Our Family's Christmas Decor {36 Days 'til Christmas!}

I abandoned Top Ten Tuesday today {we'll be back next week!} and decided instead to share our Christmas decor with you!

With Canadian thanksgiving long past, we don't have to wait to put up our decor...we can do it anytime! I shared yesterday on my Facebook page how I still "feel" like it is too early...but I suppose there is no such thing, right?

Last Saturday was the big day, and my younger siblings especially had a blast putting up "Christmas." I didn't get pictures of everything, but I did take some highlights for ya.

Oh, and before I show them to you, don't be expecting some beautiful, Biltmore-esque fancy pants decor. We're a normal family with small kids that has collected stuff over the years that doesn't all match. And we like it that way. Bam.

Mom made a space to set up her Christmas village on these shelves in the living room:

The stockings were hung by the piano with care.... {and the top of the piano is decorated as well.}

And yep, those stockings are already full. Some people think it is odd to do it so early, because isn't Santa supposed to come on Christmas Eve? Well, for one we won't be here on Christmas Eve {we do our stockings a couple days ahead} and my mom's reasoning is, she doesn't want to wait until the last minute only to discover one person's stocking is only partially filled. So she does it now. And we all resist the urge to peek. {that is why those top presents are wrapped!}

Here is a close up of the cute snowman buddy on the piano:

He blinks red and green lights. Pretty cute!

My Grammie painted these wooden letters for us last year, which we decided to display all together. We just need to stick a pin in Judah's to keep it upright! #bettergetonthat

Our family's tradition is to receive a new ornament from mom each year, which we get to open on the day we put up the tree.

Judah seemed to enjoy the whole opening presents thing. He will get a whole lot more practice tomorrow, since it is his first birthday!!!! Wowzers!

My ornament was a purple sparkly treble clef. And Judah wanted to help.

His expression clearly says, "Give. me. Christmas." {that is what we call the decorations when we are talking to him. "See the pretty Christmas?" or "Don't touch Christmas!" He loves all the pretty lights!}

I didn't get a picture of the completed tree, but here is Drama Queen Carrie in front of it:

As you can imagine, getting a new ornament each year means they really add up. The idea is that when we move away and have our own trees, we'll have something to put on them. Until then...the tree is pretty much crazy-town. I don't even put my ornaments on anymore, since I estimated I have about 75 ornaments just myself! (One from mom each year, one from my Grammie each year, and then other random ones from other people.)

And for the first time in my life, we put some lights outside:

Just a single strand around our front porch, but it is pretty to look at, and since our house sits so far from the road, it kind of says, "Hey, there is a house back here!" to the people on the main road. Now if they don't all get blown off before Christmas!

Those are our totally unprofessional but kid-friendly decorations. Anyone else do any decorating yet? Any family traditions involving ornaments and trees? Are you a matchy-matchy decorator, or do you just throw things together?