Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree...

Photo (c) Christina Saull - All Rights Reserved

Last Sunday, we purchased & decorated our Christmas tree. We literally pulled into the parking lot of our church (where we buy our fine tree every year), walked up to one, said "looks good" & five minutes later it was in the car. Simplest process ever. Which was good, because it was freezing cold out.

Photo (c) Christina Saull - All Rights Reserved


Photo (c) Christina Saull - All Rights Reserved

The biggest pain in the rear about purchasing a live tree is carrying it up the stairs to our fourth floor apartment. This year it resulted in me getting sap all over my winter coat. Luckily, thanks to the Intertubes, I found a genius solution to get it out: hand sanitizer. I am not even joking! Squirted some right on my coat, rubbed it in, & in a matter of moments the sap was gone. Amazing.

So, we hauled the tree upstairs, set it up in the little stand & let it get nice & warm for a few hours. Finally, it was decorating time.

Lights first.

Photo (c) Christina Saull - All Rights Reserved


Photo (c) Christina Saull - All Rights Reserved

Then it was time to get out the ornaments.
No, I don't think we have enough either, thanks for noticing.

Photo (c) Christina Saull - All Rights Reserved

Per the tradition, baby ornaments go on first.

Photo (c) Christina Saull - All Rights Reserved

Finally, top it all off with a star.*

Photo (c) Christina Saull - All Rights Reserved

Some ornament highlights from our travels this year:

Kayaking Santa, from Bar Harbor, Maine

Photo (c) Christina Saull - All Rights Reserved

little row boat from Kennebunkport, Maine

Photo (c) Christina Saull - All Rights Reserved

in honor of the many pounds of lobster we ate in Maine, & elsewhere

Photo (c) Christina Saull - All Rights Reserved

USS Constitution from Boston

Photo (c) Christina Saull - All Rights Reserved

Peggy's Cove light house, from Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia

Photo (c) Christina Saull - All Rights Reserved

the cheesiest Luray Caverns ornament ever, from our anniversary trip there

Photo (c) Christina Saull - All Rights Reserved

*a super tacky, plastic, 1970's star that has been in my family since, well, the 1970's. My Dad gladly handed it off to me & I am obsessed with it. I refuse to get a new one.