It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here. It is one of my favorite holidays so we tend to go a tad overboard on the decorating. I LOVE everything about Christmas. I love the gift buying, getting cards in the mail from friends, the parties, decorating the house and cookies, the music...you name it and I enjoy it!

Christmas tree 2011

This year it was a tad more interesting decorating the tree seeing that we had a new elf to help out. I will post about her later.

 It's hard to believe next year we will have 5 stockings hanging from the mantle (yes, Lilly has her own stocking). God is so good and has blessed us beyond measure.

The reason for the season is the birth of our Saviour. Three wise men on the entry hall table are most appropriate.

Happy Birthday to Jesus. Starting this year I think we are going to have a birthday cake in honor of Jesus' birthday. I don't want all of Olivia's childhood memories of Christmas to be about the presents she got but the true reason.

I put Olivia's nativity scene out after she had gone to bed one night. The next morning at breakfast I look over at her and she has the whole nativity scene practically in her cereal bowl and lap. Silly.

Along with the nativity scene, this is probably Olivia (and Hays') favorite decoration that we put out. She begs for us to hold her up so she can stare at it.

I bought this Lenox Christmas plate the year Olivia was born and will do the same for the next baby. It says the year she was born and will be such a treasure to put out every year in honor of our children's birth.

 This little nameless lady has made an appearance. Olivia doesn't get the concept at all so maybe she'll start moving around next year. For this year, she's staying put.