weekending

By the end of this past week I was really ready for a nice relaxing Saturday, but that was not in the cards.  We got up early, got an oil change for our car, and ran off to the stake center to start helping set up for our ward's Christmas party.  I was put on the party planning committee for the event and we had a lot to do before the party that night.

We helped arrange tables and chairs, put out decorations, arranged service projects, put up posters, and started organizing our games for that night.  Dave and I were in charge of the night's entertainment up on the stage: Minute to Win It games.  We were a little worried if anyone would want to play, but as the evening started we soon found out that we would have no problem with that issue.  As it turns out, the kids in our ward LOVED our games and were so excited to play with us they barely touched the craft and cookie decorating centers we had set up for them.  It was a little bit of a problem, actually.

Dave MCed and I scurried around in my puff paint cardinal sweater getting supplies ready for each game.  We had a pretty great, if not exhausting, time.

After the party we came home and were just about to collapse on the couch when I remembered . . . I wanted to get a Christmas tree that night!  I grew up having a lovely real evergreen in my living room every December, but what with us going to Utah this year for Christmas, and neither of us being home for most of the day I couldn't justify us getting a real tree.  So we did the next best thing - we went to Walmart!  We spotted a lovely 6 ft artificial Wesley pine for $20, and I was pretty sure we had found the best deal in the store.  I can't tell you how ridiculously happy I am to have a tree in the house.

We strung some lights around her, found a few gold baubles to hang on her branches, and topped her with a red bow.  Then, with a crackling, merry fire blazing away (on our TV - thanks Netflix), and the lights plugged in on our new little Wesley pine we enjoyed a lovely evening talking about past Christmas memories and new traditions we want to do one day with our kids.  It was perfect.

It was worth $20 and a quick run out to Walmart.  I knew it would be.