Christmas in the Nain and T Household

Today I am thankful for the holiday season and the traditions it brings.  Each year, T and I take an evening to decorate, listen to some Christmas tunes (the classics, mind you, none of that stupid pop crap), and we enjoy some mulled wine.  Last year, it was warm apple cider, but this year I got to enjoy the wine again.  It was delicious.

 

 

I love the holiday season.  I love decorating for Christmas, and I love getting ornaments out to put on the tree, each one bringing a memory from the past.  We tried fruitlessly to decorate before we put Aubrey to bed, but the teething child wouldn't have it.  So we waited, but honestly, that was probably for the best.  Sorry these pictures pretty much suck.  I guess that's what I get for taking pictures at night with a cell phone, right?  But here is our tree: 

 

 

The stockings are hung by the chimney with care....

 

 

Each year, since we started dating, we get a special ornament representing the year.  This started with me buying T one about six months into dating.  The next year, we had a "Just engaged" ornament, then one celebrating our first Christmas as a married couple, and last year in our new home.  This year, of course, it was our family.  I love this ornament....

 

T's Mom also buys a name ball for every member of the family, so we have ours hung together,,,

And lastly, since we drove people crazy with not telling the name of the baby and only called her Half-pint, we got two ornaments that say Half-pint.  We hung those next to her first Christmas one with her real name on it. 

 

It looks pretty nice, if I do say so myself.  Of course, our new Beleek china Nativity Set has had to go up high, and I'm sure in the upcoming years, we won't be putting that out.  And all of the ornaments within Aubrey grabbing reach are soft.  And no poinsettias for the fireplace this year.

 

 

We were SO excited to show Aubrey the tree and to see her reaction.  She's always so curious with everything around her, so T and I got her up Sunday and took her downstairs together.  I turned on the tree, expecting a look of excitement and wonder.  What we got was this:

 

 Image courtesy of Google Images

I mean, not quite that disappointed, but not impressed for sure.  In fact, she was more interested in the two bottles of water I had carried downstairs with me and was trying to grab those rather than look at the tree.  Ah, children.  Maybe later she'll get excited.  Or in future years when Christmas starts to mean a little more to her.  But regardless, T and I are super excited to have Aubrey's first Christmas.


So I'm thankful today for holiday traditions and for decorating for Christmas.  Sure, it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but since we will be out of town for the holidays and then I have a work trip the next week, it was our only opportunity.  We've decided NOT to turn on the outside lights until after Thanksgiving, of course!