While you're scratching your head over the Christmas movie quote in the title, I thought I'd show you around our house at Christmas! Amanda over at Serenity Now (love her blog!) is hosting a little Christmas link-up. Earlier today while I was eating a quiet lunch at Chick-Fil-A, I looked at every single link up so far. (Now, I need to go back and leave some comment love...you can't leave comment love when you have a chicken strip in one hand, and Polynesian sauce in the other! Hello? Priorities.) I really LOVED seeing everyone's favorite decorations, and reading about their favorite traditions. I thought it would be fun to join in!
Come on inside! It's cold out there!! Hurry, don't let the cats in... The cool old sled and skis are compliments of my husband! I love 'em. (my husband, too!)
Oh, but first...while you're out there--did you see who's peeking out the front window? My girls have loved posing Jake the Snowman all around the house. I think this spot is my favorite!
Friendly little fella, isn't he? He's like an indoor scarecrow... Only I think he's beckoning the mean dog from next door. (Maybe Jake needs to hold a shotgun. Do you think that would help?)
Oh, I do love our tree. (I'm pretending like I don't see the string of lights that went out...a week ago.) Yes, the tree is real, and it's a Frasier Fir--my absolute favorite, don't ever want another kind, thank you!! It is not one bit fancy, but it is filled with cherished ornaments from our childhoods, and ornaments our daughters have made. The only thing missing this year, are my treasured Christmas baby ornaments, which were ruined in our basement this summer.
Our house is decorated much like our tree--not one bit fancy, but filled with decorations that mean something to us...and some slightly whimsical--just because they make us smile.
Like my Grammy's gold foil reindeer. When we cleaned out her house for the last time, I couldn't bear to sell the reindeer. These were the reindeer that graced her mantle every Christmas...the mantle that my mom and sisters and I always decorated. And now, I smile every time I look up at them. And appropriately, they are standing on top of my Grammy's maple hutch. (Okay, I guess you can tell...I'm kind of sentimental!)
Here's the big guy, up close:
Isn't he handsome? As fragile as they are, it's amazing to me they have lasted all these years. I'm guessing they are 50 years old?
Here are some cheerful elves, also from my Grammy's house. Their friends, the green guys, now live at my sister's and brother's. Our Rebecca has claimed these guys for a shelf in her bedroom. I guess my grandmother was way ahead of the times...She had Elves on shelves about 50 years before they were cool!
Speaking of shelves, this "shelf" just makes me SMILE. I have had these guys since they lived on another shelf in my high school bedroom at Christmas. If I remember correctly, these cutie pie reindeer were offered as a special deal at Pizza Hut. Okay, so maybe I'm losing my mind? I just checked their tags, and they say "Hallmark." The girl says "Rhonda Reindeer, Hallmark, 1984." Why do I remember Pizza Hut for the little guy? Can ANYBODY help me think I'm not cRaZy???
Last shelf...I promise... Here is my snowman collection. These little guys sit atop our computer desk. In fact, I'm looking at their friendly smiles right now! See that fat little guy on the far right holding the tiny wreath? Yeah, he looks small, but he's a chunk...I think he weighs 450 lbs. When I was putting him in place a couple of weeks ago, he fell onto my big toe. Oh. My. Word. I thought I was going to die. My mouth couldn't stop saying, "AAAHHH!!!" for about 10 minutes, over and over. I've forgiven the fat little guy now. Mostly.
My sisters and I have snowman collections--with many of the same little guys! (My mom gave nearly all of them to us.) It always makes me smile to see my little sister's collection, just to see how similarly we have them displayed. We are so similar (in SOOO many ways--sorry, Sis!) in that I am sure we're NOT good collectors. When we get enough of a collection (like our snowmen) to fill a certain space, we're done. No more. Please don't give us any more snowmen--our snowman collection space is filled. The end. Seriously--if you give us another snowman, we'll just have to re-gift it, and that would be embarrassing for both of us, now wouldn't it?
Okay, sorry. I think you got the point. Maybe 4 sentences ago.
Because I have now talked your ear off, I'll stop for now. I still have some of our favorite childhood ornaments to show you. But, I'll save them for another day.
But, before I close out, I thought it would be fun to answer a couple of the questions Amanda asked, for this link-up. I'd LOVE to hear your answers, too!!
1. Your favorite Christmas treat? Oh, this one is hard to answer...I like them all? Okay, I love the gingerbread men my mom gets from the Magnolia Bakery. Also, I am obviously very addicted to peppermint everything this year. I also have a soft spot in my heart for iced cut-out sugar cookies.
2. Favorite Christmas movie? I am a traditional kind of girl. I love decorating my tree to It's a Wonderful Life every year. I also really love Miracle on 34th Street (both old and new versions) and Holiday Inn. For newer movies, Elf makes me laugh every single time. Also, I have fond memories of laughing until I was practially on the floor of the movie theatre while watching Christmas Vacation with my big sister. Remember the scene where Cousin Eddie has a black dickie under his white sweater? That's the scene that had me on the floor.
3. Best Christmas gift you've ever received? Wow, that's a tough one. I have favorites every single year. I will say, that having a baby in December sure is a special memory. I never wanted a December baby. Well, I wanted the BABY, just not one in December. I had a neighbor friend who told me when I was big and pregnant, that I would look at Christmas differently, having a December baby. She was right. That year I thought a lot about Mary, and how she would have felt back then...delivering her baby in a barn...holding the Savior of the world in her arms for the first time...stroking his cheek with tender love, but not really understanding everything that was going on...how overwhelming everything must have felt for her--delivering her first baby as a virgin girl...having shepherds visit her newborn baby...and later the wise men with the precious gifts.
My special Christmas, 6 years ago, with my sweet Sara Beth in my arms, I often thought about the verse that says, "And Mary pondered all these things in her heart." Many times, in the quiet hours of the night, as I would snuggle and rock my baby girl, I tucked my own little memories away in my heart.
What about you? What memories have you tucked away? What traditions and decorations are special in your family?
