6th Annual Festival of Lights

What started out as a good friend coming over to help us put up Christmas lights on our old apartment while drinking beer has become a full-blown festival every year.

We (as in my husband and our friend) have lovingly termed this occasion as the "Festival of Lights."

Basically, we drink beer to make the chore of putting up Christmas lights a little more tolerable. Plus the beer helps us cope with the freezing temperatures (which, if you have any knowledge of anatomy, isn't true).

The antics of this day have become legends.

Here's some highlights of our day:

The fridge ready and raring to go.

My husband with his safety helmet gearing up to put lights on the roof. You'll notice that the them for the party was "hats." So don't make fun of mine!
We also do a Dollar Store gift exchange, which always makes for the best presents. Vanessa sporting her new safety goggles. She had the greatest penguin hat.
Vanessa showing off her new Fight Club action figure.
Mike got a new stick pony with the matching "cowgirl" hat. Yes, there were many Brokeback Mountain jokes that night.
I was sporting my new fuzzy frog slippers. My daughter loved them! Yes, the kiddos got presents, also! They really get into the festivities. Hailey got a dollie, John received a whoopee cushion, and Will has a magic trick card set.
Did you dig the "Elmer Fud" hat? Hey, it was warm!

Keith received Kiss (as in the band!) M&M's.

Jeff got War card games.
Alicia was rocking our her new glasses. Also being rocked hard-core: her new 74 cent Younkers "J-Lo" hat.
Joe got a brand new recorder (his old one was accidentally busted over my knee after a 2 hour concert in my car.)

There were more gifts, but unfortunately my camera was left in the garage for about an hour, and the lens was terribly fogged. Sorry!

The women enjoyed some red wine. I'm being my usual dorky self.

Though I honestly believe there was more antics going on than actual work, in the end, everything looked great!

We are putting up more in the next few days, but at least the hard stuff is already done!