All Natur-al

Ava told us it was time to put up the Christmas tree!

The kids had fun decorating it.

Ava insisted on using the step stool so she could reach higher branches.

 Before I was able to fluff all the limbs, Tyler decorated this little nest of branches. :)

Even though this picture is blurry, I love it. Whenever I ask Tyler to "say cheese!" he comes up and puts his nose on the camera and says "EESE!!"

Tyler and Ava had fun playing under the tree. They told me the legos were presents.

My favorite present is that cute little guy hiding under there.

Ava helped me put lights on our bushes out front.

As you can see in the tree pictures above, all of the ornaments are missing from the bottom half of the tree. The kids played with the ornaments all day. They bit them, and I had metal hooks all over my carpet. So I decided we were going to have an all natural tree this year. :) You can think of it as a "pure" tree. :)

This solution, however, does not prevent Tyler from playing his favorite game with the tree: "Ring around the tree." He grabs a branch and runs around the tree making it spin on its stand! This causes the lights to pull out of the wall and the star on top is currently in the middle of the tree because it can't stay balanced during the spinning. I tried to move the tree close to the wall so he couldn't spin it, but he's a little guy and squeezes in there anyway. I sure hope our tree can make it until next year!

Our stockings "hung with care." Ava informed me that her stocking was the
"cookie stocking." Of course! Does that surprise anyone given her love of sugar!? Daddy is the Santa Clause, Mommy the snowman and Tyler the penguin. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!