I know it's a bit early, but MAN am I fired up for Christmas!!! I was at Hobby Lobby yesterday getting some stuffing for the stocking I'm making Viv (side note: if you make a handmade stocking for your first child you are obligated to make one for all subsequent children. If you haven't started a family yet, just file that nugget away and pull it out when you see that stocking kit that looks so cute when you are expecting your first. With each child you have less time for sewing crafts.) and I find that they have a sale on Christmas stuff! Many things are 50% off! I walk around a bit and then I see it. It's beautiful. It's big. It's full. It's pre-lit. It's on sale!!!!!!!! I think my heart literally skipped a beat. I got an amazing 9-foot tree (we have 12 foot ceilings!) at 30% off - I saved over a hundred bucks!!! For those of you who crunch numbers you will soon figure out that if 30% is a little over $100 it was still more than anyone really wants to spend on a tree. I'm considering this an investment though. We will be using this tree every year as my children grow up.
I remember the tree we had growing up. Every year we would get all itchy and scratchy as we shoved each of those limbs into the centerpole. Then we'd plug in this weird silver ball that made a sing-songy bird type noise. We'd ehang up all my snowflakes and all of Matt's silver ball ornaments. ( I started to say "hang up Matt's balls" but that sounded not quite right!) We'd check the lights and fix the bad ones until it was lit up and then - only then - did it really feel like the spirit of Christmas was in our house. Then Dad would say something like "Bah Humbug" and we'd laugh and enjoy the month of December. We'd put stockings on the big bookcase (no mantel in that house) and then check every day with a quick feel to see if there was anything inside. It was a fun time with lots of family time. December was always full of smiles as far as I can remember. Thanks Mom (and Mr. Bah Humbug) for helping us focus on love every December.
People talk about Christmas traditions. My hope is that when we put up our tree this year and set out all of my snowmen (I LOVE snowmen!!) that I can begin passing on not a tradition of how it should be done, but rather the heritage of love that is ours in Christ.
3 comments:
Can't wait to see the tree and all the decorations in the new house. I know that it will be beautiful. I love snowmen too. They are so cute. There is just something about them. Enjoy and early Merry Christmas.
Great post, Sarah! I love Thanksgiving, but the prospect of my Christmas decorations always makes the day after Thanksgiving brighter (I'm not so much into the crazy day-after shopping scene, so decorating is much more my speed!)
We too, have the 9-foot pre-lit, and Jason is my own little hum-bugger...its not a fun chore toting that bad boy down from the attic...but no one can deny how gorgeous it looks when its all lit up with decorations, to boot! And let me say, 30% off or not, its totally worth EVERY penny! You're gonna love it!
I'm totally with you girl about the matching family stockings. Aubrey's first Christmas, I splurged and bought stockings for the 3 of us from Pottery Barn. Now that baby number 2 is on the way, my major concern has been determining the sex so I will know what type of stocking to order that will match the rest of the family! Do I need the elf or the ballerina? And here is the kicker... the baby isn't coming until Feb.! I don't need to let this stuff occupy my time: I have a whole year to decide! But will Pottery Barn still have the same type of stockings in '07? Do I wait and chance it? Or do I order the elf (we are pretty sure it's a boy...caught a quick glimpse so not 100%) and then possibly give my daughter a complex and have to hear her complain, "Mom... why couldn't I have the ballerina!?!"
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