Baby's first Christmas tree

This time last year I made the mental note that it would probably be the last Christmas for the rest of our married couple lives that we would spend just the two of us. I had that thought several times throughout the last few weeks of December .... watching my nieces and nephew open gifts at my Mom's house, driving through Winterhaven looking at the lights, lounging around the house on Christmas Day watching movies, and New Year's parties. It turns out that I was right! Now that little Devon is here I am excited about Christmas in a totally new way. I even made up a Christmas card and sent out a few of them, something I never thought I would do.

This past Sunday (December 14th) we bundled up the baby and headed over to the Christmas tree lot to pick one out. It was the first day that it really felt like December because it was cold and damp and a little over cast .... my favorite weather. The kind of weather that makes you want to stay in bed all day with your husband and your baby, covered in blankets, wearing soft pajamas, reading, napping, and drinking hot chocolate. All the ladies at the tree lot were cooing and smiling at him and going on and on about how cute he was. We brought the tree home and got it in place in the living room by the windows. It smells amazing! Joe and I decorated it last night and put the baby on the couch to watch. His little eyes lit up and he kicked his legs and arms like crazy. He was really into it. I put out the few holiday decorations that I have and the house looks the level of festive that I am comfortable with ;)

I am surprised that I enjoy decorating the tree as much as I do. I think there were a few years that it felt like one more thing that I had to get done and didn't have time or money for, but this year it felt like a tradition. Like the start of a tradition for Devon and our little family. I hope that as he gets older he knows that Christmas is about giving, spending time with family, celebrating traditions, having fun and good food.