{I watched "Sound of Music" last weekend, and this song is still in my head!}
It's finally time to pack up Christmas. Not fun. Not fun to have to re-organize everything, pack up all the ornaments and decorations, wind up the lights, disassemble the trees. Also not fun because this means the house goes back to normal- no more special memory filled objects scattered around the house. I suppose once it's all put away, it'll feel good to have it all cleaned up. Seeing that I really haven't cleaned well since I put them all up, it's really time to do that! :)
I will miss the house being... all dressed up I guess... all the little extras...
Like the garland around the front door...
{This was something I've wanted for years and finally gave in and bought this year!}
and the Christmas lights shining up through the snow.
I guess I should continue this list in Sound of Music fashion.
It's finally time to pack up Christmas. Not fun. Not fun to have to re-organize everything, pack up all the ornaments and decorations, wind up the lights, disassemble the trees. Also not fun because this means the house goes back to normal- no more special memory filled objects scattered around the house. I suppose once it's all put away, it'll feel good to have it all cleaned up. Seeing that I really haven't cleaned well since I put them all up, it's really time to do that! :)
I will miss the house being... all dressed up I guess... all the little extras...
Like the garland around the front door...
{This was something I've wanted for years and finally gave in and bought this year!}
and the Christmas lights shining up through the snow.
I guess I should continue this list in Sound of Music fashion.
"These are a few of my favorite {Christmas} things..."
Decorations dotting the house- like this area that has a few wood crafts I made myself- proof that I used to be crafty!
Bunches of "Good Mail" Christmas cards that remind us that we are loved.
Decorations dotting the house- like this area that has a few wood crafts I made myself- proof that I used to be crafty!
Bunches of "Good Mail" Christmas cards that remind us that we are loved.
The hall that is covered with my kids Christmas artwork.
Our incredible nativity- I love how Joseph and Mary are cuddled together with the baby Jesus
Our cute little angel tree topper whose wings move as music plays.
Things that remind me of my Great Aunt Ruth.
Growing up, each Christmas morning brunch was spent at Aunt Ruth's house. Aunt Ruth is my mom's dad's sister and she is Christmas. She had a little house full of so many fun decorations including the ball hidden in the tree that sang like a bird. {Note to self: Check Ebay for one of those & get it!!} We'd have this huge breakfast with tons of sausages, eggs, breads, petite fours, oranges, punch, and a Whitman's sampler. (Somehow every year Uncle Randy would sneak the little boy out of it before it got passed around!) She never married so she spoiled us a little! She got each of us kids the best presents and then she'd bring down the big brown paper bag of books and we'd get to choose one. (She was a retired Elementary School Principal.) I loved the books so much!
Anyhow this little white tree was hers- thanks for getting it for me Sun!
and this ornament must be from her because she always spelled my name wrong- which now that I think of it is strange- her being a teacher and all.
The rest of my favorite things are some of our ornaments that bring back good memories. My parents let us get a new ornament each year so that when we got married we'd have ornaments to take with us. We've continued that tradition of getting ourselves and the kids a new ornament each year. I think this was the first nice one we bought together- back in the day when we watched all things Star Trek!
I love the ones that remind us of some places we've lived since we've been married.
{Iowa, Michigan w/ my hometown marked- Tami made that one!, & St Louis}
{Denver and Buffalo, New York -Palmyra Temple}
More favorites...
probably our oldest ornament - from Greg's childhood
Our oldest ornament as a couple "Our First Christmas"- thank you Lisa!
An ornament a friend in Iowa (Jori) had her mom make for me- my first Christmas pregnant.
These "stained glass" ornaments are probably from the early 80's. I remember making these for Family Home Evening one year. Now they go hand in hand with some that our kids did a few years ago for a Family Home Evening. Another great tradition!
As I packed these away, it made me excited for next year, when we pull them all out again. Then you'll hear, "Oh! Remember that one?!", "That one is mine! I still love it!" , "Remember when we got that?" and all of the rest of the excitement and good memories that come flooding back to you when you get to see them all again!
8 comments:
Love the post- and the picture of Aunt Ruth. That is really what I miss having, a scanner so I can post those too. I remember the "stained glass" ornaments, and wonder where mine is. I remember what it looked like too. Wreath, I think. Knowing me- it probably got broken. That is why to take pictures of these precious memories. Where is your Mickey Mouse Globe in the picture of your house?
The Mickey Mouse inflatable is in the back yard, in front of the swing set. You can actually see him leaning over in the backyard if you go to my 4:20am post. Enlarge the picture of the kids making the gingerbread house and look out the window.
I probably have your ornament. I have those 2- but there's also a green wreath. I'll get it to you. :) I think mom was glad to get rid of some ornaments when I got married and gave me some that maybe were not officially mine.
You are a very vivid and compelling writer -- I feel good when I read your posts. I'm lucky to be married to a woman who is so diversely talented.
Grandma Nellie had those bird balls too didn't she? Why is it that I can't remember the books from Aunt Ruth? That's all we had was sausage eggs and bread? All I can remember is the scrambled eggs and sausage but that's all I ate. Just seems that we had more than that. It seemed like a feast. I remember standing at the counter ( not quite tall enough) watching the busyness. There seemed to be a haze in the air as I watched them crack up the dozens of eggs. How am I going to recreate that for my children? I wish we all lived nearby each other so it could be Aunt Nikki's or Aunt Holly's ( or Aunt Sunny's ) for Christmas morning breakfast.
Sun- Yea, I was thinking that too- Grandma Nellie had that too. Gotta find one!
I know there was lots of food- that's just what I remember, because that's all I liked- except for the sausages. I just remember there were so many differenet kinds and I couldn't imagine anyone really wanted to eat those. I remember the haze in the kitchen too- probably from so much cooking in such a small kitchen- even smaller than yours!
So sad you don't remember the books.
I wish we could do that together too.
Greg- you are a good husband!
Are you kidding?! You have taken good care of my wreath for me?? :) YEA!! THANK YOU, and how funny!
Greg- you crack me up! (of course you are right though...)
I'm sad you don't remember the books too Sunny! I remember the haze in the kitchen too. I think it was from all the grease with sasuages and bacon. Can you remember how heave the aroma was? Yummy!!
One side note... Why was it that Lila always got us presents? Did we ever actually meet her? Were we nice to her? It just struck me as odd. The gifts I remember getting those mornings were books, and jewelery. Funny!
Sure we'd met Aunt Lila, but not often. She was our great aunt, same as Aunt Ruth, so I guess she wanted to get us things too. Remember Uncle Carl and how each year we'd go pile on that poor old man's lap and get our pictures taken with him? (On the "picture chair" in the corner.)
I remember those kinds of gifts too, but especially remember the year she got us all clowns that matched our personalities. We really need Tami in on this conversation!
Funny thing- I just remembered her old TV on the cart in the corner. I remember wondering if it worked, and wished we could turn it on sometimes. (I must have been bored).
This totally makes me want to start the ornament tradition... thanks to you we can say we've started for Owen!! Thanks for the inspiration!
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