It's Christmas time, folks!

You had better set an alert on your smartphone for this time next year, because it's finally happened. I have gotten into the Christmas spirit. Yeah, yeah... all you people have been looking forward to it since before Thanksgiving, yet that's just not the way I work. See, all those who have birthdays around the holidays more than likely understand. Everyone forgets about you, your birthday is not nearly as fun as those NOT around the holidays, and by the time yours rolls around people are so out of the spirit the LAST thing they want to do is get together yet again for another celebration. Not to mention the gifts wrapped in Santa and snowman paper (don't do this, folks). Ok, so I'm being a little dramatic. Point is, usually I don't get into the Christmas spirit until, like, the day before. But this year... wait for it... it's happened already! There's something about this year. Maybe it's that I'm on an exciting new adventure, maybe because I get to do new and delightful things, maybe --- just maybe because I am happy. Happy for all the wondrous people in my life, blissful for the opportunities that have come my way, but most of all because I finally feel I am on the right path.

Enough with the sappy. Here's a tiny peep into the (sad) life of a traveling nurse's Christmas. First, we start off with a few ornaments that I picked up. I decided I wanted to collect a Christmas ornament from each place I went while traveling. These are my Washington ones.

 An adorable little owl I found at Anthropologie. I have tried not to purchase things from chain strores, but rather places you can only find in Washington, but he was so dang cute!

 Next I found this little shimmering bird from a charming little shop on 1st Avenue downtown Seattle called Far4. They had the weirdest things in there like a ceramic Amy Winehouse head and the gift I got for Kenan. Can't tell you what it is because he just might read this.

 Shawna's Christmas tree. She decided I was being a humbug (since I wasn't planning on decorating) so she bought the cheapest pre-lit tree she could find. So what if it's only 2 1/2 feet tall and unlevel? If it helps her feel the Christmas in the air, I'm game. Plus, it lets me hang my new ornaments up. Like the snowflake blanket covering the plastic tub we had to set it all on so we could see it?

Next, we take a little trip to southern Oregon. Since Shawna has gone home to see her sister and various other peeps, Molly and I had the run of the house. Instead of lounging around and being a couch potato with nothing to do, we decided to skip town and head to Ashland for a few days where Paul was gracious enough to let us take over his home (he'll be glad to be rid of all the estrogen when this is all over, I'm sure).

 Molly loves to sprawl out in her bed in the back, but HATES not being able to roam about the front of the car as well. A few times I caught her trying to sneak into the front seat while I was driving. Silly girl... I'm sitting right here. I can see you!

Since he hasn't decorated for Christmas in at least a few years, Paul had come up with a great idea to make his own tree out of scrap cardboard. He even let me draw the star you see at the top. Good thing he took "creative control" and made a few changes before we cut it out. Who knows what it would have come out like. I still am trying to figure out, did he come up with this to do a creative activity between he and I? Or just because he thinks cutting down an actual tree is "bad for the environment?" I kid, Paul. I had a superb time.



 Good thing there's an engineer handy. We even had a "design meeting" and all.

 Almost finished! We wanted to take a picture before we put the lights on, just in case the whole thing came tumbling down and we weren't able to salvage it. Ready for the final result? Get ready to have your

mind blown...

Bam! There she is... the bestest Christmas tree there ever was. Brought to you by

(mostly) Paul and Jessica, 2011.