It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The YEAR!

I love Christmas time! Yes, it comes at a time when life is stressful {money is tight, birthdays, presents, etc.}, but I love the holiday none the less! First off, it is Jesus' birthday! What a wonderful gift to be celebrating!!! After all, Christmas wouldn't exist without Christ!!!! That is our main focus during the holiday! We try not to go overboard with the gifts for the kids and we make sure they know that the real reason we celebrate this holiday is because it is Jesus' birthday! We don't do the Santa thing. A lot of people think we are crazy for it. But, we don't like the idea of getting our kids to believe in Santa and then having them find out the truth down the road. And we don't want them to focus on SANTA instead of Jesus. Though, we do tell them the story of St. Nicholas.

I absolutely {LOVE} putting up the Christmas tree! I usually rush it and get it up the day after Thanksgiving!!! We waited until Saturday this year!! hehe!! If I could, I would keep the tree up all year!!! I think Adam would actually agree to it too so he didn't have to lug the heavy tree box around two times a year!!!! Unfortunately, that won't be happening. So, he can keep lugging it around!

So, anyway, I thought I would share some pictures of our tree and some of our ornaments!

The kids decorating the tree!



Here it is!! All done decorating!!!



I found these boxes at Hobby Lobby the other day. I thought they were awesome!!! I have never seen anything like them before. And of course I automatically thought they would make for some awesome props!


Madison didn't make it here in time for Christmas last year. She was just 4 days later! {not laste past her due date, just later than Christmas :)} So, this is technically her first Christmas, even though we celebrated after she was born last year. I bought her Baby's 1st Christmas Ornament yesterday. I was a bit bummed because Things Remembered discontinued the pewter ones that I had gotten for Mackenzie and Nicholas. This one has the year on a heart at the top of the green ribbon.


This is Mackenzie's ornament {case ya couldn't tell ;)}. I LOVE the pewter ornaments!!! I just love the look of them. Not too flashy, but still silvery!! I fell in love with this before I had her. So, I picked it up and had it engraved. I thought it was perfect. I have always loved stars and moons! In fact, I have a TON of stars and moons stuff that I collected over the years!! She has some of it now!


I loved that ornament so much, I bought it for Nicholas too!!!!


His Nana had bought him one while I was in the hospital trying to keep him baking! I had no idea. So, after I was released from the hospital, one of my walking trips to try and get him out was going to buy his ornament. And then we got a package from Adam's mom and this one was in it! lol! So he has 2 Baby's first ornaments!


Another one of Nicholas' ornaments! He loves Veggie Tales! Almost as much as his daddy does!!!


Hi!!!! Just taking some pictures of the ornaments :)


Mackenzie's Princess ornament that her Nana had made for her!


I really like this one!


I bought these before we even had a Christmas tree! There are three of them and then the tree topper that goes with it. But I don't use that topper anymore. I have a new one :)


This is the new one!


I don't know why... but something about Christmas Light Tree Bokeh makes me all warm and fuzzy!!! I love it!!



So, there you have it!!!! Our Christmas tree!!!