Deck the Halls

Last weekend I fnally got around to getting the Christmas decorations out of the attic. We don't go overboard with the decorations since the dogs will eat anything that isn't displayed up high. For example, a few years ago I bought these really neat window candles that are battery powered. They turn on at a certain time every day and then automatically turn off 6 hours later. If you've ever seen our house, you know we have A LOT of windows. I was pretty proud of myself for figuring out that I had to line up all of the candles on the dining room table on the first day of the season and turn them all on at the same time at 4pm so when they were in the windows they would all turn on and off every night at the same time. Anyway, pretty much every day when I would get home from work I would find one of the candles formerly in the downstairs windows chewed up on the floor. We have about 1/3 of the amount that we started with and I didn't even bother to put those in the windows this year. I did put up my second and third most treasured Christmas decorations though:

Both were made by my Granny, who was a very talented ceramics artist. She used to put her initials and the year on the bottom of every piece she made.The mice were made the year I was born. I'm not sure what year she made the tree, but I do know that pretty much every family member has one. I did not get out my most treasured Christmas decoration this year, which is the ceramic Christmas village and model train set that my grandparents made and which was left to me when my grandfather passed away a couple years ago. It reminds me of some very special memories growing up. I have been hesitant to set it up, knowing how rough the dogs play and how curious they are around the tree. I know it won't get any less dangerous over the next few years when Connor and any future Baby Linns are poking around the tree, but thankfully when we are in our new house next year we will (1) live across the street from a Christmas tree farm and can have multiple trees and (2) there is a perfect room with french doors that we can close to keep the dogs/kids away from the tree so I'll finally be able to set it up.

It was fun to decorate the tree this year. Last year we didn't even get a tree because we left on December 23rd for Puerto Rico, where we started a week long cruise. It was a different, but nice, way to spend Christmas. I prefer to be at home for the holidays, especially now that we have a family, but I would definitely go away again between Christmas (after Christmas Day) and New Years. Anyway, several years ago Ryan and I started a tradition of buying a Christmas ornament from every trip we take. My grandfather used to do that and I thought it was such a neat idea. Sometimes we forget, and sometimes it is impossibly hard to find Christmas ornaments, but we've amassed quite a collection over the years. I found ones from Vail, Aspen, Beaver Creek, San Francisco, Scottsdale, St. Kitts, Barbados, St. Martin/St. Maarten, and Ireland. I'm sure in a few years we'll be buying ones from family trips to Disney World!

I guess I should clarify a little bit. Those were formerly my most treasured Christmas decorations. I think it is safe to say each one has dropped down a notch on the list, and I have a new favorite one:

Don't worry, we didn't let him chew on the wires and glass bulbs any longer than necessary to get a good picture!

It is hard to believe Christmas is less than 2 weeks away. I feel like I have so much to do at work and so much to do at home before then but I am very much looking forward to having a few days off over the holidays to relax (although our social & family calendar seems to be pretty packed between now and the end of the year)!