Yipes, it's . . . Yule?

 Thanksgiving is barely digested and we found ourselves decking the house today!  We are not normally so flat out full tilt in our decorating.  Usually we do it over a couple of weeks.  This is nice because our house is big and it is not so exhausting.  Or maybe it is and we are just used to it.   But this year, we had to change things up. My wife works several part time jobs and today was the one and only day that we would all be together.  Between her jobs, my jobs and Rob's volunteer schedule, after today, it is never a full complement at the same time.

One or the other of us could surely have helped the kids decorate but we both like it to be a full family experience.  I in particular am strongly in favor of this.  Probably because the first few years after my mother in law passed away, my wife was still grieving and could not be emotionally present (or sometimes even physically present) when we were decking the house.

 So today, it was a Yule tide explosion. The tree at the top looks amazing.  I say this with no lack of pride as I have had trees who had 42 ornaments on one branch and none on any others.  I have had trees felled by children and pets.  But this tree looks great and the kids all helped in one way or another.

My next favorite thing was a new decoration area. That is the top of our new closets in the front hall.  It gave a safe place to show off some treasures I have not been able to put out for a few years.  These are villages made by my MIL. She was so amazingly talented, and taken far too soon. . .

This is a couple of our Santas, one of my many black Santas, and a shiny iridescent fellow my kids adore and a painting by a dear friend and amazing artist, Jane Houghton.

Tomorrow, we train into the Big City to see the Nutcracker!