it's Christmas time at the ranch...

December is here, and the Chambless Ranch has officially been decorated for the first Christmas as Mr. and Mrs.!!

It's something John David and I have been looking forward to for several months.  Last year, we made the mistake of starting Christmas music before Thanksgiving, which created WAY too much hype on the front end.  By the time Christmas arrived, we were fresh out of Christmas spirit.  This year, we abstained and started the Christmas cheer the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and are right on track for an exciting Christmas.

I had a tree from my college years, one that I was convinced was decent and would be great at the ranch.  I was somewhat disappointed when we put it together and you could see straight through it.  Oh well.  It will have to do until we can:  a. invest in a nice fluffy pre-lit tree, or b. come to terms with a real tree and the maintenance of it.  I think I'm leaning towards the real tree, but I know Chams probably prefers the fake...he'd be the one "maintaining". 

It's cute, and let's face it...if it was any bigger, we'd need to invest in a few more ornaments. 

The wreath on the front door looks really great.  I'm super pleased with the outcome.  We also added a small tree with lights to the front porch to add a little extra Christmas zing. 

At Thanksgiving, Mom sent us home with lots of fruit...so I decided to use it as a centerpiece for our table.  There's something about oranges that are so pretty.  Add a little holiday garland, and here you have it...a festive table.

This past Sunday, Chams and I rounded out all of our shopping.  It was exhausting, to say the least, but I feel relieved to have it behind us.  There are a few more odds and ins to pick up, but come this weekend, hopefully we will be 100% finished. 

I just love pretty packages under the tree.  It's worth the investment in paper, ribbon and cute gift tags.

Well, other than a few little knick-knacks, that's about it for the holiday decorations at the ranch.  We're feeling very festive and are absolutely loving our first Christmas season as the Chamblesses.