It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like CHRISTmas!

I love this time of year!  The cooler weather, fires in the fireplace, s'mores over the fire, hot chocolate, the beautiful CHRISTmas decorations up at everyone's homes, the CHRISTmas lights, and the list could go on!  I love it all! It has definitely been cooler weather here for us Texas folks.  A cold front came through this week bringing temperatures down in the 20s-30s.  I have been cooking all kinds of soups and chilis!  There was even some SNOW!  I know it isn't snow like any of the people from Minnesota are used to, but it's SNOW to us!  Although we got to watch the snow come down in San Angelo, it really didn't stick.  I was a little bummed I have to admit!  But here are some pictures that Carter took as he drove to Midland to work the other morning!

I just hope that in a few weeks I get to see REAL snow when we go to Minnesota for CHRISTmas! :  )

I got my CHRISTmas decorating done early, the week of Thanksgiving.  We have a HUGE tree that requires just about a full day's worth of attention to put up.  Carter bought it when we were dating.  He did not like all the trees from Hobby Lobby and Target because they were not big and fluffy and didn't look REAL enough.  So we settled on one that was full and fluffy, that didn't look that big in Wal-mart.  Then we got it home and started putting it up...  It's the kind that you have to place each branch in individually and all the branches are color coordinated and alphabetized.  Doesn't it sound like fun?  Well it is not a whole lot of fun to put up, not to mention that it is not pre-lit (which was totally my call, because each of our moms' has a pre-lit tree that Mike and Dad spend a full day each year trying to find the ONE bulb that is out causing the whole strand not to light up) so I spend another few hours putting the five strands of lights on it.  So, because it is A LOT of trouble to put up, I get an early start!  I make it sounds so terrible, but I LOVE it when all the decorations are up!  They are so pretty and really make the house full of CHRISTmas spirit!  Here are a few pictures of our house!

Our tree

The small center piece for the dining room table

The entertainment center

Stockings for us all!  Malachi, Me, Carter, & Micah

And I have my old small tree from my house in the game room...I don't spend near the time on it.  Can ya tell?

And I know you are wondering to yourself as you look at our big tree, are those presents wrapped under the tree?  Why, yes they are!  I am so proud of myself for being so on top of things this year!  All the CHRISTmas shopping is done and all the presents are wrapped!  We have even mailed all the presents for the Brandt's to Minnesota!  We also have all the CHRISTmas cards mailed out!  Having everything done this year has allowed me to breathe a sigh of relief and just enjoy this time of year!  I can't say it was quite like that last year!

You may have noticed one other thing added to our game room this week...a new toy of Carter's.  He found something he couldn't live without on Craig's List that was too good of a deal to pass up!

Yes, it is a REAL slot machine!  It takes quarters or tokens.  Carter loves it and I enjoy watching him play and have so much fun!  The other day he won one of the larger prizes, and it lit up, made lots of noise, and paid out a BUNCH of quarters and tokens.  He was so excited!

Anna and I have decided to make a new CHRISTmas tradition for the Heimbecker's and Brandt's...putting together a CHRISTmas puzzle!  That may sound boring to some of you, but it is something that Anna and I both grew up doing, so we decided to keep it going!  The boys acted like we were crazy and thought it was way too boring...but Carter secretly likes it!  He helped Anna and I quite a bit and really got a thrill out of finding the one piece that we needed but couldn't find!

I will post a picture of the finished product once we complete it!  Well, it is about time for all the CHRISTmas festivities to begin!  We have our church small group CHRISTmas party this Sunday, gingerbread house making with the Heimbecker's, Lindsay's wedding shower in Dallas next weekend, and then of course CHRISTmas with each of our families!  I am getting so excited!  Expect lots of blogging complete with pictures to cover all of these events!  Enjoy the season and don't forget the reason for the season...CHRIST!