Friday, November 24, 2006

The Day AFTER....


I'm baking a couple of turkeys. It may be a late night as I need to get them deboned and bagged so I can take them to the base tomorrow a.m. We're doing a Praise Band Concert, turkey sandwhiches/football thing for students.

Josiah had to work...ugh.


The rest of us brought decorations down from the attic. We brought in all the fall decorations and get them stowed away. I thought we'd do the lights but Jamin flat out wasn't going to do them without Josiah and Dad around. He had some valid points...so we focused on the inside.


Last year the tree went where my birthday hutch now resides. We moved furniture around and around and things simply weren't going to fit this year. The younger ones really wanted the tree up. Have you ever noticed that a room that is FULL can often fit "one more thing"? The 7.8 foot OR pine is now in my bedroom. The recliner and table that were in the corner are now blocking Mike's dresser....LOL The crib was moved from the foot of the bed to block my side of the bed. BUT - it all fits.
Boxes and boxes of decorations
Stacia offers support as Jamin puts the tree together
We used to hang all stockings from the mantle...but they don't fit any more. Several years ago we began to use wreath hangers to hang the stockings on bedroom doors. I still put the "believe" up because it always reminds me of that wonderful word study. {G} BreAnne and Krista's stockings hang at the mantle waiting for their return. The sled on the right is mine from childhood.
We moved the recliner and set up our "main nativity" here...the crate holds all our Christmas books
The hutch with winter finery....former home of ye ole Christmas Pine
We took everything but the sound system & aquarium out of the entertainment center. I filled it with nativities and a few snowmen. Jamin put the Christmas Village along the top.
This year we decorated only with the picture ornaments we've given the kids each year....and the new ornaments that Mom sent for this year


Piano has ornaments with the children's picture hanging from it & snowmen


When Cy got home from work, we finally opened the 11 boxes Mom and Dad had sent last week (several were shoe box size). Each year Mom gives everyone an ornament so we hung those on the tree. There were some birthday gifts and some Christmas gifts that we put under the tree.


My Mom's packages are notorious for being well-taped.


Stacia claimed the pink tea cups and saucers....

11 comments:

Kristine said...

I can't believe how long it's already been since you've moved into this house. I hadn't seen a pic of your birthday hutch before--it's lovely, and it looks like it holds a lot!

Anonymous said...

I sure enjoyed looking at everything, but you can not believe (OK, maybe you can) how much I miss being there with y'all. This Christmas is definitely going to be different

Love ya
Mike

Lisa in Jax said...

What beautiful decorations! I love how you go all out, even with garland around the top of things. I am so decorator challenged.lol

DeEtta @ Courageous Joy said...

Miss you, Hon!

Lisa, the garlands at the top of the Entertainment Center are there year round. I have a piney lodge look year round. LOL

DeEtta @ Courageous Joy said...

Kristine, Thanks - I love my hutch. It does hold a lot and the best part is that Stacia hasn't figured out yet that she could open the cupboards under it. LOL

Debbie said...

Everything looks so lovely!
I don't decorate much, but always admire those of you that do.
Your hutch is great. I need to get something like that to hold all my teacups.

Diann said...

I am going to live vicariously through all of you who get to decorate this year. We probably won't be decorating until the week before Christmas, when we decide whether we are going to be able to move the week before Christmas or not.

Diann

Anonymous said...

Your house looks so warm and cozy! We're doing some decorating today but nothing near what you all have done, good job:)

Jen in Az.

Cynthia said...

LOVE all your decorations. We're working ours today... started on the outside stuff yesterday.... BRR... it's cold today! I wish we would have stayed out longer last night to finish. It was much warmer into the late night last night than it will be today.

Anonymous said...

yay! we'll be home soon! yay!yay! yay! it looks great... we put up our tree on Friday...Carolyn is into snowmen too.... so we have snowmen around... anyways...
home soon.
~bre g; )

DeEtta @ Courageous Joy said...

Bre - YOU GIRLS are the reason we went ahead and decorated...and the little ones. LOL

We're counting days too but I notice your myspace is counting hours and minutes. LOL