zip line: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year! Part I

My most favorite part of Christmas is the decorations and lights. When I was a little girl my mom put me in charge of decorating the tree and the house and by the time I was in high school I was precariously climbing the roof and hanging icicle lights all over the whole roof because I wanted our house to be the most festive in the neighborhood. I always took great care when setting up the manger scene making sure that everyone was in their correct spot and that the baby Jesus wasn't put out until late Christmas Eve (because he wasn't born yet!). Decorating the tree was the most fun as each ornament was unwrapped or unboxed it would bring to mind a memory of the person who gave it to us or the Christmas that we received it. When I moved away for College my mom picked out ornaments that she knew were sentimental to me and let me take them and they now have a place on my tree. This year was extra special as it was the first Christmas in our house. I knew months ago exactly where the tree would go and calculated just how tall a tree we could fit in that space (8' 3" if you want to know). I was a little worried that we wouldn't have enough ornaments as we used to get a 5 ft tree at the condo, but we had more than plenty and even though Jeff said that we were only getting a ginourmous tree this Christmas because it was our first, I have a feeling that next year he won't be opposed to strapping another 8 foot tree on his car and hauling it home because we both know that we can never go back to a smaller tree. I am no Martha Stewart but I do enjoy reading several blogs of people who are way more creative than me and incorporating some of their ideas as well as coming up with some of my own. I took a few pictures of our beautiful Christmas to share with you all and as tradition goes, it will get grander and more creative as years go on!