It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I woke up this morning in the Christmas spirit! Maybe because it is December 1st or maybe it's just because I am feeling like myself again. We got the decorations down from the attic and started getting the house ready for the holidays. I took some pictures and had fun with it.
I am still in the process of learning how to shoot in manual, so I played around with aperture, ISO and shutter speed and just started clicking and adjusting. I am learning as I go.
This evening, Jack and I went over to Tamara and Tom's for drinks and appetizers. Such a fun time. I could sit and listen to their stories all night. Then they showed pictures from their iPad on their Apple TV and it was amazing! Tom hooked up my iPhone to their Apple TV and we shared some of our pictures with them. Technology is incredible!! As we were leaving, Tom gave Jack an Apple TV! Seriously, what? Are we on Oprah?? So fun. And light hearted. And interesting. A lovely connection with lovely people. A great start to the holiday season.