Decorating for the Holidays

Our day began as usual! A BIG hot pot of coffee, breakfast, a few chores, and a bit of reading. I distinctly remember going to bed last night with a ridiculous list of things we needed to get done today, but when I woke up the to dos had all escaped me. We lazied around for awhile, until Jason stepped out for a bit, when it seemed the kids and I hit a lull in our day. The kind of lull when if I do not step up get us in motion, we all be sitting in the middle of the living room having a family tantrum.
I think the coffee must have instantaneously kicked in, because ta duh, we are going to pack away the Fall Festivities and decorate for the Holidays! Umm...yeah, I am not sure how this to do escaped me? Since moving to Ventura this has been a tradition for us. Black Friday we decorate for the holidays. We do not like it black and dreary around here. This year, I had vowed to myself and a few others that I would not participate in the consumerism of Black Friday or the Holidays. I am so tired of all that garbage!!! But, I am not tired of our new decor!
The kids and I had a blast getting out all of the decorations and reminiscing our past holidays. It is so funny to me when each of my children comes of age to realize that there was a time before them. We put out our Santa Pictures in chronological order today and Lillitha was asking where she and Nishan were in the earlier pictures. She was so cute, oh yeah, "Coral still needed to see Santa, right mom?"
I was photo shooting tonight, as I really wanted to capture the ambiance in our living room with the Tree lights on and I just love this picture. I is totally not what I was going for, but I like it just as much. We read tonight in our very small but cozy living room, with the tree lights lit, the kids and Jason fell asleep while I read. I sat in there a for awhile in silence trying to figure out why it felt so warm and cozy. I decided it is the lights and tree. Yeah, yeah, it is a freaking white fake tree. Still it is a symbol of the Holidays for us and the Holidays are always something our family looks forward to.