Getting In The Christmas Spirit

I'm slowly getting in the Christmas spirit.......

I pulled all the boxes down from the attic and began decking the halls on Wednesday.

With each area of the house I decked, the spirit started growing inside me..... kinda like the Grinch and his heart at the end of the story.

I started with my mantel..... cleaning it off, adding some garland and two little trees I have.  Of course, the lights didn't work anymore and I had to re-string them with lights, but that's all right.  Then, I added some red berry garland over it.  I have to say, just that one little thing made a world of difference.

Then, after school yesterday, I grabbed the ladder and headed to do the front of the house..... the lighted wreath on the front door and lighted garland framing the door.  Of course, I couldn't find my white extension cord to tape to the door frame on the inside of the house for the wreath.  I swear, I always think I put it in the box, but apparently I don't.  So, off to Lowe's to get a new one...

And while we were at Lowe's we looked at trees.  And I have to say, they looked pitiful.  They were scrawny and small and I knew one of those just wouldn't make me happy..... and Steve knew it, too.  I just knew this wasn't the year for a Charlie Brown Christmas tree.  Some years I really want one, but not this year.  So, I looked at Steve and said, "Let's go see what the Boy Scouts have...."  He agreed.  So off we went.  But first we stopped by Starbucks for a little happy.....

 
And we found the perfect tree for us.  It was the first one we stopped to admire..... and after walking the aisles of trees (just to see if one was more perfect..... but they never are), we agreed that was our tree.

Now, I need to get new lights for it..... because I used all my white tree lights for everything that had burned out from years of use.

Weekend list of things to do.....

1.  Buy lights for the tree.

2.  Decorate tree with the help of Elizabeth for the first five minutes, then she'll get bored and watch a movie or something.  And Steve will supervise from his chair.  Tradition, I tell ya!

3.  Pull the vacuum out several times to suck up the pine needles..... does anyone else feel the need to do that a few times after decorating the tree?  Maybe it's just me.

4.  Take Elizabeth over to the high school early Saturday morning for her placement tests so they know what classes to put her in next year.  She's going for all honors classes....... she's such an over-achiever.  Y'all know she doesn't get that from me, right?

5.  I've been in a baking mood lately..... maybe I will bake something.

6.  Dust off the running shoes and run on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

7.  Finish Christmas CD to give to teachers next week so they can enjoy and get in the Christmas spirit if they aren't already.

What are you doing this weekend?