it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here
December 8th, 2008
Our tree is up and decorated. I think December 7th might be the earliest I’ve put up a Christmas tree since we got married. I like to focus on Advent in the first part of December, so we don’t usually put the tree up till after the 15th at the earliest. But I already know we’ll be super busy next weekend, and the weekend after that we might be busy too…so this weekend it had to be. And you know what?
I’m totally okay with it. Maybe it’s because Annalie is older now and she gets soooo excited about all things Christmas. She squeezes each moment for all the joy and drama she can get out of it. She says things like, “It’s the prettiest Santa I’ve ever seen!!!” about each ornament as it’s unwrapped. It’s hilarious and makes the whole process that much more enjoyable for the grown-ups.
Three of the ornaments on our tree this year are new, courtesy of the Color Me Happy Swaparooni‘s Ornament Swap. I got partnered with Amanda this time. She glittered the lime and lemon ornaments herself. Aren’t they gorgeous?
If you know me, you know I love citrus colors and flavors and scents. These are just plain perfect for me. We have a lemon tree and a lime tree in our yard right now, so in future years when we’re decorating the tree we can pull these out of the box and say, “Annalie, remember when you were 4 and we lived in California and we had the lime and lemon trees?” Thank you so much, Amanda, I really do love them! (I do also love the photo ornament you sent, but I don’t have any photos to put in it yet. I’ll probably get around to that in April or May, knowing me.)
Amanda’s son Wildman made these adorable popsicle-stick reindeer ornaments for his friends, with a little help from mom, and he sent one for Annalie. Wasn’t that nice of him? His younger brother Cutie Pie also picked out a Tinkerbell paper doll set for Annalie, which she opened and began playing with before I even had one of my ornaments open. Thanks, Wildman and Cutie Pie! Annalie was very happy to have her own presents to open.
Photo by sams&nickels
I was in such a hurry to get Amanda’s ornaments packaged up and mailed off (a day late, oops) that I totally forgot to take photos of them. Luckily, Amanda blogged about the ornament swap too, and included cute photos of her boys opening the candy-cane ornaments Annalie painted for them.
We also hung lights outside this weekend. We didn’t go too crazy. Just a simple string of lights along the front and one side of the house…and lights in the lemon tree!
Speaking of Christmas lights in the lemon tree, have you noticed my new banner? Thanks again, Brenda!
After we finished hanging the lights in the tree and on the house yesterday, Troy decided to hose down the patio. Annalie took that as her cue to change into a swimsuit.
Hanging Christmas lights outside and then thinking, Gee, I’m hot. I think I’ll cool off in my swimsuit and run through the sprinkler now: one of the many good things about life in Southern California.
I still kinda miss snow.
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Love the lights in the lemon tree, and your new banner. :) Also, the thought of running around in a swim suit outside right now is bone chilling. We got a little snow here in MD over the weekend. It wasn’t much but it covered the grass and our cars. Brrrr.
Aw! I’m so glad you like the ornaments. We love our so much. They will always have a special place on our Christmas tree.
Southern California sounds a lot like FL…
Isn’t it funny: I saw your lovely tree and imagined that it just has to be -21 degrees Celcius outside like it is here today…until I see that last photo. I’m jealous!
I just noticed the lemon trees on the banner Brenda made—love it!
Lol… I know the feeling of warm weather in Christmas… lol…
I always wear jacket in Christmas Eve dinner because I think is what I must wear and always end the night taking it out because I can’t resist the hot, lol…
I have just posted pics from my Christmas home and one of th pics you can see my kid wearing just his panties, lol… In December!!!!!!!
Beautiful pictures! You girls have a creativity that far exceeds my own.
Hey you stole my title! Just kidding. I think every blog about Christmas is titled that about now. I love your lights and lemon ornaments! So cool and pretty! Can’t wait to see them in person!
Love the new banner (love that you clued us in too, I hadn’t noticed the lemons!) Great pics too, needless to say it was the snow here in KC last weekend that prompted us to do the tree, swimsuits were not used afterward…
Stare into the lights on the lemon tree and the seating area below looks like it’s covered in snow. It fooled me for a moment in any case!
Love those two pics of the lights on the lemon tree- they are really well done! (So is the new banner! Cute!)
I’m missing the snow myself, and I live in Colorado. What is wrong with this picture? I do think we may get some today though… I hope.
I love seeing everyone’s Christmas decorations!
Let’s see, it was -26C with the windchill yesterday, so after we decorated the tree, we did not go out in our swimsuits to cool off, but heated up some warm dinner and snuggled under blankets :). Today was even colder, but it was a one day spell and will be much warmer for the rest of the week. It is supposed to snow (a lot) tonight, so you are welcome to come for a visit!
p.s. Love the new banner and the lemon tree with lights :)
I love these photos! Though the swimsuit ones threw me off :-)
I will be sending you some snow. Tonight? It took me 1 1/2 hours to drive 5 miles.
My first year in CA I promptly forgot all the December birthdays because it was so warm. And I went swimming in the ocean on December 24th, just so I could say that I did.
I’m celebrating advent by decorating my house this year, it seems. We pulled the tree in from the patio last night and will most likely decorate it tonight or tomorrow… Our family tradition when I was little was to get the tree early, then keep it on the patio (in the cold) until the 23rd, decorate it and sometimes even hide it from the kids until the 24th.
The build-up to Christmas Eve was beautiful. Just thinking about it makes me miss my grandpa.
I love the outdoor tree photo! Also, the best ornaments are the ones that the kids make. I love them. That popsicle stick one is great!
Wearing a swimsuit in December just doesn’t seem right.
Even here in SOUTH TEXAS we can’t wear a bathing suit right now!
I love the lemon/lime ornaments – very, very cool!