I used to love decorating for Christmas.
I loved everything about it. The tree, the lights, the candles, the excitement ...
but this year, I was really dreading it: the dust, the dirt, the boxes, the unpacking and repacking and climbing the attic ladder ....
Since my husband has only been able to be home for our Advent devotions one night so far, and since he's heavily involved in this weekend's Kiwanis Pancake and Sausage Jamboree, I figured the kids and I might be on our own. Tripping over toy cars, dancing around doll clothes, trying to keep cups from spilling, figuring out which breakable item is least breakable ....
More boxes, more spiders, more carrying.
But ...
He got up at 4 AM to work a shift so he could be here to help.
Soon the tree was on the platform, and after resolving an issue with lights - who can have Christmas without lights that won't light?? - we made rapid progress.
This year the kids wanted to help decorate the platform, and since I'm battling chocolate cravings and wishing I knew more about how to hang lights on a tree, I decided it was a good year for them to learn how to do the platform. Everybody's gotta learn sometime, right?
They were a huge help, and soon the platform was done and my antique train assembled. It was way more fun to do it with them than it has been to see their faces after it's done.
The stockings were hung ...
and our sign placed above the kitchen door.
We put the angels above another door ...
and placed this nativity in on the kitchen wall. Tomorrow we'll put the porcelain one beside the fireplace and our decorating will be complete.
I love the decorations of Christmas, but I don't think I love the decorating of Christmas anymore. At least, not by myself.
But if we can continue to make this a family affair, who knows? Maybe next year I'll add back in some of the ones that I've stopped using.
Now there's 22 days left for the fun parts of Christmas: family devotions, card making parties, cookie baking, present wrapping, beside-the-fire snuggling, and movie watching.
That I love.
Oh - and beside-the-tree reading. I think I'll go do some of that now.
Do you decorate for Christmas? What's your family decorating style?
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