OH We're on our way, we're on our way, on our way to Dull's Tree Farm!

Because it was just too beautiful of a day to pass up - we went out to cut down our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving this year...oh, and so did about a 1,000 other people too! 

We have gone to Dull's Tree Farm many times (with a few trials and errors elsewhere in years past)...We loaded up Jackjack in the Ergo, got the kids in hoodies and hats and headed the hour north to the farm.  When we arrived, there was NO parking, cars, trucks, vans and people everywhere....and needless to say, few saws or carts to speak of.

After killing some time watching braver souls ride down a grass hill through some big white tube, we finally grabbed a saw and headed out for the hunt.
Morgan found the most perfect tree ever and the kids helped daddy cut it down.
We decided to pass on the hour long wait in line for the finishing touches on the tree (a shake and a mesh wrap) and took the long way home hoping the dead needles would fall out behind us as we rode.

We love our tree and the kids did a wonderful job of decorating - really, they did.  I had the genious idea (or maybe it was by accident) to put ornaments in big gallon plastic bags last year as we were taking the tree down.  Each bag had a name on it, so each child had "THEIR" ornaments to hang this year.  Who'd a thought that was all it took!
So, we enjoyed our Christmas music, sung along and hung up ornaments - it was wonderful.  Jackjack was OBVIOUSLY asleep at this point, of course!  Maybe next year he can join us.  But for now, he is a one man demolition machine when it comes to the bottem row of ornaments, garland and tinsel...but the pokey pine teaches him quickly to NOT TOUCH!  :)

We are just getting underway with the beginning of our Advent tradition of lighting our Advent wreath and coming up Thursday (December 1st), we start the Jesse Tree!

I just LOVE this time of year!



Listened to Pandora "Chirstmas" music on Joe's Iphone - Thank you IMPA!





The winning tree and our littles helpers




Oh Kismass twee!  (JJ's favorite song)

Have a very Merry Christmas!


Oh and...one last mention of my Happiness Project :)

Well, my Happiness Project failed....

If you look at what I set as goals for myself at the beginning of the year, well, I didn't get them all. I consistently read books, blogged my "new ideas" and stayed on task for the first 6 months.

But I must say, part of doing this project was helping me realize what's MOST important to do (efficiency), CAPTURING memories (blogging), and CONSISTENTLY doing day-to-day things (laundry). And - I DID THAT!

I realized I didn't need to do EVERYTHING all the time and I put my family first (out of survival, sometimes). So reading each night, getting to bed by 10pm and focusing on those last 6 items...well, they just didn't happen with purpose and focus...but they happened naturally instead!

Here are the last and VERY few One Sentence Journal entries that I have written....that was one goal I didn't keep up with, but value having and hope to take back up again soon.

6/12/11 - I want to commit to re-commit to Happiness Project!

6/14/11 - Double ear infections for both baby boys - JJ steals Jacks paci then puts it back in his mouth...Jack needs nebulizer on top of that too :(

6/15/11 - Done nursing....Forever.

6/16/11 - My kids choose to have races around the yeard - 10 laps, no "pit stops"; JJ makes the cutest sound to "start your engine"

6/19/11 - FATHER'S DAY - I am so blessed to have a great dad - so selfless and generous and giving. I am so blessed to have a husband who is so amazing with our kids - so kind, so patient, so silly and so observant. I am so very thankful.

6/21/11 - SO MUCH planning! CG10 - meetings, emails, phone calles - it's all a balance!

7/27/11 - Have our new bedroom furniture! But dresser nearly landed on JJ when he tried to climb it in search of paci tonight

7/31/11 - JackJack slept from midnight to 7am...too bad Joey and Mo stopped in at 3am and 4am - Will I ever sleep through the night again? :)

8/4/11 - 10 years of marriage - I am so loved and so very blessed

8/28/11 - I have had a very difficult time falling asleep this month. My mind races, can't settle in...find myself exhausted, but stuck awake waiting...for baby to cry...for 1 of the kids to come in...because it ALWAYS does...just exhausted.

9/7/11 - I am excited to be leading Godly Play in church (Tabernacle/Temple Sunday!)

9/27/11 - Joey lost his 2nd tooth today at the Children's Museum!

11/27/11 - JJ said "I love you, Mom" for the first time today - I'm still glowing :)

11/30/11 - I'm sick. I'm exhausted. Ugh.


Joe, Megan, Joey, Morgan, Jameson and Baby Jackson!