hello Christmas Season- It is almost time to say goodbye!!!

Our Christmas season started WELL before most. Tyler and Grayson wanted Christmas to be here so badly. So we decided that we would start the season FAR earlier than my entire family would EVER truly believe that " I" would set up Christmas.

How early you ask?

Why, about 50 days before Christmas.

It wasn't a TRUE start because we pulled out our old tree. ( We have had it for 7 years of our marriage) and a good portion of the lights didn't work. Even more than didn't work last year. But last year we were not willing to part with it just yet. So I went on a quest. Grayson and I went to every store we could think of that would sell Christmas trees and buy a new one. With a budget of course. We were willing to go about $200 bucks ( which is A LOT for a stupid fake tree in my opinion) but I don't do well with real and real, in Arizona, don't come till December. So, I took my budget and was on a quest. 

Hobby Lobby was our stop. We were there on a sale day. ( Ok, hobby lobby has a sale day every day) and I got a GREAT deal on a 499 dollar tree, that came in UNDER my budget by a few bucks. So much so that I even got to purchase a non ghetto red felt tree skirt and upgrade it to burlap and snowmen. But the tree was a pretty tree. ( With a warranty.... ten years!!)

It took Grayson and I a while to get it all fluffed out and exactly how we wanted it. Especially since I figured out late that each branch had 2 more branches that I didn't know moved. Oh it was the experience. 

We left it bare for a while then slowly started decorating. I only have 3 colors on my tree and in my wisdom at some point, I bought half glass and half plastic ornaments of all colors. So my bottom half of my tree is the plastic ones and the top half is my glass ones. 

This year I added a few in there but had the boys help. Have you ever taken a 3 year old and a blind kid into a ornament store!! OH MY! It was great. 

These new ornaments were defiantly what our tree needed to spruce it up for the season. The first one was a snowman. 

Isn't it cute, there is snow in the bottom. 

This one is a little more "religious" for me. It wasn't exactly what i wanted but the idea was what I wanted. 

I also put up my mom's/grandma's icicles and was in love with them this year. They haven't always worked for me on my tree but this year, I lovingly put up as many as I could. It seems to have made me feel most nostalgic with the holidays.

My mom would go back after we went to sleep and fix all the mistakes we made on the tree. Trust me, we have bare spots!

And then the magic happens. The Mattress was rolled out and the boys slept over in the Christmas tree room, where for 2 lovely nights they enjoy the lights and sharing a bed.

Watching them jump into bed with each other, excited to sleep together, reminded me exactly what this season is about. Forgiveness, love, understanding, giving in love, serving and family.

So for the kick off to the Season we embraced the sweet easy words from our Elder L. Tom Perry,  when he said "In our search to obtain relief from the stresses of life, may we earnestly seek ways to simplify our lives. 

SIMPLIFY- that is what we are doing. We are focusing on family and each other, Presents will always be there. But we are making memories this year.