Christmas "Tee", Turkey & Santa

Things are getting busier and busier around the Thanksgiving holidays every year. We usually put up our Christmas tree up the day after Thanksgiving, but JD and I are traveling to Indiana for a wedding right after Thanksgiving.

So we decided to put up the tree the weekend before Thanksgiving instead and have a mini-holiday of our own around putting it up. JD has been really into Christmas this year and will tell you that Santa says "ho ho ho." He also loves Christmas "tees." (almost sounds like cheese sometimes)

Today we put up the tree while JD was down for his nap. He was really surprised when I brought him down and he saw a Christmas tree where his toys usually are. He actually looks completely shocked in the picture below!

Since Jon is a firefighter, we have LOTS of firetruck ornaments. These were JD's favorite and pointed them all out on the tree.

We also cooked a pre-holiday feast with turkey, potatoes, gravy, green beans, corn, rolls and pumpkin pie (all homemade, of course). We enjoyed a nice Thanksgiving-ish dinner just as a little family.

Later, we went to one of the local shopping squares for JD to get his first glimpse of Santa Claus! I think the tree lighting was more exciting than Santa, who was kind of far away. Santa did arrive in a firetruck though, which got JD's attention.

Right before tree gets lit up.

JD thought it was amazing!!

But then we took him home to our tree (pretty tiny in comparison) and he was still pretty mesmerized by it, especially in the dark.

The holidays are so much more fun when you can experience them through your children's eyes!