Welcome Holidays "Cornerview Thankful"

Throughout the neighborhood lawns are adorned with Christmas lights, wooden reindeer, and and an occasional blowup snowman.  Yesterday, I joined the mass and finished the majority of my Christmas shopping on the internet.  Rod Stewart plays and his voice floats through the air singing I am Dreaming of a White Christmas.  Sitting at the table two boys crying over who gets to decorate the gingerbread house.  "No, I want the snowman to go here, cries Roman."  Winston tries to be patient but he also wants to decorate the house.  He finally walks away.  Addy has managed to find a piece of candy cane.  Her face and hands are covered in red which she smears all over my white shirt.  Later papa brings the tree in from outside.  He places it by the window.  Twisting it one way and then another trying to make it look best.  Some branches need to be trimmed on the bottom, but we don't realize this till bedtime.  It will have to wait till morning.  I string the lights around the tree.  The children ask."Where are the colored light?"  I answer, "I thought I would try white this year. It reminds papa of the candles on his tree growing up in Germany."  Roman is desperate to hang ornaments on the tree.  Addy wants to help too, but ends up breaking one that Roman hung to close to the ground."  She wants to be held, but I can't if I am going to finish decorating the tree.  Harris walks in the door and declares, "What's with the serious tree this year?"  I grew up with colored lights.  I can feel my blood pressure begin to rise as the boys begin to squabble over who is going to hang what ornament.  I am not feeling the holiday spirit.  I don't know why, but I just can't seem to catch the holiday spirit. I haven't even begun Christmas cards and I am not sure I am going to this year.  The idea of getting the kids gathered and dress for a photo just doesn't seem like fun right now.  I didn't buy any special outfits for them this year except for Addy.  I am trying to save money so we will have the money for the fees for our adoption.  Thankfully, the agency doesn't demand the money all up front.  Hopefully, I will start to feel the Christmas spirit soon.  The Grinch Who Stole Christmas  is on TV tonight or maybe I will read Roman a Christmas book tonight.  How do you get into the Christmas spirit?  

Sorry, I know a couple of the photos are blurry, but I wanted to post the whole gang.  I hope to take new ones in the next couple of days.

Thankful that I can be a mom and thankful that I am blessed to have all that I have even pickering and all.  If you missed our trip to Orlando check it out.  It was one of the best Thanksgivings we have had in a long time.