Days with the Dorans

A highlight of Christmas is the kids trimming their tree but come January, it's time to take it down. And while they put decorations UP, I'm the one who has to take them DOWN. It's a lot of work. HERE is a video of all the ornaments on our family tree. So many memories from over the years! Until next year!

Trimming the tree is always my favorite! Probably because for us we just pour a glass of wine (the one glass Jeff drinks all year), sit back and watch the magic happen! Lots of love, laughter, and fun with this group. To think that next year we'll be fitting it in before Joe heads back to college! At least I know they'll always be here for this! I'll have the jammies ready! HERE is a video of the fun!  

I love when the kids deck the halls! Time to get out the matching jammies and deck those halls! I love this tradition!! I think it's the only time of year that Jeff joins me with a glass of wine! AND... a bonus for your listening pleasure~ HERE is a video Joey had to make for school for your listening pleasure!

 I do love the North Pole Village, but it was just too much for me this year with everything going on. I did manage to get up the Christmas in the City (which I adore). We got rid of some of our bookcases (put in the basement) to make room for the birds who normally live in front of the window now. It worked out nicely and I've so enjoyed this room this season! Some pictures from the village...

We were getting ready to settle in and watch the kids trim their tree. Jeff and I came down in matching jammies, and Ali laughed and said, "What!? YOU got matching jammies and none for..." she stopped as I pulled a bag out from behind me! I think she almost wet herself! They were all dying but good sports and put them on (may be a new tradition). I love watching the kids put up their ornaments and reminisce about their meanings. Sadly, we had to say goodbye to this old, "Pinkalicious" ornament, reminding us of our Princess's fondness for the book. Jeff and I split a bottle of Black Sharaz and he liked it! (so did I) Jeff was sleeping before the kids were done (wine maybe?) but we had so much fun. Thankfully, I took some pics as we were strapped on time and never got our traditional "white shirts in front of front tree" picture done. I did put up that tree though. My friend shared a YouTube video a famous family did with a rap about their ...

I love trimming the trees! Probably because I don't really do it anymore. I still do the red and gold bulb tree with the white lights in the living room, but the kids do the family room. I just put on the lights, sit back and watch the magic happen (with a beverage in my hand and my husband by my side).  I do love watching them reminisce when putting up the ornaments. Family time is the best time.

I was actually quite proud of myself... The Sunday after Thanksgiving I did tons of decorating. The only thing left to do is the North Pole Village (I'll post all MY stuff when I get that done). My favorite decorations though are those I DON'T do. The kids have always done our family room tree while Jeff and I sit back on the couch and watch with the fire going, carols on the radio and adult beverages in our hands. I love watching the kids go through the ornaments and remembering when they got (or made) them. If they know an ornament belongs to a sib, they hand it to them to do the honors. The only thing we (adults) do with the tree are the lights (me) and Andrew's Angel (Jeff). I took a time-lapse video of them getting their decorating on that you can see HERE . Beautiful job, fab four!

 We always wait until after Thanksgiving to put up the tree and this year we did it the Sunday after Thanksgiving. With how busy our life is, I feel like we need to get the decorations up this weekend or we may not get it done at all.  Sadly, I didn't get my villages up this year but I've decided I'm going to do them next year. I feel like if I don't do it over Thanksgiving, I don't do it. Last year I didn't because we had a new puppy but that new puppy is pretty good now so I can't use him as an excuse. I was just too tired...  I did do my tree in the front room window but the tree in the family room is all the kids. I put the lights on it, Jeff does Andrew's angel and the kids put up all the ornaments. It's so fun watching them go to work while Jeffy and I sit back sipping drinks and watching them with nice Christmas music in the background! We laugh and have lots of memories in those ornaments (and of course Andrew's angel which to...

 I realized that though I don't think about them, this family does have 'traditions' and trimming the tree is certainly one of them.  We have two Christmas Trees in our house.  The front room tree~ MINE~ and the family room tree~ The Kids'.  I put the lights on the tree, but the kids do the rest.  I remember one year all the ornaments were in one general place but they've gotten better at spreading them out and Sean now takes them out of the boxes (though it was so funny when he put his ornaments on the tree, box and all). This was also Marty's first experience with decorating the tree.  Thankfully he hasn't been too interested in either tree (aside from taking in the pretty lights) and I sure hope it stays that way.  I have childhood memories of Jenny Puddles (our dog) knocking over our tree (but maybe that's because those trees were real and sometimes crooked).  My favorite is when the kids go through the ornaments and share th...