That evening after finally arriving back home, we began to decorate. The only draw back to the Douglas firs, is that because they have longer needles, their branches aren't as sturdy. They are a bit more flexible, making it a little bit more difficult to hang the heavier ornaments. Britt needed quite a bit of help. Ruth was mostly content to spend the time wallowing on whichever parent was sitting in the floor to help Britt. After getting the kids in bed I hung the rest of the ornaments up high, hung up the wreath, and decorated our mantle.

The next two days we spent trying to revive Christmas lights, exchange old ones for new ones, and hanging them on the house. I love the happy look for twinkling lights when we pull in the driveway after being gone all day, it's almost like the house is welcoming us back. Britt really loves to look for the Christmas lights this year, and is quick to point them out to Ruth. She is once again this year thrilled to watch the lights. Last year as a 4 month old she would lay under the tree and just stare, this year she feels the need to walk from side to side around the tree, touching each light and ornament within her reach.