Decked out for Christmas 2011 - O Christmas Trees

I'm usually decorated for Christmas by the Saturday or at least Monday after Thanksgiving.

This year, it took me about 2 weeks to get into the 'decorating' spirit of things!

So, I'll leave it up for a little bit.

I've always liked to leave my Christmas decorations out for a while after the holidays are over.

Since we don't use 'live' trees anymore...(boo hoo!!)...

 I can leave everything up a bit longer...like until almost February!  

Before Christmas is sometimes so crazy that I don't get to 

enjoy all of the decorations that I love so much!

I have a lot of Christmas decorations...a LOT!!

A few years ago, my kids got out all of the boxes before lunch...when they came upstairs they told me that Christmas 'threw up' in our basement!  So that is the joke each year...

I finally got a 'grown-up' tree this year.  You know, the kind with 

all matching ornaments and a color theme?!  

Love it!!

Don't you love all the boxes?

It's always a puzzle trying to get them back into the storage box...

and they let me do it...cause I love puzzles...

hmmmmm.

I really love my 'bright' tree too!

'G' for Galle!

I got a few new ornaments this year from Pier 1...love this pink fish 

and this one combines two of my favorites...Pink & Elephants!!

These are some of my favorite ornaments...

Mickey Mouse!!  This one came home from Walt Disney World...hand carried on the plane.

Still can't believe that it didn't break!

This little angel is super special to me...always gets about the same spot on the tree.

I got it the Christmas before my step-mother died.

We had all gone shopping in Old Town in Wichita...

she got us each something special.

It's like she just knew it would be her last Christmas.

This one combines my love of the beach and Santas!!

The next two came from my Grandma Goebel to my kids...

someday I will pass them on to them, but right now...

I like having something from her on my tree.

I love having little reminders of when my kids were little on my tree...this reindeer is always on my tree!!  Time goes too fast...do they have to grow up so fast?  The frog...from Preston's 2nd grade year when they did the frog jump competitions...and of course Preston's ornaments of vehicles!

Randy's Mom started giving him the 'Frosty Friends' Hallmark ornaments when they began and we have continued them every year.  They are so cute.  We have a tradition in our family to hide this pickle ornament somewhere on the tree...the whole family searches for it and the one to find it gets a gift...this year it was the Dolphin Tale movie.  I LOVE family traditions!!

This Santa has topped my tree for 16years...I don't see that changing anytime in the near future...

  I got this heart ornament in a gift exchange at one of our 'Christian Homemaker' get togethers years ago.  Always reminds me of a very special lady and has a special spot on my tree.  This Santa is Preston's ornament from my Dad the year my step-mom died.  He gave us all a special Christmas ornament or decoration that year with plaques about Thelma.  So special.  The little glass bird house is for the year when Preston sent gifts and a bird house to a family who lost their dad in 911.

This little reindeer - made by a dear friend - has had a special place on our tree for years too!!  I just love all the memories that each ornament holds!

And when you put them all together...make a beautiful tree!!

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas!!  We had a lot of fun at all 6, yes SIX of our Christmas'...

But we are now tired, home and enjoying all the decorations and movies we got!!  

Ahhhh...now where is my hot chocolate?