Getting ready for Christmas

 The day after Thanksgiving, we decorated for the Christmas season.

The sleigh is waiting to hold the Christmas cards we receive.  I LOVE getting those and catching up on friends from years past.

I have hung up the stockings.  There is not enough room for all of them on our fireplace, so they hang on the stairwell.

Five stockings for the grandchildren.  The children love to peek so I have resorted to safety pinning them shut! 

 I love birds so there are many bird ornaments.

There are grandchildren ornaments of course. 

The blue manger scene was our very first ornament the first year we were married.  I bought it at a Hallmark store in Hutchinson the year we were engaged.

There are ornaments from our travels - San Diego, Atlanta, Martha's Vineyard, Florida, Africa, Japan, Puebla, Mexico, and for this year, the slot canyons of Utah.......

Each year I purchase the grandchildren an ornament.  Sophie got hers a couple of weeks ago and was so pleased to put hers up on their tree.  This evening I will take Hannah on a date to find her ornament.  And I will be picking out Claire's first Christmas ornament too!  I plan to take Eli and Emeri shopping soon too!  Some years I have picked out the ornament, but they are getting old enough to want to do that themselves. 

I had Matt make me a manger to fit our "Baby Jesus" in by the tree.

I do have a couple of Santa decorations, but our Christmas doesn't revolve around him.  The kids know the story of Kris Kringle and Santa, but they don't believe in him.  Al does enjoy putting on a Santa suit though, to pop out to give the kids their gifts.  They think he is probably Papa, but are a little hesitant if that is true or not.   It seems Papa always goes to the bathroom and misses Santa!   Every year!  It is a fun thing to do, but for us Christmas is really Jesus' birthday. 

  These little choir boys have been out on our piano every year.  My mom got them from a little Christian bookstore in Miyazaki, Japan when we lived there.

If you have never watched "The Star of Bethlehem", I would encourage you to do so!  Pretty amazing!

I have to put out the creche that we had as kids.  There are nicer ones I could buy, but I just can't.  I love this set.  The horse and cows have each lost an ear.  We played with them so much when we were children.  We replayed and replayed the story of Baby Jesus.  And my grandchildren enjoy moving the figures around too.  Hannah and Sophia will make sure to remove Baby Jesus.  He is not supposed to come out until Christmas Day.

This Sunday we will light the first of the candles.  My Dad made this yule log for me when we were first married.  We had one just like it growing up in Japan.

Last year, Aunt Millie loaned me this book to read.  It is now in my home and I will read the stories behind the  songs we sing at Christmas in preparation for the celebration of the birth of our King.