Christmas Decorating

Like most everyone else, we are caught up with the busyness of the holiday season.  Shopping for gifts, getting the tree, sending Christmas cards and baking are among the necessary and, for the most part, pleasurable tasks that are occupying us at the moment.  One of the things I enjoy the most is decorating the house.  I know my husband just rolls his eyes as he and the boys take the time to "schlep" box after box up from the basement and then back down again after I have decided what I am going to use.  Everyone always admits though that the end result is something they look forward to every year and there would be many disappointed faces walking in the door if the tradition were to ever stop. I have actually cut back quite a bit the last few years but all my favorites are on still on display to share with family and friends who come to visit over the Christmas Season.

 ~~

Some of my favorite pieces are my Victorian Rocking Horse and my wooden nutcrackers, both purchased more than 30 years ago when my oldest son was just a baby.  The Rocking Horse is actually a music box which when wound up plays "Joy to the World.  I think it fits right in with my love of carousel horses.

 

 

Somewhere over the years one of my soldiers lost his sword.  I have been tempted from time to time to replace them with some new and larger nutcrackers but I am pretty attached to these.

 Here they are displayed on my mantle.  I love the traditional Christmas colors of red and green, silver and gold, holly and poinsettias.  I did update to flameless candles; so much safer. 

Of course, you can't have a fireplace without Christmas Stockings.  These are just for show.  The real ones won't come out until Christmas Eve.

I made this Advent banner when I was first married, copied from one my mom's sister had made for her several years before.  It was one of my first Christmas decorations and at well over 40 years old it's become rather worn and tattered but it's the first thing, that even as adults, my children look for and hang up first every year.

Another early decoration were these little figures which belonged to my mother-in-law.  In our first year of marriage she told me to go through her Christmas things and pick out whatever I wanted to take home and keep.  Being newly married I felt like I was riffling through her things and so I only took a couple of ornaments and four little glass figurines.  She passed away with cancer about 2 years later and I am sorry now that I didn't take more for my husband's sake.  But we treasure these and find a place for them every year. 

I love my old world Santa with his big wood sleigh, both of which I have also had for 20 years or more. I love his red velvet cape.  All these years I have never had a reindeer.  I added this one to the scene last year.

 

Now we get to the reason for the season.  When I was first married I painted two nativity sets.  I gave one of them to my mother and kept one for myself.  My mom still has hers and places it up lovingly every year.  Unfortunately, after being stored in the basement for so many years my set was finally so cracked and crumbled that I had to replace it a couple of years ago.  I actually have two sets now.  I keep this one on the little bookcase in the entry to our house so it's the first thing you see as you walk in the door.  Underneath are some mini nativities that didn't quite fit in the picture.

That beautiful pine cone wreath was made for me by my mother's sister.  It's made from pine cones she collected herself when she and my uncle were traveling through the Northwest forests on camping trips.  I have had to hot glue it back together a couple of times and I added the poinsettias a few years back to freshen it up but I treasure it as one of the last gifts my aunt ever made for me before she passed away with cancer when my oldest son was eighteen months old.  

 

Here are my angels and my three wise men.  We will light the candles they are holding on Christmas Day.  The candles are made from beeswax and I get them from a little candle shop that is run by a small Greek Orthodox convent not too far from us.  In fact, I will be going up there to purchase more in just a couple of weeks.  

 

 Two years ago I went to the Bali Bazaar which is held every year to help support a Children's Home in Bali, Indonesia .  I shared about this here.   I ordered this beautiful hand carved wood nativity set and when the director to the home (who attends our church) went back to Bali she pick one up from one of the local wood carvers.  This was how I displayed it last year.  The lovely embroidered cloth (which I can now see was a little crooked) is a gift from my mother, brought back from a trip she made to Eastern Europe a few years ago.  

Then last Christmas, my Pastor made us this beautiful stable as a gift to go with my creche.  I love it and will treasure it as now it has become a reminder of a wonderful man who was pastor of our church for 16 years. He recently accepted a call to a church in another part of the country and will be greatly missed.  I added a couple of carved angels and this is how it looks this year with the stable.  I especially love how Joseph is holding the baby Jesus instead of leaving him in the manger.

As you can see, each piece in my Christmas collection has it's own story to tell which gives each a special place in my heart.  As I have said before, the things we surround ourselves with help others to see who we are and what we hold dear.  Each Christmas I am reminded of how I have been loved by others and how I express my love back to all who enter my home.  As I share this with you this Christmas I am wishing you much joy as you prepare your hearts and homes for the coming celebration of the birth of our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ.  May you keep Christmas well.