"There's everything to do when it's snowing" -James

Saturday night after Thanksgiving we put the lights on the tree. (It took me a good part of the day just to put the lights on.) We don't usually decorate the tree this early but we were using a borrowed ladder that we'd had for weeks and needed to return it.

This is how Justin feels about tree decorating.

Good thing my girls find it fun. 

We listened to "Sing Along with Mitch" per tradition.

Since I was dealing with twice as much tree as before, I had to buy and borrow lights and I bought some new ornaments too.

Justin got relegated to hook duty.

It's mostly hook detangling.

Henry made an appearance for a few minutes (because I made him) before he went back to his room to put up light in there.

He likes decorating as much as Justin does.

He's pretending for me.

As new citizens of Mapleton, we attended the lighting of Mapleton park a couple of weeks ago. First graders from Mapleton Elementary sang some Christmas songs then they turned on all the lights in the park.

But what will be memorable is that we lost James when we walked around to find where they were handing out free hot chocolate. Justin walked around looking for him, I told my other 3 kids to stay put where I could see them while I went to the gazebo/stage to ask the MC to tell everyone to look for a 5-year-old boy with a red hoodie and Wolverine costume but they made me wait until the song was over. That was the longest song everrrrr. Luckily Justin found him before the song ended.  A nice lady stood with James while he cried and looked around for us.

We walked around to see more of the light displays and then went home.

James was super grumpy one afternoon so I made him go on a walk with me. "There's nothing to do outside." That's kid talk for "I've been inside watching TV for too long." We went around the block and made a stop at the Finch's slide, of course. It was such a nice day for December. I'm getting spoiled.

James made this Rudolph hat at school. He wore it all day and then put in the trash the next day.

I made a wreath! I had to watch 2 tutorials and it took me twice as long as it should have because my wire kept tangling but I did it!

Here's how the rest of the house is decorated. It was a fun challenge to decorate a new house.

We may not have any furniture yet but we got a rug for the living room. Erica and James tried it out and fell asleep while I was making dinner.

Since I had an extra tree of branches, I put them everywhere!

Our stockings are hung on nails and I hope that means they can stay hung even after Santa fills them.

Here's the little village I borrowed from my mom 12 years ago and will never give back.

This deer is new. It goes with our "mountain fancy" style and may stay up all year.

We finally got snow! James couldn't even wait for the kids to come home so we went outside without them after lunch.

And then he went back out when the kids did come home. I made a small hill in the backyard for them to slide down.

This was Thursday and that was such a crazy evening. Justin was working late. While the kids played in the snow after school I went to parent teacher conferences at the elementary school. Then when I got home I made Sarah and Henry shovel the neighbors driveway while I finished dinner. After dinner the kids painted ornaments.

Their homemade ornaments are my favorite! At Rees they made the cutest ornaments (see the sweater in the 5th pic of this post) and I am sad that they won't bring them home each year anymore. I found these similar ones at Hobby Lobby so they each got 2 to paint. I sprayed them with a clear coat and wa-la!

Then it was baths and bed and Justin walked in right at story time. Whew!

It was Christmas sweater day at school so Erica wore my old sweater. This sweater is 33 years old!

Saturday we went sledding here in town. I didn't take any pictures because I was too busy sledding and helping James up the hill. He is a sledding maniac.

Yesterday we helped my mom put up her Christmas tree and decorate her house. I love this salt dough nativity my sister made years before I was even born.

I also found a couple of things I remember from when I was a kid but my mom doesn't put them out anymore.

This poinsettia basket too. 

I'm still looking for the wreath pillow. I liked to put it on my head like a crown.

The kids made this snowman on Thursday afternoon.

Here's how it looks this morning.

This week we have Sarah's orchestra concert, Erica's follow up with the orthopedic surgeon, and I hope to make some caramel and I hope I don't forget to send the kids with their teachers' gifts before school gets out on Friday.