Christmas Tree, Cookies, and our Elf on the Shelf

Yesterday, we planned to go and cut down a Christmas tree.  Since we usually travel for Thanksgiving, we're always about a week later than we'd like to be in starting to decorate for Christmas.  We checked the forecast and it was calling for a 100% chance of rain at exactly the time we were planning to go.  But we decided to go ahead anyway because you never know what the weather is going to do in December.  It seems like it always ends up raining on the day we want to get a tree and we postpone it.  Then we end up trying to finish decorating a week before Christmas.

The boys were little troopers and didn't seem to mind the rain and the cold.  Dan cut down the tree pretty quickly and then once we finally got the thing tied to the top of the car, we were on our way.  We sang Christmas carols on the way home.  The boys loved that, and like last year, Fenn already knows some of the words to a few songs (like Jingle Bells, Frosty the Snowman, and Jingle Bell Rock).

Later than afternoon, while putting lights on the tree, Dan baked some cookies with the boys.  They had lots of fun.  And by the time it was over, there were little beads and sprinkles everywhere!  Oh, and Fenn, Boone, and daddy were all covered in flour.

Boone liked using the cookie cutters.

We also got our Elf on the Shelf yesterday.  Santa sent him to stay with us throughout the holidays.  He'll watch the kids during the day and then report back to Santa Claus each night.  Santa said we should give him a name, so Fenn named him 'Jet Pilot'.  Our guess is that over the years that will get shortened to either 'Jet' or 'JP'.

Today (December 5, 2010) is the 7th anniversary of mine and Dan's first date at Basil Leaf Restaurant in LaGrange, GA.  Happy Anniversary sweetie!