Alabama-like Christmas or The Griswolds?

Not the state, the band.

We had our first family Christmas get-together of the year yesterday at my parents’ house. There is just something about a log home with a big fire burning in the fireplace at Christmas time that makes me feel all warm & fuzzy inside. Alabama’s Christmas album makes the perfect sound track to Christmas at their house. All that’s missing is the mountains covered in snow! I love being home for Christmas. Even though I love the house that TAG & I have made a home, there is just nothing like Christmas at the house you grew up in. I especially love seeing my babies enjoy it so much.



They always have the most beautiful, as close-to-perfect as a real tree can get. I know my dad wouldn’t have it any other way after having the Christmas Tree Farm for so long. However…it’s just not Christmas at my parents’ house until at least one tree falls over! I seriously can’t even remember a year that one hasn’t! We are worse than the Griswolds & I love it!

 

This year it wasn’t the main tree that fell, but the fun “little” project that I put up for them. My mom wanted an old fashioned Charlie Brown Cedar tree for their sunroom. So my dad went out back & cut one down. First of all, it was huge-like 9 or 10 feet huge. It took forever just to get that sucker in the tree stand & once we did, it was totally leaning. My dad was too tired to deal with it anymore & TAG was at work, so mom & I decided we could just prop it up against the wall for support. Bad idea. I got halfway through putting the lights on & it fell. On me. The is the 2nd year the tree has fallen on me. Grrreeeaat.

Anyway we decided the theme for this tree was going to be “Rustic Retro” & we put all of my dad’s fishing ornaments on it. Keeping with the “retro” theme I wanted to put some big old timey lights on it. It just so happened that my mom dug out a strand that was at least 25 years old! Half the bulbs were missing, but we figured what could just get some replacements at WalMart. I plugged them in to see if they would work & Riley pointed at them saying “oooh colors!” As soon as he started to touch a bulb, it blew. And it blew big time. It looked like a lightning bolt hit & sparks flew up 2 feet high. I thought my child had been electrocuted! I screamed & jumped for him but once we got over the shock of what happened, Riley said “I make fire!!” He thought it was hilarious. So. We threw those lights in the trash & got some new ones at WalMart.

I really love how the tree turned out after all of the mishaps! I love the simplicity of it. I felt like I was back in 1975. This picture doesn’t do it justice but the kid on the rocking horse sure is cute!



My dad’s brother & his family came over yesterday for the Christmas party & it was so much fun with these 3!



Riley & Dada watching football.



April & Will at the {big} kid’s table! :0)



All of the Riley grandkids. Plus Riley. (He wanted in the picture & we couldn’t say no!)



I managed to get a picture of all of their side (even if it was a goofy one) but didn’t get our side.



I adore this picture! April gave Riley a Woody & Jessie doll & he LOVED them!



Checking out Ruby Clare’s loot.

     

That was a splattered Coke on Averly’s tights. Lovely, I know. But she's still cute as a button loving on her ViVi!



Also, we woke up to snow Saturday morning! It was literally a dusting, but Riley had a blast playing in it! Poor guy kept wanting to build a snowman, but there was not nearly enough snow for that. I know Northerners laugh at how crazy we act when we get the least amount of snow down here, but we get so excited just to see any!

{Don’t judge his get-up! He was wearing one of my old sweatshirts because we couldn’t find his coat & we were trying to make it outside to play before all the snow melted!}