Some of the halls are decked, and here we are just sitting in them not sharing...

This happened weeks and weeks ago. Things got festive!

 Drake got out the uber-ladder (Werner multi-purpose 26 foot) and climbed up to the top of the front of our house to string lights.  I am the worst light-stringing/ladder partner that a man could ever want.  Imagine the worst kind of back seat driver-- now imagine that you're 20+ feet in the air.  I tried to warn him as I foresaw this happening.  I just don't have the calm and steady nerves required of a ladder holder.  Rowan, kindly grow up quickly so that you can help your dad with this.  I'll be inside making hot cocoa and baking cookies.

I made Rowan a stocking :)  It ended up being smaller than Drake's and mine, but I can always re-felt it when he's old enough to notice such things.  I cut the felt "R" out free-hand!  Our printer was out of ink and I was very eager to decorate.  

You can see the tree in the sunroom through the dining room (we have three :)

Here's the Living Room tree, (tree #2) with some lovely glass ornaments from our dear friends the Lussiers.  They were a wedding gift and now we're finally able to use them.

I'll have to get some shots of the outside of the house too-- we have a tree on the front porch as well as an old-timey sled with a bow and (tragically) a pumpkin which still hasn't made its way to the trash... ha!

Not bad for our first Christmas!  We're thinking that we'll add a little bit every year till we are totally decked.  We just did lights on the front of the house and the porch this year.  Next year, perhaps the whole thing!  I think we'll also add a couple lighted wreaths next year-- one on the front porch and one over the garage.  Almost all of the houses on our block have candles in the windows, so that may be an option too.

On a side note, I'm so glad that I was able to sell Drake on the idea of a porch tree!  at first he was not at all on board, but he came around.  I'm going to start planting the idea now of 6ft tall elves/nutcrackers to go in between each of the columns on our porch (which are wrapped with red ribbon to look like candy canes this year)

Merry Merry, everyone!