Merry Christmas Ya'll!

Christmas Garlands- a Guest Post

Today's post is written by my mom.

When Dem came home from college in December of 2003, she decided that our home needed some Christmas garlands. She designed and fashioned four different, reusable fir garlands: one for the den with red berries and gold leaves; one for the kitchen with golden beads; one for the foyer with magnolias; and one for the dining room with gold ribbon and gold poinsettias.  Each year thereafter, Dem would hang the Christmas garlands again while I placed Santas, Nativities, and other decorations around the house.

When Dem married and moved to the ranch, I continued this tradition she had started. As I handled the garlands, I realized for the first time what a very thoughtful and creative gift she had given our family in 2003. I was struck by how lovely and individual each garland is, and by how much time she must have spent on them. I imagined her thinking about what to create, designing each to be different, finding and weaving together the materials, and hanging them herself for the first time.

Never again will I see those garlands as just another Christmas decoration. Each is a unique and lovely expression of Dem's joy, creativity, energy, and enthusiasm.

Gratituesday- A Little Buddy

This Tuesday I'm participating in Heavenly Homemakers' Gratituesday link-up.  I am grateful to have my little buddy to share the Christmas season with.  He "helped" decorate the tree, decorate Christmas cookies, set up his nativity, and hang stockings.  He also helped assemble our last-minute, exremely tacky Advent wreath:

All with Christmas music playing in the background and the two of us dancing around the house like a couple of dorks.  Okay, I guess it's acceptable for little kids to dance around.  I'm the one who is a dork! 

I have been extremely homesick for the past 3 years at Christmas.  My husband's family does things differently than my family.  It has taken some time to adjust.  This year the loneliness has not been so bad since I have someone who gets even more excited than I do about all the fuss. 


Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Christmas Tree Hunting

We get our Christmas trees from a National Forest that's about 1.5 hours away from our house.  We purchase permits for $10 a pop, and by cutting our trees we're helping to thin the forest.  It's a family tradition my in-laws started many years ago. 

Here are scenes from our tree hunting expedition.  We got a tree for my in-laws and a tree for my house.  Since my husband wasn't able to join us, I cut our tree.  And then the chain fell off the chainsaw.  Oops.



If you haven't gotten your tree yet, happy tree hunting to you!