It's beginning to look alot like CHRISTMAS!!

Well the decorating is finally done..... Actually has been for awhile now, but I'm just getting around to taking pictures and finally posting them.  I have to say that every year I find something more, buy more lights, more garland, and more CRAP and it seems that it just isn't enough!!! I remember our house when I was growing up and my Mom always put up 3- 7.5 foot trees and then 3- 4 footers.  WOW! 
I have been looking for a manger all season long and the ones I found were cheap as hell looking.  I got a package in the mail about 2 weeks ago from my Mom and inside it I couldn't have been more giddy to find what I did.  We had two mangers when I was growing up.  One with all the whole party of animals and such and then this one.  My Mom received this one, that was made by my Momo, the year after she married my Dad.  I always loved it and now love that I have it even more.  All of the pieces have my Momo's initials on the bottom with the year.  I couldn't have been a happier person!  Thanks Mom so much for making my day..... hell, even my Christmas!!!!

I also received this card with the manger explaining the history of the manger.  Believe it or not this was one of my Momo's cards.  I always received an angel of some sort from her when she was alive so this was absolutely perfect.  I am going to put this card away with the manger every year and pull it out and put it up with the rest of the Christmas cards just like I received it new.

 This is our mantle (obviously).... Can't wait to fill Ryan's stocking with coal.... hee hee hee hee:) Believe it or not we have had the fire lit several times this year.  The small snowman tree is one that I bid on a year while up in Flagstaff for Roberts graduation.  Ryan's stocking on the left is the one he has had since he was a kid.  We never did find mine so he made me one a few years ago on the right.  It even has "Maricatherine" on it! 

 The music box came from my Dad about 5 years ago.  He got each one of us girls one for Christmas and it plays a X-mas tune on the hour.  Every time it chimes I think of Pops!!

Ry and I picked out the Christmas tree on black Friday this year.  We splurged a little and got a blue spruce.  I never grew up with live trees but I do have to say the smell of them is AWESOME!!!  Ry had to cut the top to fit the angel on but I would have to say it is almost perfect!  All of the ornaments were either from both of us as kids growing up or bought over the past few years.  Mom's ceramic ornaments that she made are almost half of them.  Last year the tree was put in the corner, and also much smaller. This year since we had to decorate the entire tree all the way around, I do have to agree with Ryan and say that it does look a little bare.  O'well over time I am sure it will be crowded.

 As you can see in the next two pictures this is where I had to buy more garland.... and I mean ALOT more garland.  I put it all along the stair case and railing upstairs. 

 When I was back in college Dad bought me a Christmas tree for my apartment.  This tree has traveled with me everywhere!  I love that the lights are already on it and all you have to do is put the 3 pieces together and straighten out a few branches.  Ryan wanted a tree in his man cave so here it is.  Robert said it is a little feminine for the room but if this were in Robert's room it would be decorated with beer cans.  Probably Bud Light and PBR.....

And of course under the tree it wouldn't be complete without a tree skirt.  This is one that Mom gave me that she used for years.  She also made it some time ago.  I bought material to make a tree skirt for the other tree but never had time to do it.  And no doubt it would never be quilted and look like this!



I haven't been able to get any pictures of the work that Clark Griswold did outside yet.  He isn't very happy that he didn't get to put lights on every peak of the house this year because we couldn't find the lights that we already had.  So next year I think we are going to start fresh and buy new lights, and enough to cover the entire house.  I'm gonna check out the sales after X-mas this year on the LED lights.  They look awesome on the houses I have seen with them.  I will post outside light pictures when I take them.  The one thing we did do is change our garage and porch lights this year to red and green.  Griswold was very proud of this until everyone stole the idea and now has the same thing.

Hope everyone has had fun decorating their houses!!!  I am excited to go home over X-mas and see Mom and Dad's houses. ..... Oh and the white trash houses down the street from where I grew up where they have like 15 of the tackiest blow up Santa's in their front yard (Always a good laugh and thought wondering what their electric bill is)!