how we decorated our tree growing up. Except we always had a real tree. We had one last year, but opted to put up our fake one this year since we'll be gone for the week of Christmas. I'm planning on making a real wreath, though, so that I can still get that awesome smell. I got the kids some Christmas CDs just for them--Chipmunks, Muppets, The Grinch. Trying to re-create those same sentiments and feelings I had as a kid for them. So many little things just fill me up with the Christmas spirit and remind me of my childhood. My mom and dad really made that magic happen for us. We have all our Christmas books out, and I'll start putting the movies out after we get back from Thanksgiving.