Rockin around the Christmas tree

Since we'll be out of town next weekend, we decided to get out the Christmas decorations yesterday. I'm glad we did, because I am having the girlscouts over on the 3rd, and don't know when else we would have gotten it done. The girls love to be helpers.

We got a lot of new decorations on clearance last year, so they were excited to see the new things. There were also 3 Christmas shirts in the box that we had gotten on clearance last year as well, so they all wanted to wear those right away.

I didn't have to move too many ornaments this year. Kara was quite the dictator about spreading out the colors, etc. I wonder where she gets that? I did redo the icicles, because they had just stabbed them in or laid them flat on the branches instead of hanging them by the loops. They also were keeping some of the icicles aside with the intention of throwing them at Ben when he came up. They are the little skinny plastic kind with pointy ends. But I told them they couldn't throw them at Daddy.

Christmas cuties.

Evie wasn't content with just handling the lower branches, so Kara helped her get a few of them higher up.

I let them hang up Ben's Chiefs ornament even though it doesn't really go with the rest.

I really dislike these kind of hooks. All the ornaments we've purchased within the last 3 years have had these annoying things. I think I'll throw them out and buy some regular ones for next year. They just get all tangled up, and the kids have a hard time with them.

They all were holding on to the last few decorations waiting for each other to put them up so they could have the glory of putting on the last one.

But Ben ended up getting the last ornament honor, since he can reach the top of the tree to put the star on.

All finished up. Ignore what I did with the curtains, ug! I did that when I was carpet cleaning, and just now realized that I need to take those down.

Do you remember our ugly carpet runner? I have hated this since we moved in, but we didn't want to rip it out, because we thought it was going to be such a pain to change it out. Ben ripped it off this weekend, and it actually didn't take long at all. The carpet was totally fine underneath, so once I had the steps cleaned, he bought me a new runner that I like much better.

Yay! now the stairs actually go with the rest of the house. I like this so so much better.

Ben decided to do carpet rails, and I wasn't sure about them at first. I think they're starting to grow on me though. I had no idea this would be such a quick, easy, and inexpensive thing to change. Now I feel silly for suffering with the ugly rug for 2 1/2 years. (Or maybe Ben just made it look easy because he's so talented.) This morning, Ben was surprised that someone took the old runner out of our trash can overnight. So I guess not everyone hates that pattern. It was clean and in pretty good condition, so I'm glad someone got a free rug.

Evie just looked cute the other day, so I how could I not snap a picture? She does have a little sore on her nose where she scratched an itch with a too-sharp fingernail. Her curls are growing out, and it is absolutely killing me. I blame Ben because he got her hair cut this summer. I knew it would never be the same.