On Tuesday we went, along with Joel and Kate, to cut our own tree for the first time. We reached Kuiper Family Farm just as the sun was beginning to set, and hurried out into the chilly field to pick our trees before it became to dark to see.

After cutting our trees and hauling them back to be wrapped up, we went inside for hot apple cider and cider donuts.

As a special treat, Indy was allowed to have a donut all to herself. . .and now, gratuitous baby-eating-donut pictures. . .

Then the trees were tied to the roof, and we piled into the car and made it about 3 minutes down the road before we had to stop. . . twice. . .to fix the sliding trees. At one point I accidentally hit the sunroof instead of the dome light button, and as it slid open pine needles started raining in from the sky. This royally freaked Indy, who inconsolably cried and jabbered with a look of sheer horror on her face for quite a while, and during every adjustment of the trees on the roof thereafter. I'm sensing a scar for life.

Once home, we set up and decorated. Now its much easier to convince ourselves it's Christmas, despite the less-than-Christmasy weather we've been having.

After almost two years of living out of our room, with her clothes stacked in milk crates in our closet, her toys in the corner of the living room, and her body completing a perfect letter "H" with us in our bed every night, Indy finally has her own room. She has more dresser space than she can fill, a bed stacked full of her stuffed animals, and all her books and toys in a room she is free to trash (and which she will. . . everyday. . . I'm sure. . .) And we have free space in our closet (and in our bed), and finally have an official diapering station set up, with an actual place to change her, and a real diaper pail. 

Roy is glad for the company, too!

It's ridiculously nice to have all of the cloth diaper supplies stacked and organized, instead of jumbled in a laundry basket. The dresser was graciously passed along to us from Alan's parents, making Indy the third generation Miller to use this dresser (it being the boyhood dresser of both Alan and his dad). The blanket was thrifted (its serving in place of a changing pad, since I couldn't find a non-toxic changing pad for under $100!), and the butterflies belonged to my uncle and watercolour sailboat was done by my grandfather.

I slept on that same bedframe as a child (though it's since been painted blue), and mama-made decor is all over in this space.

Most importantly of all, Indy loves it, and spends a lot of her time on her bed kissing all of her stuffed animals, and tearing her books out of her nightstand. 

The craft closet had to be relocated, and we found a great antique cupboard that now houses art supplies in the diningroom (I'll give you a peek of that soon!)