Oh Christmas Tree Oh Christmas Tree

I'd sing the rest of that song to you, but I don't actually know the words except the oh Christmas tree parts.

Is there anyone who doesn't love a Christmas tree? Well if there is, they can just go on to another blog because I wanted to share some pictures of our trees.

We have a lot of vintage mercury ornaments that I just love. A lot of them are from my parents stash of ornaments and many more are from Jim's grandmas trees.

The pine cones in different colors are some of my favorites.

I can remember hanging them on every tree we had when I was growing up. Well, there was the one year without a Christmas tree........... no, not even as cute as the TV special. One year my mother decided we didn't need a real tree, she would just put little lights and plastic oranges on her citrus tree. She thought it was ingenious and refreshing. I thought it was embarrassing and dumb, but since Santa was coming I didn't mention that!

This one isn't mercury, and it's not expensive, but it could be termed vintage!This is my all time favorite ornament. It's been hung by it's points so many times that it now has to be clipped on the tree with a clothespin! On the back my mother in laws handwriting says "Jim kindg. 1967" How special is that? Jim would not hang it up each year, but I do!

Here is our second tree, we take turns decorating it each year in the dining room.

It seems to have a Santa hat as a topper this year...........

hmmm is it going to be a Santa theme tree?

ummmmmmmm, no. It seems at some point in the past 365 days we have somehow misplaced the top portion of this tree! I have no idea how this happened since it has it's own box and all the Christmas stuff goes in ONE closet!!! How do these things happen????

Second Colleg graduate in the family!!!

Our second college graduate in the family! Dad was the first a few years ago and I was incredibly proud of him for that.

This weekend Melissa our daughter number 2 graduated Magna Cum Laude, with a degree in secondary education, English.

Here she is with proud Gramma!
We are all so PROUD of her!

This is one of those things that makes it all worth it!!! All the parenting, all the work hours to keep them in school! All worth it!

Now we have daddy with 3 of his girls. Good times!!

Gosh it's so important to have these times with family isn't it?

Here we all are at breakfast before the ceremony.

Dad, Becky -daughter #3, her boyfriend Ben (he's my BFF Rose, but that's another story!), Lissa the honored one!, grandma, the lovely Miss V, and me. I was so proud I'm surprised there are buttons left on my jacket!

Here are daughters #2 and #3, Becky (in orange) will graduate next spring and I'll be bursting with pride again! Anyway, here they are showing off the bags that my super friend, and the officer in charge of coffee made for them! Aren't they awesome? The girls obviously LOVE those very special bags!

The Last (I think) of the Gingerbread Houses!

Here are the last of the gingerbread houses!

This is almost-daughter Kim making her Kayak Cottage!

She couldn't come for the big shin dig at Thanksgiving since she had to work so I saved one for her.

Wouldn't you kill for that gorgeous red hair?

Kim took Miss V to a kayak demonstration and fun time at a local pool in the morning.

Then she came by and played with the gingerbread house fixings and spent some time with me.

Love that kid!

Here is her gummy bear kayaker!

Isn't he the cutest thing???

and her blue and green river?

She had to make do with what was left of the blue candies, and there wasn't much!

Meanwhile Miss V worked on some homework and then she finished off the last house! After doing her bright bright rainbow bright house last time, she decided to go for a subtler approach.

Totally adorable! and the house is cute too! Now I'm going to pack away the gingerbread house tools til next year! (maybe...)

More Gingerbread Houses!

The lovely Miss V turns sweet sweet 16 tomorrow, so for her party this year we hosted some of her friends for a gingerbread house-party





Building and talking and laughing.

think there is enough candy here?





After the girls were done, I got to decorate a couple of houses also............

This one has coffee beans on the sides, so it will travel to my favorite coffee shop.




And my gingerbread cottage. I love the roof!!!

Total fun!

Only 3 more to go. Another kid who missed out on gingerbread-ing is stopping by next Saturday and she and I will decorate some MORE!!!!