Our Christmas tree adventure

Although I don't have a fully decorated tree yet, I do have some pictures to show! I am hoping that Mike can get up on the ladder tomorrow and decorate the top 2 feet of the tree so that I will be able to show a completed project!!

First, I also must tell you about our homeschool Christmas party today. The theme was Christmas Around the World and we had 4 countries represented, Holland, Italy, Sweden, and Mexico. I worked with 2 other moms on the Mexico traditions. It was great and so interesting!! Mexicans truly celebrate Christ's birth...complete with a 9 day tradition called Las Posadas. Youngsters go from house to house each afternoon reenacting Mary and Joseph's quest for lodging in Bethlehem. When they are finally told by someone they can stay in the stable, they are let into a house and they have a party celebrating Jesus' birth. They smash pinatas and have a party! Pinatas were originally star-shaped and "symbolize the tricks the devil uses to lure you into sin, when you brake the piñata you triumph over him and you receive all the good things in life represented by the candy and fruit" (taken directly from an answered Yahoo question I found on the internet, hence the misspelled word.) The kids all received "suitcases" and "passports" that got stamped at each country. Anyway, it was fun and educational!

Okay, now for the pictures!

This is the boys on the hayride to get our tree!
A picture of the lot as we are getting closer! Our excitement was growing!
On the hunt for our pre-tagged tree!!!
We found it!!!!!
The boys are watching as the nice guy cuts the 9 1/2 feet tree down for us!
Caden was trying to figure out how to get his hat back on!
Our four sons in front of our tree!!
Nate, Ian, and Kyle waiting on the stairs for the hayride to come back and get us!

Watching as the guy drills a hole in the bottom of the tree...there were 3 guys all around the tree to make sure it was nice and straight...it wasn't, of course, we didn't find that out until later!
There were tons of photo opportunities, that's for sure!


A family photo...just the six of us!
And here is the tree INSIDE our house...Mike is finishing up the lights with Caden's help...
and with Ian's help!
Here is Ian playing with beads!
and Caden playing with beads!
Kyle, hanging an ornament!
Nate, looking ever so handsome in front of the tree!

Well, that's as far as we got! I am hoping that we can finish up decorating the tree tomorrow and get all the boxes out of my living room! Stay tuned!!!