The Start of Our Christmas Season

The beginning of December brings a pause on all normal activity in our home.  All of my usual comings and goings change as we get our family ready for the Christmas season.  I like to think that the season actually begins on December 1 as our routine changes into celebration and memory-making mode.  The first thing we do is DECORATE the house.  We have quite a few decorations and while they are not all within my style range, they all have meaning and it is what happens during our decorating that means the most.  I try to take on the event with patience and understanding.  No doubt it is complete chaos and I especially noticed it this year as all three of the kids were taking things out of boxes and finding homes for everything they could put their hands on.  I continued to take deep breaths and reminded myself that once they all went to school on Monday, I could rearrange everything!  I also reminded myself that someday their enthusiasm might be lacking and I will be begging them to decorate with me.  Ian just hangs out in the background and watches... probably a safe place to be.

I love our Christmas Village.  Most pieces were gifts to me by family members.

I have made so many quilted Christmas table runners that I try to find a place for them all. 
You can see our Elf on the right-hand side; sneaky little guy; he was roasting mini-marshmallows that night.

A few years ago I made these gigantic stockings for each of us and then
bought this great stand for them BUT the stockings are too big for the stand!

A new tradition in our home, is our mischievious, sometimes forgetful, Elf, Alvin!  He joined our family last year and we really enjoy his addition to our Christmas season.  He finds himself in some pretty silly predicaments, has been seen sharing secrets with Alex and gets into the toys but he is so much fun.  This morning we found him hanging on to the front of our fridge, rummaging through the huge collection of notes sent home from school!

Oh boy, that fridge is full of notes these days!  Another part of December is special events at the school, which I love but it certainly requires me to be more organzied.  Yikes!

We share many traditions in our home at Christmas time but one of my most treasured is our annual Christmas letter.  I will share it on my blog once they have all been mailed out!  This year's was very hard to write but certainly cathartic (like this blog). 

Here's to the Christmas season and all that it brings.  Cheers!