Christmas Decorating

Christmas time is here! Yesterday we brought out all the Christmas decorations and began the fun work of putting them up.

I used the editorial "we" since it's really Melody and Mom who do most of the work. Mel has the gift of making things look beautiful, and she enjoys it. Decorating is not my thing, so I am quite happy to leave it to the other females of the house.

I think I like the corner hutch the most with all the white lights and glass.

I love the reflections. One of Mom's normal jobs is putting up the garland, lights and angels in the kitchen.
It's so bright in there, you don't even need a light. Jason and I usually handle putting up the window stickees.

Melody and I like the nativity scene to be nicely arranged, but as you can see, Jason has other ideas. He likes to do more unusual things with the stickees!This next picture is a tradition. When Jase was younger, he always made the chickens have a snow ball fight. Mel or I would put them back, and when Jason noticed it, he would re-arrange them to his liking again. We used to get so frustrated with him for messing up the window, but now we think it's funny. These past couple years, he's been too busy, so some of our friends who've heard the story took over his job. Another one of my jobs is to set up our artificial tree. This year Dad was around to help with the lights.We then wait until everybody is available to put the ornaments on. Hmm...sometimes weird people show up at our house.
My mom's parents give us an ornament every year.
Another one of our traditions is "fighting" over what ornament is going to top the tree. Will it be an angel (the girls' choice) or the red star (Jason's favorite)?We used to argue about it when we were little--each claiming the other person had their choice last year and it was our turn this year. I don't know why Mom didn't write it down, but if she had, it would have ruined our fun.

Believe it or not, we still "argue" over the tree topper.Who will win this time? I think Jason has a better advantage than Mel since he can reach higher. Compromise? Ah ha...the angel is going for the top! Can she make it? Well, Jason may have won this year, but now we have proof that it will be our turn next year!
Melody and I made these ornaments for our parents when we were in Sunday school many, many moons ago. (What's up with my expression? I think the sun must have been a little bright.)
A few years after we made our ornaments, Jason wanted to know why he didn't have one. We told him it was because he was just a baby at the time. He decided he needed his picture on an ornament too, so he drew one himself. Do you like the self-portrait? I especially like the 6 fingers on one hand! Our friends the Kalebaughs heard this story, so they made him an ornament with pictures of him on it. Unfortunately, Jason will not let me post a picture of that one--too incriminating. If you want to see it, you have to come to our house.
Our nativity set was made by my mom's parents. Grandpa made the stable, and Grandma painted the ceramics.

It's a special reminder of the Reason we celebrate Christmas.
Like the figurines, our focus should be on Christ!