Merry Christmas and Happy Almost NEW YEAR everyone! It’s been a busy one! Today though I spent the entire day in my pajamas just because I could and it was awesome…. after a very long week of family time in very cold Ohio and then a very awful mystery illness that went away as quickly as it came on. Let me just say that even though my doc said it was not food poisoning I will not be eating tuna from Subway ever again, ever. At least not from a Subway in a very shady, middle of nowhere town in a desolate parking lot next to a gas station whose employees have no teeth. On the up side I am several pounds lighter and I’ll take it, especially considering how many of Aunt Dianne’s raspberry bars I consumed at Christmas!
Before our 9 hour drive to Cincy I walked around our block and took some pictures one drizzly evening. I wanted to share with everyone how lovely our neighborhood looked for our first year. This is my first house to decorate the outside and we had ZERO decorations, ouch another expense we didn’t count on in moving. Oh well, we got some pretty great stuff to start and my first pic below is the garland I did around the front door.
Chris hung all of the lights himself and several days after he complained of suffering from “Griswald legs” a condition of extremely sore legs brought on by crouching down on the roof hanging lights.
The big LED snowflake in our picture window is from Costco that we got for $2o. I’m hoping to expand the winter wonderland/snowflake theme over the next few years and add more lights. Decorations really add up fast. I hit Target for the after clearance sale but made the mistake of bringing my husband with me. I wanted two 4 foot potted, pre lit trees which were half off. I wanted these for the front porch to flank the door. He said he thought it was clutter…this is coming from a guy who sings Christmas carols year round!
As you can see the bushes to the left need lights and that little space in the icicle lights drives me nuts (but I didn’t tell Chris that since he worked so hard, Griswald legs and all). Our next door neighbors really went all out and I was really impressed until I learned that they hired people to hang their lights for them! I mean I’m still impressed how pretty it is but more proud of us for our own efforts which makes the imperfections more acceptable.
My favorite house on the block is the green one. That is my friend Cindy’s house who is a professional decorated. They just painted their house a couple months ago and I love it. Our neighborhood is meant to be very colorful and the green they chose is just so cheerful it makes me smile every time I walk past it on the way to the dog park.
The rest of the pics are some of my decorations in the house. My favorite thing is the framed Christmas tree made of vintage jewelry. My mom has a matching one and so I will always think of her every year when I hang it in my house.
The little colored tree is dedicated to Chris’ love of all Cincinnati related sports: Reds, Bengals, Bearcats, Xavier…I didn’t want all his sports crap on the main tree. I should note that I don’t think I owned a single Christmas ornament before I met him, I inherited ornaments in our marriage. I think they were part of the contract.
I didn’t have my stockings hung when I took the pictures and I’m too lazy to post them now, haha. I ordered new ones this year with our actual names embroidered on them: Chris, myself, Kryo and Baby (our dogs). They are pretty darn cute!
Our home owners association throws a couple of parties every year. We missed the adult party while we were out in Raleigh at our adoption seminar, signing our contract to adopt a baby! I think it was worth missing it. Then the neighborhood threw a kid’s party where there was cookies and milk with Santa in the club house then horse and buggy rides around the block. It was so sweet watching them go by in front of house and hearing the bells in tandem with the clippity clop of horse hooves…all from the comfort of my front porch 
What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions? And what have you done new this year?
The lights look beautiful Kendra! And I especially love your indoor decorations!
This was my first year for my own decorating and Garrett’s first year getting any say in it, haha. There was much discussion over the color of the lights! We went with white icicle lights over our patio and around the windows. However Garrett is determined to get me into the multi-colored strands next year! Our indoor decorations were completely nerded out with a Doctor Who themed Christmas tree. Complete with a “Weeping Angel” (one of the DW’s scariest villians) that Garrett handmade to top our tree! Photos on facebook!
As far as traditions new and old, we had a chance to celebrate Christmas 4 times with different branches of our families. Christmas Eve with my little family, Christmas morning with each other, and Christmas day and evening with his very large family! In any case it was very exciting for me that Garrett and I had a chance to start our own Christmas traditions that I hope we can continue (as well as keep adding to) for many years to come.
I’m sad I didn’t have my Kendrizzle nearby this year, but I’m so happy for you and excited that perhaps by next Christmas you will have another addition to your family!
Griswald legs, I love it! Your house and your neighborhood look awesome, and big congratulations on signing your contract! You’re one step closer! So excited for you guys!