More decorations

The day after Thanksgiving, Christmas explodes all over my house, inside and out. Every year I say that I am not getting everything out, then we start sorting through the boxes and everytime I say "not this year" the kids say, "but mawum" and so the boxes go back in the attic empty and the house is full.

This year I was in St. George the day after Thanksgiving, so I didn't get any decorating done. The boys did put up lights while I was gone.
We have one of those light boxes that sychronizes your lights to music. It looks really cool. For a while. Then it starts to get on your nerves. Luckily there is a switch on the box that allows you to turn the lights to steady with no music because sometimes it feels like a strobe light out there. I didn't take pictures this year, but the boys did use the box with the lights.

Then I had homework and the next weekend I had surgery. The boys helped me put the trees up the night before surgery and the day after surgery I drug myself to the front room and propped my foot up. The boys brought me in boxes and I looke in them then sent them back out to the attic. I had no energy. I did get out a few things. Brandi took the box of front entry snowmen and put them on all the shelves where they go, but the porch tree didn't get put up, the kitchen sugar plum lane- nixed. The village- construction halted till next year. Trains-stuck in the depot. Angels, not singing in any choirs this year Nativities- only 5 or 6 and definately not the life sized on that goes on the lawn.

But I did get a few things out.

We all had a Santa to hang on the tree growing up
This one was mine. I didn't hang him on the tree because Mom brought him to me in March and he has been sitting on my shelf since then. I am not sure if I am going to leave him there or put him away this year.

Brandi and I made these gingerbread men.

I took mine to work to sit on the desk and hold pens.

I put this on the table behind the couch

My wreath above the fireplace.

I only put two nativities up there this year.

Usually the wreath goes somewhere else because there are 12-13 more nativities that go here and a star that hangs above them.

This nativity was a surprise to me. I forgot I bought it on clearance in January.

I love how Mary nestles under Joseph's arm as he protects them from the bad things in the world.

I made this one my first married Christmas.

I think it is my most beloved nativity-but not for that reason.

I had painted all the figures and glazed all but one of them in preparation to be fired.

I had forgotten to paint one of the shepherd boy's feet.

So I picked up the paint and took care of that. Then I glazed him and took them in to be fired.

When I go them home and inspected them, I realized that I had used the wrong paint on the shepherd boy's feet.

I named him Matthew and he is my favorite. Every year I look for him.

And he became more special to me 6 years later when I named my 4th child Matthew.

Some day this set will go to him.

This is another of my favorites.

An adobe inn, Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus.

I always stick some of the lights in the windows to light the inn.

There are a couple more nativities. One is set on a table with a wreath and a big gold bow. The cats keep bumping the table and knocking the peices off and breaking them. I have banished the cats, but they keep sneaking back in.

I also have a small hard rubber set I bought for Donovan when he was a baby. I made sure to get it out for Hunter and Jordan to have something to play with so I don't have to say "don't touch" for all of my ornaments.

I did get out 5 of the angels and set them around. But then I was tired and went back to bed. And you know what? While I have missed having some of the decorations to see and remember, I have also enjoyed this scaled down version. And I won't have so much to clean up and put away when we get home.

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Indeed.