Outdoor Decorations and Birthday Celebrations

For years, I've been looking for these trees that look like bare limbed trees with white lights for my front yard.  The only problem is that I see them in other people's yards, but never in the stores.  I thought I hit pay dirt this year when they were in the Sears ad, but when I got to the store they were sold out.  I made the decision the next year as soon as the Christmas decorations come out that I would just pay full price...that's obviously the only way I'm going to get them.  Monday night, we took the girls to the mall to shop for each other and I found a similar tree, only with multicolored lights that was 50% off at Sears.  They had two, and at one point both were in my cart, but I was nice and put one back so Daughter #2 could get the presents she'd been eyeing.  I'm so much happier with my little 5' tree that's all colorful!!

I adore the little presents too!  Now, the little tree...well, that one's most likely going to disappear when I pack things up this year.  My husband is a little grinchish when it comes to decorating the outside, hence the lack of decorations.  Daughter #2 found this little tree last year and was determined to put it out with my new one.  She's happy, so I'm happy. 

Daughter #1's birthday is on Friday, my little girl will be 14 years old...not so little anymore!  Having a birthday on Christmas Eve can be a little tricky.  We usually do something right after school lets out for the winter break with her friends and then it's just the four of us for her big day.  This year, I took her and two friends to play Laser Quest and then to her favorite place to eat, Alamo Cafe. Daughter #2 had played before, so it was cute to see her giving the big girls tips on how to play the game.  She beat them all too on the first game! 

 

This was Round 2 and Daughter #2 was serious this time around!  They were playing with 4 boys and needless to say, they got their tushes beat, but they had a great time running around in attack mode! 

Mandy