O' Christmas Tree...

'Tis the season to rock the house for the holidays! My holiday season got kicked off last week with a Colorado visit with Bryan, Erin, and the pups - watching Bryan run the train beneath the lit tree, walking through the garden of lights, shopping in downtown Fort Collins, and listening to holiday music really put me in the mood - leaving them poked a little hole in my bubble of holiday spirit though. Luckily I bounce back quickly, especially when I have a purposeful agenda centered on family and friends!

The first order of business was to do some shopping (no, you can't see) and do some baking (is your mouth watering?). Here are a few examples of my efforts in the kitchen: two variations of date balls - one regular and one soaked in rum; sugar cookies dressed as trees; peanut butter cup cookies that have been a recent hit; and gingerbread houses in cookie-size portions rather than the large display that gets stale unless eaten immediately.
Next came the choosing of the Christmas tree. This beauty is probably the best tree ever cut off this property. It's full, healthy, and almost 15' tall - reaching to the ceiling in front of the two-story wall of south-facing windows. Stringing lights and placing ornaments necessitates an assemblage of ladders including an extension ladder and three stepladders - an 8', a 6', and a little two-stepper.
Here's our tree decorated with over 1000 lights and a box of ornaments collected over the years. The holiday season is off to a good start!