O Christmas Tree

Having moved this year, we now have 9' ceilings (our apartment had 7' mostly with bulkheads that lowered it in several places another foot or so) and a much larger living space. So we were pretty excited to be able to get a big Christmas tree (why else would we need 9' ceilings and more space?). Back in June, while discussing how the livingroom would be set up, one of the questions posed was where the Christmas tree would go. Yes, this is a very important part of what this house is all about! The tree we got isn't quite 9' tall but fills the space pretty adequately being about 8 1/2' tall and 5' wide towards the bottom. We had to buy extra strings of lights to fill it but we already had more than enough ornaments. I love our collection. We have some that are merely decorative but the majority of them hold special meaning for us.

December already?

Wow birthday season has already passed us and Christmas is coming up quickly! We threw a joint birthday party for the boys on the Saturday between their birthdays (first party for either of them) and I think it went quite well! There was nothing fancy (at all! I even resorted to decorating the cake during the party because it hadn't cooled in time) but I think all those present enjoyed themselves so really, that's all that matters! Pinterest will have to wait until I have a few more parties under my belt. Or maybe not even then. Having that many people over was a bit crazy at times but it also made me realize that we can manage to fit not too uncomfortably. We're not set up to have a large sit-down dinner but the space here is laid out in a way that a decent number of people can gather without being too crowded. Okay, maybe it's not crowded only by my family's standards - being part of a fairly large family, it isn't often we don't have to squeeze when we get together. Our apartment made it difficult to show hospitality unless it were only one or two people coming over so it's nice to have the feeling that we finally are able to host things. And now Christmas is coming I can't wait to begin decorating! This seems like the perfect house for Christmas. Well, I am a little worried about the cats destroying the tree and decorations but aside from that things should be wonderful! The one strange thing about this year is that with the two boys I had given birth by this time and had a Christmas baby to add to the cheer but this time I still have several months to go. At least I'm through the horrid first trimester! Perhaps another reason I am more conscious about not having my baby out yet (not that I want her to be premature!) is because my sister-in-law and cousin have both just had their babies and it just seems strange not to have mine, too. There are so many other wonderful things about this season that I shouldn't be worried about a little detail like that and I'm not upset or sad, it's just different. But then each year is different. I love so much about Advent and Christmas and perhaps it's a good thing I don't have a little one to distract just yet. Any way, thinking about babies at Christmas, here are pictures from the boys' first Christmases. Awake: Sleeping: