Cheers

Christmas stresses me out. I can hardly breathe. I think it all happens too fast, too much pressure for one moment and then there is such a drop-off as soon as the moment is over. That is my excuse for posting about Christmas nearly two weeks later. As I was gathering gifts a few days before the big day I saw a supposedly funny card that made me want to upchuck the little bit of holiday spirit I had managed to drum up. It had a beautiful painting of Jesus and a quote bubble that proclaimed, "Happy Birthday to Me". I couldn't purchase a single thing after that, I thought really, He would be disappointed in all this horrid consuming. We went small on gifts - and enjoyed my dad and the Ferguson family staying with us. It turned out to be a magical week.

Pictured above are some of the cheerful decorations that helped us be jolly:

a. Our scuba santa ornament from St. John. I really felt that I was drowning in the stress.
b. The nativity given to me years ago from my mother. A peace dove from my sister-in-law. Flowers in the frame above the table are from my mom's grave given to us from a woman in Coalville... so beautiful.
c. The living room mantel all dressed in white with a photo of my mother and the ceramic Christmas tree made by Darren's grandma Olsen and given to us when she passed. Our favorite decoration.
d. The dining room with a grosgrain ribbon runner and the nutcracker and Steinbach music box and smoker given to me from my grandma Hazel.
e. The stockings I made years ago when we first moved to Utah and of course the holiday books.
f. The Santa collection, several are from my mother, one is from Russia from my good friends.
g. A colorful wooden nativity... I bought one for my niece as a wedding present - she was married in December and one for myself. The boys and I made trees out of clay and evergreen branches.
h. The felt Santa, reindeer and sleigh I couldn't pass up at ABC Home in New York.
i. The entry of the new home. Christmas cards are hanging up above.
j. Our easy-up, easy-down Christmas tree.
k. The tree that "spoke" to Chase when we went venturing through the woods with friends and neighbors. The boys said they needed to save it from its embarrassment in the forest. I think it is sorta charming.