It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas!

So I started decorating by taking down the Halloween/fall decorations I already had up.

I walked away to do something and 

when I came back I noticed a few more people had joined the manger scene...

 My silly husband!

I had a good laugh and actually didn't notice the husband and wife willow tree people until I moved the nativity scene to another place (but it eventually ended back on the piano as you will see in later pictures).

My family's Christmas tree tradition is to go into the mountains and cut down our own Christmas tree.

This was just not going to be possible this year, 

but we still wanted a real tree, so we went to Home Depot and got a tree. 

While not quite as magical as cutting down our own and listening to the Forgotten Carol story and songs,

I think it is rather cute and we really love it!

Here is my handsome husband being so manly and cutting the bottom a little so it will absorb the water.

 Here it is all decorated!

 With the lights on...

The piano..

 The mantle...

 As you can see my stockings are laying on the hearth,

I'm in the beginning stages (I finally have an idea of how I'm going to make them work)

of making some stocking hangers.

That is one of my projects for the week... so stay tuned.

Our little half wall, with the fireplace in the background.

That cute little gingerbread man will soon be in our front yard.

Our lights, 

the front

 the side..

Please ignore the sections that aren't currently working,

we are working on that... or will at some point.

I love Christmastime!

Merry Christmas!