What a lovely night

I finally got my life in enough order to get the Christmas trees down. My attic is considerably more organized and my prelit tree is up and glowing, though it's still in need of shaping and decorating. Ethan happily decorated his four foot Christmas branch (originally our first $10 Christmas tree as penniless newlyweds) with his ornaments, and the girls little red Christmas tree and glowing Santa are up in their room. Only the little tree destined for my room remains, at least in the tree category.

We're enjoying Christmas. We had our first pajama Christmas lights ride last night, but it was a little too late for Rose. She conked out before we got to the subdivision I'd targeted. Anna Kate and Ethan, however, were thrilled. The children enjoyed painting stained-glass type ornaments earlier today. And tonight after our second Jesse tree devotions, we enjoyed a peppermint ice cream cone to the light of our tree and the sound of the PBS station playing the three tenors in the background and asking for donations to help support more of that programming. I must say it was interesting hearing them sing "Jingle Bells", not quite what I expected, but I love to hear "Silent Night" in German and it suited them better.

And did you see the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie on CBS - Picture of Hollis Woods? Looooved it! I love Hallmark movies - the only thing I have against them is that I get nothing done in the commercial breaks - because I love them too! I didn't see my favorite commercial tonight, though. The one where the dad walks across the snow my lantern-light to read the Hallmark card from his now grown daughter who was missing that walk with him. I always cry my eyes out. And I like crying my eyes out over books and movies and sappy commercials, don't you?

I'm hoping everyone here will be better tomorrow. Anna Kate had a stomach virus on Friday, so we watched movies all day, then Brian felt terrible all weekend.