Ready or Not, Here Comes Christmas!

So we finally got our Christmas tree up despite all the work we're doing the house. It'll mean moving it when we get around to sheetrocking (in the next few days) but you can't have a Christmas without a tree. I have to say it was the fastest and cheapest we've ever gotten a tree. We were in and out of Wal-mart in under ten minutes. We came very close this year to getting a fake tree but there was nothing Lana saw she liked that was within a reasonable budget this year. We'll probably break down and get a nice artificial tree next year but this year we do it with a real one.
So we broke out all the ornaments, the decorations, the lights and put on some holiday music while Marcel and Lana made sugar cookies. I have to say I think our tree this year is one of our best looking ones so far. It's Olivia's first Christmas with us and she's growing so damn fast.
She laughed for the first time for us on Tuesday afternoon. Wow, you wanna talk about a heart wrenching thing of shear joy to hear. Lucky for us, I got it on my camera to relive as often as I want and to share with all of you. She's giggled a few times, teasing us, here and there but never a full out laughing fit. Lana got her going and she laughed 'til the hiccups were too much. I'm having a hard time deleting it from my camera despite the space it takes on my memory card. I rarely max it out so it'll stay for now. ;)
Tonight we're taking it easy after a busy day of preparing the living room for sheetrocking. The room is almost ready, the sheetrock is sitting in the garage, and the new flooring is in the fish tank room. It's going to get real busy in the next week. I'm looking forward to some serious work followed by a very awesome Christmas. This Christmas has really nailed home that my little Marcely isn't so little anymore. While he still plays with his action figures, he's spending more and more time reading, playing on my computer, and hanging out with his friends. Shopping for him this year was really tough. He's becoming a young adult and it's frankly a little scary. He's always been mature for his age and we've loved it but now I wish he would stay my little Marcely for just a few more years. I think my factor of "daddy is a cool guy" is slowly wearing thin. He actually ditched me for the first time on Donuts for Dad this year and even told me he doesn't want to be called Marcely anymore. I have to admit my feelings were hurt a bit both times but I know he's just growing up. We're already coming up with our strategy for "The Talk" with him. I swear I'm not ready for that...
Anyway, I should get to bed. Tomorrow we're hanging sheetrock. Wish us luck!!