Christmas Tree

A few weeks ago, before Thanksgiving, I set up out Christmas tree in Bismarck.  I was sad while I did it because I knew I wouldn't get to enjoy it very much.  Here it is, all finished! 

 The skirt is kind of a mess.  Allan likes to burrow under it and it is a slippery velour type fabric so it slides around on the wood floor alot.  It needs some presents to hold it in place! 

I tried my different camera settings to try to make the lights look more twinkly.  This is one of the better ones.  I mix traditional lights with a few strands of larger bulbs.  This is the 4th year that I have used these lights and the inevitable finally happened this year.  A few strands of lights were non-functional so I had to go buy some new ones.  Those things are so irritating. 

Between Justin and I we have quite a few ornaments already at this early stage in our adult lives!  There are almost too many to fit on the tree!  I have a few favorites that I have taken from my mom's stash over the past few years.  My all time favorite is this one. 

I don't know why I have always like this little felt Christmas tree.  I think it is so cute!  It has been around for years and I have a vague childhood memory of being at some kind of craft fair or store and my aunt Kris helping me pick it out.  Kris, do you remember this happening or is it my imagination?!

I found two new ornaments that we had recieved last year that I had forgotten about. 

The little snowman has the name "Al" on it.  My mom gave one to me and one to Andrea (hers says "Jake").  The other one is a "New Home" ornament!  Very cute.

Speaking of Allan, he was interested in climbing up in the tree right away so I left it up without decorations for most of the day so he could explore it and get bored with it before I put on the decorations.  He likes to take ornaments off the bottom so I put the plastic unbreakable ones and the more generic, less sentimental ones (such as ones I purchased at Old Navy on clearance) so he can satisfy his urge to tamper with them without hurting anything!

He was very interested in the tree skirt!  I think he thinks it is a blanket!  That's OK with me because it lead to many cute photo opportunities!

 Awwww...so cute!

Speaking of cute, I couldn't help resurrecting this photo I took last year when he was just a little guy and climbing in the tree for the first time.  I tried to catch another cute moment similar to this one as I was putting the tree up this year but failed. 

I love the soft, whimsical look of it! 

As far as my weekend, I spent all day yesterday drinking and watching NDSU sports.  It was a really fun day except for the unfortunate football loss :(  At least the basketball team beat UND by quite a bit!  Justin was hunting (it's muzzle loader season.  For those unfamiliar that is a different kind of hunting gun.  I just had to look up how to spell muzzle.  I don't know if I've every typed that word before!) but didn't have any success. I can't imagine...it was so freezing all weekend!