It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...my family room's a mess!

This is what it looks like when you have a wrapping station in your family room.  I was feeling very fortunate though because my children actually helped with the wrapping this year.  I still have to wrap their presents and my husband's gifts, but everything is all ready for the extended family.  Now it's just up-in-the-air when we'll actually see them since my father-in-law just came down with influenza.

Our Christmas tree is very festive and fun, especially at night time.  I just love how cozy the house feels when it's all decked out like this.

We did our annual lights drive tonight, and I'm happy to report that we officially hit a new milestone in our family:  For the first year since we've had children, no one cried on the lights drive!  When the kids were really little the tears were from exhaustion and too long in the car.  Then as they got older it was either from fighting and/or getting in trouble.  But this year we enjoyed the lights and made it home with no tears!

Our city building always has a wonderful display.  This year they wrapped the tree trunks in white lights and then did colored lights in the canopies.

The city used to have an entire elf village, and while they don't do that any longer, they always have this little train out.

Even the statue of the police officer had a scarf on!

My daughter and I have been participating in a monthly virtual 5K, and this weekend was our last one for the year.  I took a few pictures while we were walking today, and I'm getting anxious for the snow that we're supposed to get on Monday and on Christmas because everything is sort of brown right now.

I also had to work today.  My two-week vacation was supposed to start yesterday, but my boss decided to give me a new project about an hour before I had to leave, while she was running out the door.  So of course I didn't give her exactly what she wanted and she emailed yesterday after work asking for more information.  I decided I'd better just do it so I didn't have to take a phone call.  I really hope I get some time off, and don't have to be logged in to my work computer every day of my "vacation."

Anyway, I'm starting to get into the Christmas spirit and I'm feeling very ready for the holiday.  I hope that all of you are feeling festive and are ready to celebrate (or are already enjoying) whichever holiday(s) you celebrate at this time of year!