Finally!

Finally, my friends, I have gotten into the holiday season. My previous post alluded to the fact that I don't like to rush into this state of mind. And while that is true, I also have a hard time finding some sort of Christmas Switch to flip which allows me to suddenly be ready for the season. But yesterday, we made some headway.

Even though yesterday was warmer than I thought it was going to be, I still proceeded to get out my new coat and scarf and dress warmly and head shopping. I got a few more gifts off my list and of course took advantage of some crazy savings on new clothing items for myself. Whoops. I bought all the necessary wrappings, bows, tags and tape and headed home. I have been wrapping like a mad woman for about two days now. It is quite the challenge to wrap the large items with two pugs running around the house, I might add. Because they LOVE to help me roll out the paper and then sit in the middle of it as if they would like to be wrapped up as well. I can only imagine what children will be like. So, if you get a gift from me and you notice something furry and snoring in your package, please understand my situation at home and the challenges I am facing in the gift wrapping department. I appreciate your understanding. Moving on.

After easing into the holidays by fighting the crowds at the mall and the aforementioned gift wrapping, I decided it was high time to make the true statement that I am ready for the season by convincing my loving husband that it was time to go get a tree. You should know that buying a tree is very foreign to me. You see, I have this really cool uncle who lives in Oregon and is- you guessed it- a Christmas Tree Farmer. And for the past 22 years, he has mailed- yes mailed- my family a Christmas Tree straight from his farm. My loving husband grew up with fake trees (gasp!) so the concept of going out and buying a live tree is also a little foreign to him. I know this because he innocently suggested we head to the hardware store to get one. I looked at him as if he were the Grinch. No, no, no- I wanted to go to a farm or at least to a stand where they play Christmas music and give your tree a fresh cut and load it into your car and wish you a Merry Christmas. I did not want to go pick up a pack of light bulbs and a nail gun while attempting to pick out a tree that has been laying in a pile in a parking lot for a week now.

So to the Christmas Tree Stand we headed and low and behold, they were playing Christmas music and they gave our tree a fresh cut and they loaded it into our car and they even wished us a Merry Christmas. Success. And now, as I continue to fight this bought of insomnia I am currently enduring, I stare at our quaint little tree, which smells wonderful and is elegantly decorated. Elegant might be the wrong adjective, but it sounds good, right? Right.

The pugs are very curious about the tree. Lola has been attempting to drink the tree water and then hiding behind it as if Hank cannot see her. Hank has been sniffing the bottom branches and I have been waiting for him to get that twinkle in his eye and "mark" the new territory in our home. I have yet to put my presents under there for fear of Hank's nasty little habit that we are getting close to breaking. Ah, life with a new pug.

Yes, it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas. I have even decided this afternoon will be the day I start my holiday baking. I have been up since 5 watching food network Christmas cookie specials, so that may have something to do with it. Either way, I am happy to finally be embracing the season. Happy Holidays everyone!