The fake tree

We did it, we finally ordered an "artificial" aka: FAKE Christmas tree. I never thought I'd do it, but it is proving to be beneficial. For one, we were able to start our Christmas decorating long before Thanksgiving even happened. We went with a 9 footer. I wanted the 12 footer, like the one in the entrance of our Walmart, but we discovered that the area that we wanted it in our home was only 11 feet high. A 10 footer would have been perfect, but we could only find a 9 footer. It's still pretty tall. Tall enough that we needed to get a ladder for the girls to place the star on top.

So, we ordered this online and when we got it we discovered it came with pine cones stuck on different branches. At first I thought for sure I'd cut them all off, it made the tree look that much more fake. But, after fluffing the branches it looked beautiful. Go figure! Maybe I should buy a fake bird or squirrel to add to our ornaments next year...ha ha.

Everyone had a chance to climb the ladder.



After we finished decorating, Jeff read the kids a Christmas story. I love this picture! I love how Jeff uses the full couch, but the kids are snuggled into him as closely as possible. They sure do love him and can't get enough time with him. Sullivan had an interesting spot, but he stayed there the whole time. I was worried that a page turning might knock him off, but he held onto Jeff's ear most of the time (though this picture doesn't show it).