Christmas So Far...and Other Wonderfulness

Jacob and Uncle Mike playing on the XBox while Morgan and I work on my construction-paper-chain for my tree.  Yes Jacob is sitting in a laundry hamper.

 The finished product.  We were hoping it would be enough...

And it was!!

I had this much left over :)

 On our way to our annual Sonic Christmas dinner

 At the dinner

So I am usually not the decorator type.  But something got into me this year.  I'm feelin' it...

I always loved getting real trees.  But Jon always insisted on getting the Chevy Chase Griswold version of a GIANT one that cost a bazillion dollars.  So a few years ago Mom and Dad were getting rid of their artificial one to get a small table top one, and we took it.  And I liked it, for a while.  But it was HUGE too.  And slowly but surely everyone stopped helping decorate it.  The kids would add a couple ornaments here and there, but I mainly did all the work.  I threatened to get a table top one also, and everyone freaked out.  So instead I got Jon to saw off the bottom 3 (4?) feet off the bottom.  And I liked it, for a while.  This year I decided I was doing it my way, which was to get a real one, but a small one ($20!!).  LOVE IT.

Jacob's contribution toward getting the tree ready...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bjlj8lM1guY&feature=c4-overview&list=UUlEiBflpzVOnuPlwMTh3iCQ

In my opinion the best ornaments are the sentimental ones.  Those actually make up about 75% of my tree right now, and my goal is 100%.  

This is from when Jacob was obsessed with Star Wars, obviously.  But he still says it's his fave.

We LOVE this one.  It is from the Polar Express obsession, and it has a hole in the back to stick a light through so it looks lit up. 

Just bought this this year.  A tent.  With Christmas lights.  Because we do love us some camping around here.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar book obsession stage...

 Before we found the Star Wars ones, Jacob grabbed kept grabbing ornaments and exclaiming, "Oh! This is my favorite! No, this one is!"  Finally he just said, "My favorites are the ones I made.They really are the best."  Yes baby, they are.

 

Here is an ornament made when he was in Kindergarten.  It's his handprint where the palm is the snow bank and the fingers were turned into snowmen.  Hard to tell but of course his hand is MUCH bigger now.

And an ornament made his first Christmas in 2004, he was 4 months old.

 

 The outside of our house  :)

 Santa and his sleigh are running over the candy canes :)

Jacob's Denver Broncos tree with the orange lights pulled from Halloween decorations.  Last year it was a NY Giants tree with red lights.  That little blue tree was quite the investment all those years ago when Jacob picked it out (about age 4 or 5 I think).

 Elfis made his return Thanksgiving night with the note "I am thankful for you Jacob." 

He likes playing XBox also...

Christmas shopping with my Morgie Porgie one day and we found this little gem.

My first Christmas card officially in the holder!  And of course it is the best card I will get all season since it came from Lily, Reese, Anderson, and Max.

Our church was doing the Shoe Box Ministry collection thing and Jacob and I got a girl and a boy box to fill.  We went to the dollar store one day after school and Jacob purposefully grabbed a basket and started shopping on his own.  I was so touched by his thoughtfulness and commented on it.  He answered, "Oh, well, I really just wanted to this hurry up..."

"Jacob, smile so I can take a pic of you with the box.  Jacob, smile!"      

"I am mom!"  

Well, I didn't say 'look at me and smile'....

Making his own ice cream.  Sadness.

My keychain, with an old Christmas pic of Jacob. 

I got up one morning and this was sitting on the counter.  I called Jon to ask what I was supposed to be putting in my car, and he said, "Oh that was for Abby.  It was an old hoodie of mine.  Never know when she may need it."

Jacob's class did this thing where they had to pick "The Best Part of Me."  Jacob picked his eyes because they help him "see cool things" and help him "react to what's coming."   Awesomeness.

Climbing the tree at Jon's mom's house (Jacob's grandmother).  I love this because it reminds me of climbing the tree in front of Grandma's apartment :)