ITCHY GLEN CHRISTMAS DECOR 2014

Christmas decor went up around here on Saturday afternoon (after our race) and Sunday afternoon (after taking family portraits). The kids started by planting some new flowers in the pots they painted at Isaac's birthday party, with Gramma's help.

While Jay was stringing lights along the house (our first year with house lights!!), the kids watched, and Gramma trimmed the crazy tree so it's branches wouldn't block the lights. (Earlier in the week, Jay borrowed a pole saw to finally cut down a large branch that has been obnoxiously hanging directly in front of the front upstairs porch for years, so that helped the lights shine through too.)

After the lights were up, we started a bonfire to roast hot dogs for dinner and s'mores for dessert. There's nothing better than campfire food to kids.

The next afternoon we set up the mantle and tree, and let the kids have free reign over ornament placement. We tried to encourage them to spread them out, but once the step ladder came out (SO MUCH FUN for little kids!), pretty much every ornament went arms-length above it! We decided to just put the lighter weight/less sentimental/less fragile ornaments on the tree this year, not so much because of the kids as because of Cannon... So far he's been a good kitty, but we don't want him to get hurt (or break any of our favorites).

James designed that Spiderman decoration himself. It will stay up throughout the month, so if you see it hanging off the stairs this weekend during the Turducken party, please tell James how awesome it is. He is very proud of his creation. 



GG's quilt found a place close to the tree



We added a string of green lights to our pre-lit tree this year.
It feels a bit like a disco in here...

(And in case anyone has forgotten or doesn't know, we named our house Itchy Glen back when we moved here in 2007 because the yard was COVERED in poison ivy)