So much work...so little time!

Wow- I can't believe the new year is here. I'm happy to say goodbye to you 2009, although we've had fun, there were some times that I didn't love so much and I'm embracing the change for 2010. The one thing I don't want to embrace is all these decorations! We're going to have to build a new shelf in the garage just for the Christmas stuff.

We're busy beavers over here, I've been remodeling my bathrooms and laundry room as well as a portion of the basement (I will post soon) so I have vowed not to take down these decorations until I have a place to put them (which will hopefully be soon). It's been wonderful to feel so great that I could put up three big trees (with a fourth ready to go in the basement next year when the construction is finished), and three little trees for the kids. It's been a fun holiday but now I'm looking forward to tropical vacations and springtime!

Tree in the "red room" or living room. I used my basement decorations for this tree this year because my mom in law got to come over and see my upper floor and I wanted her to see my "white" tree- normally this 12 footer is filled with formal red and green decorations- but I like how it turned out.

This is our family room tree. I love the black and white incorporated here. it's a funky "Santa" tree filled with different kinds of Santa's among other things.

This is our breakfast area- I have had this snow village for years (1997) but my kids want me to do a big village next year, we'll see how the storage room feels about that!

This is my candy tree. I had the most fun with this tree- everything would be edible if it were real.

My table- lots of fun stuff!

Sofa table- the favorite was the cherry candy canes- that jar is pretty big, although that's hard to see- my kids loved those things!

my favorite part about this is the advent calendar on the left side of the fireplace. We bought it in Carmel this year and we filled it with fun things to do to help remember Christ this Christmas season. It was so much fun to do with our kids- a new found tradition.

This Jim Shore Santa is also from Carmel- there is a Christmas store there that I had to go into our last trip and they shipped everything for me- so much fun- he's holding a partridge in a pear tree.

My "tree" in our room. I love my pussy willows and decided to decorate them with these cut glass snowflakes. I love the way they turned out and since they are "winterish" I'm leaving them up til valentines day!