Welcome to the Nest! I love decorating for Christmas with my family. A few years ago, though, I was completely overwhelmed with small children, a demanding holiday party schedule, and too much baking, decorating, and wrapping expectations – all put on me by me. I spent a few years trying to figure out how to simplify it all so that the ‘stuff’ was meaningful and fun for everybody (me included) and this is what emerged.
The fireplace is my favorite part of our living room. It’s very traditional and is fun to decorate. My husband builds fires for me on the coldest nights of the year, and so I snapped this picture to show you the best of the best. Normally, the four stockings are spread out on the hangers, but we move them so they don’t singe on fireplace nights. And the pictures? Yes, they’re all crooked. I can’t hang anything straight to save my life. My Big Helper is good at that, and soon she’ll be tall enough to take over that task. Until then, I’ll keep adjusting.
Our tree is the fullest, fattest tree we could find in town, although not the most shapely. It’s decorated with ornaments that have been passed down through my husband’s and my family, as well as the ones that we’ve collected and made ourselves. Each one reminds us of someone or something important. We have white lights on the tree, and it’s topped by an angel to remind us of that special angelic announcement after Jesus’ birth. (My Big Helper especially likes the way that she turns colors when turned on.)
The entire tree is standing on a platform made of a full sheet of plywood placed on three short sawhorses my grandfather made years ago. It’s covered in white cotton and surrounded by red cloth, and on it we arrange our Christmas village each year. I nearly stopped this tradition when the kids were small because it’s a lot of work, but it’s also beautiful. We love pulling out the buildings and the decorations and inventing stories to go with each. “The mail man must go over here because he has a package for the kid in that house. The cow should go outside the fence near the barn because she got loose and is running away!” While there’s no deep meaning for this, other than tradition, it reminds me of that: family. Of watching the houses and the cars as a small child and being in awe of the lights coming from within each one. I still turn on all the lights each evening and again early in the morning, while I read and study my Bible by the light of these decorations. It feels peaceful and expectant to me.
When my husband and I were first married, I bought this ceramic nativity set. While not especially historic, it is heavy and detailed, and the kids and I set it out and arrange it each December. I’ll put Jesus in the scene early Christmas morning, and the kids always run and cheer his ‘arrival.’
We display the nativity on my great-grandmother’s sewing machine. Papa bought it for Grandma for Christmas back in 1933, and it’s a special piece in our house – as is the bell also on it, which belonged to another great-grandmother who used it to call her students to class. With these important people gone, I use these pieces of their lives to tell their stories, much as we use the nativity to tell part of Jesus’ story.
When My Little Man was small, we made this simple nativity together. It’s made out of three small flowerpots, a golf ball, and some scraps of yarn. I don’t know that he remembers making it anymore, but he knows that he did, and he proudly arranges it on the table each year.
Behind this nativity is our advent wreath. Though not traditionally green, the carved wood is beautiful, and it’s tall height allows it to function as our light at dinner on special Advent evenings.
There you have it – you’ve now seen the biggest part of our Christmas decorating. Do you decorate for Christmas? How?
