Christmas Tree Hunting

We continued our (2nd) annual tradition of cutting down our own Christmas tree. This year we went for the kind with the long soft needles (white pine?) that don't shed very much. This kind, however, has very soft branches too, which means we were unable to hang about half our ornaments because they are too heavy. And just as I wrote that sentence, our star fell out of the top of the tree. We love the look though, and still have enough lights and ornaments to make it pretty.

If you remember from last year, Miss Hannah won the Grumpy Pants child award and Liv won Most Well Behaved child of the day.

We reminded Hannah several times that she was grumpy last year so lets not have a repeat performance. Well, both girls did fantastic and it even rained on us most of the time.

They were pretty cute all bundled up in their snow suits and did a great job running around the Christmas tree farm.

Hannah and Olivia even did a great job helping me put the ornaments on, and only one broke!

Olivia was cracking me up because she would just set the ornament on a branch and walk away and then look back puzzled as it crashed to the ground. She only did that 15 times before I stopped her.

Hannah, on the other hand, once I showed her how to hang the hooks on the branches, had fun hanging about 10 ornaments in the same exact spot. Which, of course, I took a picture of, and didn't change because it's too cute.

Also, the little ceramic tree I got last year for my birthday has been up for a while and Hannah named it Barney. She would like everyone to know that the big, real tree is named Clifford.

This morning I put them in the cutest winter matching outfits and tried to get some pictures in front of the tree but they ended up horrible. So bad that I couldn't even edit them. We will have to try it again tonight.

The pics from our cold, rainy day.

Getting ready to go out. I love them all bundled up with their hats.

Don't they look so cozy? It was so warm in our car Liv almost fell asleep on the way there (it didn't help that Matt made a 10 minute drive into a 30 minute drive somehow).

Ok, so I got sick on Wednesday and felt my worst on Friday night (more about that later) and into Saturday morning. Apparently when I am sick and feel completely awful, I also look like a dude. Gross. But I'm just keeping in real here.

I just love this picture of Olivia asking to be held and looking like a little marshmallow.

Setting up the tree in our sitting room.

With the lights on. Isn't Clifford pretty?

When I stand at the sink, this is my view to the left. I love it. (FYI, there is a plate missing from the middle spot on the wall. I broke it when I painted the room a couple weeks ago. It was only a semi valuable, rare, antique. Whatev.)

And still standing at the sink, if I look to the right into the dining room, this is my other view. I love it.

Can you see all the ornaments in one spot? I guess when you find a spot that works....

So speaking of being sick, I had to miss BSF Wednesday but I think I felt my worst on Friday and into Saturday afternoon.
I worked on Friday though, and after work I had promised that we would decorate Christmas cookies.
While I thought my head might explode, I rolled out the dough I had made Thursday, made the icing and set the girls up with the decoractions.
Disaster.
As of last night I was feeling a million times better so I think today we are going to attempt round 2 (which I will actually document).
I am a much better parent when I am healthy, so throw in two little girls, icing, cookies and sugar sprinkles and it was too much for my already overloaded system. It all ended in tears and a bath for all involved.

Hope you had a wonderful, holiday-spirit filled weekend!