All Merry and Bright

Last Saturday, we braved the -9 weather and picked out our Christmas tree for the year.

We looked at a few and then just picked one and went home.

It ended up being a very nice shaped and looking tree.

 Ryken loves to smell it! He over exaggerates the sniffing. It is pretty funny!

 Dad was showing Ryken how to put the star at the top.

Ryken thought it was pretty neat.

We realized we needed a bigger tree topper. haha! And maybe cut the top branch back a little bit!

Put it on the to-do list!

 Putting the lights on!

 I have a few favorite ornaments. 

The one from our first year as Mr. and Mrs.

 And then, the one for Ryken's first Christmas!

 I had seen this idea on a blog that I follow that I really liked and thought I would try this year!

Putting pictures from big/memorable events throughout the year on the tree!

Like when we went to Maplewood in the winter, after a fresh snow and on a beautiful day. 

I put some of the ones that I knew Ryken would appreciate looking at.

This one he is pointing at is a picture of him and his cousin Matthew having a picnic at Nana and Papa's house.

There is one of Ember down low for him too, and he loves those two the most.

He goes around and just looks and talks about the pictures.

I am glad he loves them as much as his mommy does! :)

When we got our Christmas tree, they freshly cut the bottom of it and I asked if we could keep it! :)

 I saw this idea online about keeping the bottom of the tree each year and documenting who are around, possibly a big event that happened and the year. 

Loved it and did it! :)

Excited for our new tradition. 

Just wish I had thought of this the first year we were married and had a real tree! Oh well. Last year we didn't get a tree. So I just missed one! :)