Getting into the holiday spirit!

Well it's December which means...it's the MOST wonderful tiiiiime, ooof the YEARRRR! The last time I posted about the holiday season, Ashton was all smiles when we kicked off our festivities and went to meet Santa.

I'm happy to report that this year, nothing has changed.

This is so perplexing because we have been talking to him about Santa and saying "Ho-ho's coming!" He has seen Santa on Mickey episodes and knows his name. He clearly has not connected the dots - Santa literally drives the vehicle for his happiness (if there are trains in that sleigh, which I'm sure there are). Maybe next Christmas.

But where Ashton had trouble with Santa, Jason and I could not find a tree to save our life. Jason takes Christmas extremely seriously and not just any tree will do, people. NOT JUST ANY TREE. We were on the verge of having to go to a third place in as many days when Jason finally pulled out a nice elite blue balsam that we knew was it. 

Pictures from Home Depot/tree fail #1 last Tuesday night:

Nope Dad, our tree is not down here either.

And Home Depot #2 two days later:

Duh, that is not it either Mom! Is this your first time or something??

Finally! The 2013 Nill Family Christmas Tree.

Don't we look happy? The reality was, it was cold, Ashton had a dirty diaper, and I just wanted to get the heck out of there. This was the last tree I was going to let Jason pull out before calling it a night and he got lucky. We did the actual tree decoration this past weekend. Oh but that's a whole other post for a whole other time. Like tomorrow maybe.

Anyway, this is also the first year we have had our very own house to decorate. I took care of the inside and did garland, pinecones, etc. on the mantel and banister, and Jason hung two rows of icicle lights from the eves, a wreath on the stoop and I especially love how you can see our tree twinkling through our big front window :) 

I'll be the first to tell you that on my dream house list is to get rid of the faux shake siding and 1950's green and repaint the whole kit and kaboodle. Jason Santa? What about new shutters too? Can you hear me Jason Santa? 

But for now, I love pressing the little button on the little remote thingy that Jason installed (as I mentioned he doesn't mess around when it comes to holiday cheer) and watching our whole house light up. We walk in the door, Ashton goes right over to the tree and clicks that on too (and off, and then on, and then off, and then on, and then off, and then back on again...) and believe me, all of our neighbors know we are home :)