Its Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas

I love the days and weeks leading up to Christmas! I think it came way too fast this year, as I was still enjoying the process of getting ready. Some favorite moments from this year:

* listening to Josh Groban's Silent Night, while sipping cocoa and writing cards
* Watching the puppy try to figure out what a Christmas tree is all about
* Seeing the girls make their gingerbread houses
* Homemade eggnog milkshakes!
* our annual tradition, watching Charlie Brown's Christmas
* Making homemade fudge for friends and neighbors
* Sneaking around while planning gifts
* seeing the girls giggle and tell secrets
* hot buttered rum made by my sweetie, then sitting together by the fire
* driving around the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights
* getting cards in the mail, and putting them all up in our dining room! Love it!
* putting up my Willow Tree nativity set
* decorating the house with some of my favorite snowman things
* looking at all of our own cards from Christmas pasts, and scrapbooks too




Penguin enjoying the Christmas tree

some of our cards..we like to put them up by the hidden light panels in our dining room

our advent calendar

a fun snowman throw I found at the thrift store!!

I like non-traditional colors, and look for alternatives to red and green. I love my door wreath.

this Victorian santa is over four feet tall, he is a favorite around here, and the first piece of decor that we put up.

I strung our previous years' photo cards, in order, to this year's card (on right)

our "door" which is actually a tall wooden photo album, full of past Christmas photos

We love Alaskan ornaments, such as these moose and our funny whales..

My grandma Margaret, and my mother in law, Sue, both loved Raggedy Ann dolls. Grandma Sue has a sweet collection of the dolls, vintage cuties. Grandma Margaret made dolls each year, making a total of 50-70 to give to each granddaughter in the family. Raggedy Ann dolls have a lot of meaning to all of us, so this ornament holds great memories.