The Holidays in Pictures

Everyone is focused on Christmas now. But it seems like Thanksgiving was just the other day. Plus, in the process of taking a picture of my Christmas tree to prove that we did indeed get it decorated, I discovered some definitely fall/Thanksgiving photos I took before everything became a Santa, nativity, gift-wrapping, card-mailing, Christmas carol extravaganza.

And I could get on my soapbox about how many untrue "meanings of Christmas" I have heard over just the last week and how all the financial and time stress is ridiculous and unnecessary in celebrating the birth of the Messiah...but I won't.

Let's take a journey back in time...to last month...though it seems only days ago:



The trees in our yard and on the street had the amazing autumn colors for a couple days, and I just had to take a picture.

Our smoked turkey:

It always looks that dark, but we probably left it in a bit too long. My fault. I was sure a 20-pound bird would take at least the general 30 minutes-per-pound to cook. So, we didn't check it until that point. Turns out it was probably done a bit earlier. Still good, just a little dry.

And suddenly it's Christmas. After posting that our tree was still naked, the following evening I put up a garland to make myself feel better.

Festive, yet requires much less time than decorating a Christmas tree.

Finally, a week after putting up the tree, we spent an evening attaching all the ornaments.

Ta-da!


Sorry about the lighting. It's sitting in front of a big window and I just didn't take time to figure out a way to make the lighting better.

Other than the garland I hung up out of guilt, all the other decorations got put out last weekend with the ornaments on the tree, including my favorite nativity - a gift from my mom and dad.

I can hardly believe it, but John is on his way to go put our Christmas cards in the mailbox at the post office. I hope to just chill and enjoy the rest of the month without any decorating, card-sending, or gift-buying left. And, yes, I know it's really only two weeks 'til Christmas, but better than just finishing it all up two days before. I've had lots of experience with that!