O, Christmas Tree

We went out early this morning searching for the perfect Christmas Tree. We walked over to the OSU Forestry Department's annual sale that's only a block away and we asked for the "skinniest, shortest, cheapest" tree they had and they did a great job meeting our requirements. Dennis carried the tree home and Eli still thought it was silly that we were going to put a big tree in our house. However, the first thing he said when he saw the tree set up was, "cool!" which is the first time that I've ever heard him say that before!

Sadie and I strung the lights while Eli was napping. Sadie is a great helper!

My tradition with the kids is to buy them each a new ornament each year that represents who they are or what they liked that particular year. I write their name and the year on the bottom of the ornament. So, when they grow up and leave home they can have a few ornaments to take with them to put on their tree. And I'm hoping that eventually they start looking forward to the ornament and reminisce about the ornaments as they put them on the tree. The each have a "Baby's first Christmas" ornament, and last year Eli got a train ornament. This year, I found a man selling these at the OSU football game and I thought that Eli and Sadie should have a Brutus Buckeye ornament to represent their time in OSU Family Housing. It's quite tacky, but they love it.

Eli was very into hanging the ornaments.

He was on a mission. No time to play, he just hung ornament after ornament.

Unlike her brother, Sadie played the whole time. She loved the balls.


After we told her "No!" for the fiftieth time, she tried to hide behind the tree to play with the balls.

Our very first real Christmas Tree. Isn't it pretty? Don't ask about Eli and the goggles. He just really wanted to wear them.