…Happiness and cheer,
Fun for all
That children call
Their favorite time of year…

It’s beginning to look a bit more like Christmas round these parts:

If you look closely to the left of the moose, you’ll see a little reindeer mailing a letter to Santa…

One happy Thumper bunny. 🙂

Advent calendar, take two. This is the one I grew up doing with my parents, and now I’m sharing it with my kids. 🙂

A pretty tree for a pretty courthouse. 🙂

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree, how lovely are thy branches!

Cricket adores his new train set.

Looks like Donner’s lying down on the job… 🙂

Someone said she was NOT going to sit on Santa’s lap. Guess how well that worked out. 🙂

The courthouse is always pretty, but it’s even prettier at Christmas.

Time to sing about ugly Christmas sweaters!

I do so love this wreath. 🙂

Mistletoe anyone?

Every auditorium should have a tuba tree with an eighth note on top. 😉

“Santa, you’re kinda scary, but you gave me a dolly, so I don’t know what to think now.”

Nativity central.

What would the North Pole be without Santa Claus and snowmen?

Best. Jingle bell. Ever.

I love all the musical ornaments.

Finally got our tree up!

Cricket wanted to put all the decorations on the piano. 🙂

But it’s been warmish and rainy here the last two days. Last night while we were decorating our tree, we had a thunderstorm. That made it feel rather more like Christmas in July.

The kids had their annual 4-H cookie walk yesterday morning and then went Christmas shopping at a local church. We listened to Christmas music all day, decorated last night, and watched Home Alone 2 after the boys went to bed. It was a little bittersweet, though – we always decorate as a family, and this year Seymour wasn’t home to help out. Miss Tadpole took it pretty hard, and I agree – it’s just not the same without him.

Still, I’m feeling pretty cheery after all that Christmasy fun yesterday, and I’m looking forward to working on Christmas cards this afternoon. 🙂

Have you decorated yet? Do you go all out, or do you keep it to a few treasured things? What kind of Christmas traditions do you have in your family?

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