Prepping for our First Christmas

Growing up, my family typically put up Christmas decorations the day after Thanksgiving.  It was nice to enjoying Thanksgiving without skipping it and going straight from Halloween to Christmas.  But this year is obviously different.  I'm not in Missouri for Christmas.  Robert isn't in Kansas for Christmas.  It's our first Christmas together in our own house, and I guess it's time to create some new traditions.  We really don't have any fall decor, and I was getting antsy for Christmas so we cracked out the decor this week.  I'm really not looking forward to Thanksgiving this year.  Honestly, it sounds like it's going to be kind of depressing.  I get off Thursday and Friday, so it's not really enough time to travel anywhere.  We had planned to do Thanksgiving with a bunch of friends from our complex, but it doesn't look like that will turn out.  Once again, Katie and Jered have come to the rescue.  We'll be having Thanksgiving with them and two of their friends from Durham.  It's clearly not a normal Thanksgiving, but I am thankful that we don't have to spend it by ourselves eating turkey sandwiches and chips.

Because of all of this, I am totally ready to move forward to Christmas.  When packing away all the decor last year, Mom put my items in a separate box so I could take it all to NC with me.  Serina did the same for Robert.  We ended up with a nice stash of ornaments, crafts, and decor.  I wanted to take a second and highlight our precious treasures.  So many wonderful memories.

One of the many many many traits I love about Robert is his ability to take instructions (or even work without instructions) and figure out how to create/work something.  I simply cannot do this.  Serina had given us some great Christmas ribbon before she moved last year.  This wire ribbon is velvet-y and has sheet music printed on it in gold ink.

I have had a vision for about a month for how I wanted to decorate our little kitchen window, and I am very pleased with it.  We bought the wreath at the SEBTS craft fair, but it was a little plain, so Robert spruced with up with a bow.  The angels were made by Robert's Grandma June.  When Serina was getting ready to move last winter she did some downsizing and let Robert and Bethany choose items that they wanted.  One of the items Robert picked was the set of angels. 

Who doesn't love a good school craft from the 90's?  And what's on the inside...

5 year old Robert.  Is he not the most awesome 5 year old you've ever seen?

We love love love our hand-carved olive wood nativity that Mom and Dad picked up for us while they were in Israel this summer.  What a unique and special present!

Gotta represent my Ozarkian roots - jean fabric door hanger with "Merry Christmas, ya'll!"

A close up of the adorable angels

Silver Dollar City has a candle shop, and I got to deep these Santa Clauses back in the day.

This picture is just too much.  Top left - Bet you don't have a Santa Claus painted onto a ping pong paddle.  Jealous?  The snowman lamp has a springy carrot nose, and turning it on makes the room feel so cozy.  I think you'd agree that the homemade snowman that Robert made in the mid 90's has held up quite well.  And who doesn't love a nice Santa nicknack?

This "tree" is one of my absolute favorite Christmas decorations.  I think it's because it's so unique - I've never known anyone else to have one - and it came from such a sweet friend.  My friend Vicky Ellis loves Christmas more than anyone else I've ever known - the woman keeps up one Christmas tree year-round!  She gave me this beautiful gift about five years ago.  And you also have to note the bowl of coal on our coffee table.  My iPhone made it look super washed out, but this stellar idea was Robert's.  It's definitely a conversation piece.

Robert and I had the distinct honor of receiving his Grandma June's first Pinterest craft last year - the candle in potpourri with a pretty gold bow. 

Another unique decoration that not many people have - I homemade nativity scene made by Pepaw.  When you're storing it, all of the pieces fit inside of the frame of the nativity.  Perfect!

A VBS craft from years ago.  Anybody else have one of these?

A Christmas Choir that Robert made out of an egg carton back in the day.  He's one creative kid!

We are very excited to get a live Christmas tree this year.  My family has never gotten one before.  We've had the same awesome artificial tree my entire life, and literally every branch gets an ornament.  I have fond memories of going with Pepaw to chop down a tree for his and Memaw's house.  We just went alongside the highway and chopped one down.  I remember him saying, "They want you to do this.  If we didn't chop down a tree the city would just chop it down anyway."  Hmm... :)

So what are some of your favorite Christmas decorations?