And the tree goes up

Christmas season is well under way in our house. We got an early start this year (Jeremy put up the outside lights before Thanksgiving!) and have been enjoying all the fun that comes with the decor.

We did our traditional "put up the family tree evening" the Sunday after Thanksgiving. We ate a delicious dinner by candlelight, the kids opened their first gift of Christmas (an ornament) and then we decked the tree while enjoying cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate. Lizzie's showing off her 2 most recent ornament acquisitions - Lucy Loo from the Grinch and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer's girlfriend.

We are taking every opportunity to live up this holiday season. The kids open up a door on our advent house every morning and get a special surprise - like a tiny ornament, or a chocolate coin, or a note that says to play a Christmas CD while getting ready for school. We've been out to see some pretty Christmas lights. We've seen the kids' winter programs at school. We started wrapping gifts. And are already simmering our traditional Christmas potpourri every day.

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas around here.