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Decorating frenzy...

We wanted to put our lights up two weeks ago but Mother Nature didn't cooperate and Allan really needed help. We made the effort last Saturday and it was a struggle that thankfully ended well. First, our extension ladder wasn't tall enough so Lee and Marie came over so we could use Lee's truck to prop the ladder higher. Lee hammered in all the little doohickies that would hold up the lights and Mom and Dad were out there helping too. Once the lights that we had were hung, we found out that we were short...600 lights short! Allan scoured all the stores he could think of for almost two hours until he finally found lights that matched our old ones. By that time Lee and Marie had to leave so Allan, Dad and I braved the cold. It was past 8 p.m. and probably 60 degrees out. We strung the lights together and then we put them on the wrong way! Dad had to take them out again and turn the lights around so we could plug them into the outlet. Allan bought a projector for outside too and it turned out really nice. So a big thanks goes out to Dad, Mom, Lee and Marie for helping us. We promise next year will be a lot less crazy!

Yesterday we went to Robinsons-May and bought a nativity set and I splurged on a set of capiz shell star ornaments and Allan splurged on a giant inflatable Santa. Then we headed over to K-mart because I had to check out the Martha Stewart christmas stuff. I bought a cute fake feather Christmas tree because I can't afford a real one and I've been wanting one since last year. It's Aidan's little tree. (You'll see there's a big purple ornament on it. Aidan wanted to buy that one so I gave in.) And I found some beautiful, plastic ornaments that were just what I was looking for except I didn't know it. You know how that happens?! I think we're all set and even though we bought so much decor I think it's OK because we'll use them every year. The only thing we'll have to buy next Christmas is the tree.