Getting Christmasy

There hasn't been much going on at our house lately, other than getting ready for Christmas.  Guys, I am so excited for Christmas.  It just seems so much more special this year than last.  Last year we were in our cramped apartment in Edmonton, so we didn't have a tree, or lights, or many decorations to speak of.  But this year, I was determined to to make Christmas more Christmasy.

First off, I bought a tree.  It is just a small 4-footer, but it is a tree!  And the lights on it are sparse, but hey, it has lights!  I then made a garland from fishing wire and buttons.  I love it!  I need to restring it, as I placed some of the buttons too close and it is a little short, but it is homemade and colorful and cute.  I pulled out the few ornaments I had and the few ornaments Keith's Aunt Jacquie gave me, and Viola!  A perfect little Christmas tree.

Keith and I are finally starting some of our own Christmas traditions.  I feel we are a little slow in starting traditions for our little family, but we are getting there.  See the stocking on wall? That is our countdown to Christmas.  Each day, one of us opens a gift (mostly fun food items I don't regularly buy, but have stocked away for Christmas).  It is sweet to see how excited Keith gets every night as when we open our daily gift.

As I don't have a car and can't drive Keith's, we had to go Christmas shopping together.  This was actually really fun.  We each had a cart and parted ways inside, but then we had to avoid running into each other and try to keep our gifts a secret as we brought them home.  We then promptly wrapped the gifts and stuck them under the tree. There is nothing like presents under the tree to make it feel like Christmas!

And what is Christmas without Betty Crocker's Cooky Book? The best holiday treats come from this book.  It's tradition!  I think me baking goodies is Keith's favorite part of the season...

Is it wrong to place the Nativity and Santa on the same table?

It's not exactly a Christmas show, but we went to see Shrek the Musical the other night.  It was a hilarious and fun show, and a great family activity.  If you haven't seen it, I would recommend it.  It has great special effects, requires some awesome acting skills, and has lots of catchy tunes.

Here's to a more Christmasy Christmas!