My Home for the Holidays
You know those people who leave their Christmas lights up all year long? I would totally be one of those people if Chris would let me. I love Christmas. And I love Christmas lights. And I love Christmas decorations. Nothing is more homey than a home full of Christmas.
A couple weeks ago, we decorated our house for Christmas. As if this wasn’t already such a happy time for me, to be able to see Bean’s little eyeballs light up at his first glimpse of Christmas was just the greatest treat.
Chris put up our Christmas tree while Bean observed from a not-so-distant distance. Any time we would back him up a little so that Chris could have room to build our fake little tree, Bean would scream. He wanted to be right in the middle of everything.
Once the tree was up, Bean sat back and just took it all in. I mean, there was a tree in our living room. And the tree was blinking. Then Chris picked him up and let Bean help us put the ornaments on our tree.
On our Christmas tree, ornaments are really important. We pick them up throughout the year and add to our collection. We have some filler ornaments, like balls and things, but most of our ornaments have a meaning behind them.
Like this one that we got from Chris’ side of the family at a big Christmas weekend last year.
And then there was the camping tent ornament from the summer Chris spent backpacking through the mountains in Utah.
Or this one that was from last year when Chris’ company built the new ball in Times Square for New Years. The ornament is made of the same crystal that covers the ball. I paid a ridiculous about of money for this memorabilia ornament and when Chris took it out of the box all he said was, “Oh.” We had a colossal fight about it. Merry freaking Christmas.
This year we bought Bean his first ornament on our trip to Virginia at Thanksgiving. When we went to cut down my sister’s Christmas tree, we stopped in the little store and they had an entire tree decorated with sock monkeys! It was the cutest and Bean just had to have one.
The first year we were married, we hadn’t had a chance to collect all these ornaments yet. My mom was worried that our tree would be bare and so she made us a collection of snowmen ornaments. She painted one for each member of both sides of our family and she painted each one so that it represented the person that it was meant to be. This year, she gave us the newest snowman for our tree – Bean’s ornament! And it actually has his real name on it!! When she first showed it to me, I was like, “Who the crap is Michael?” Oops.
We also had to add another stocking to our mantle this year. The stockings that we have are handmade by Chris’ grandmother. She made his several years ago when he was young and then she made mine to match his when we got married. This year she sent us one for Beanie. And, once again, I had no idea whose stocking it was because it said his real name. I REALLY need to get better at that…
The rest of the afternoon we spent decorating our house.
This is our living room. You’ll notice that there are the three stockings for me, Chris, and Bean and then there are two other stockings. When I first put up the decorations, I only put up the three for our family. And then Chris freaked out.
“Where are the dogs’ stockings?!?!” he shrieked.
“Well, I just thought since we have a real family now, maybe we could leave off the dogs stockings.”
That was the totally wrong thing to say to him. He lectured me for half an hour on the importance of the dogs to our family and how having children should never replace our dogs. Yadda, yadda, yadda. So I went out that afternoon and bought them stockings that at least somewhat complimented ours and Chris was happy.
Upstairs in our landing I put the nativity set that Chris got me last year. This has been my favorite nativity for years and last year Chris gave me the whole set for my birthday. I love it because in the middle of all the bright, blinking lights and wrapping paper and presents and tinsel, there is this simple nativity that reminds us of the real reason for the season.
I would have taken down the Tiffany lamp, but that’s the lamp we leave on at night so that we can find our way into Bean’s room if we need to. Its a little out of place, but it sort of has to stay…you know…for the little dude.
This year I added decorations in my dining room for the first time. Nothing too crazy, but I did buy a new table cloth with matching linen napkins. And I put the Santa Claus that my mom made me as the centerpiece. I need some holly in the center and it will be complete!
Isn’t this the best Santa??? I just love him! Sometimes Santa’s scare me a little bit. But this one is so darn jolly looking!!
While I was decorating the inside of our house, Chris was decorating the outside with lights. The inside of our house is a hodge podge of decorations, but we go with white lights on the outside. Clean. Simple. Inviting.
Although, I am glad that Neighbor Jeff put up multicolored lights. Bean thinks they are pretty.
Yep, we’re ready for Christmas at my house. The stockings are hung by the chimney with care and now we’re just waiting for the big day to arrive. This year, to me, the holiday has changed significantly. The decorations are wonderful. And the gifts are always the best. But when you’ve already received the greatest gift you can ever be given, you are suddenly reminded about what is really important at the holidays.
For me, its these guys.
24 Comments
Jordan
In the first few pictures of the Bean on this post I can see you in him! I think this is the first time I thought he looked like one of you!
Katy
Oh!!! You have a Jim Shore that’s not in my collection yet! (The angel). Little obsessed…
Amber
This post not only brought tears to my eyes but it also made me cheer. We are having our first Christmas with our little one too and it is so much more special this year. I cheered at the tent ornament. I live in Utah, been here my whole life. Come on back anytime!
Allie
You guys created one beautiful little baby!!!!!
jamie feamster
I absolutely Love your website…you are SO TALENTED!!! Keep writing…I wish I had (I’m 57+ years old, but who knows?)It’s never too late.
I got your blog from the Pioneerwoman’s website….You are just as TALENTED….STAY WITH IT!!!!!
Love and Merry Christmas to You and Yours!!!!
jamie feamster
p.s. I wrote a play when I was in third grade and never told anyone…and wrote poems and short stories for years…
Now, I just Journal occasionally, but before I die, hope to write the “big one”ha!
When I said you were “just as talented”; please know, I meant,your writing, because it comes from the heart, speaks volumes and resonates with each person reading it!
Keep up the Great work!!! I look forward to reading it all…best you be thinkin’ of writing “that book”…YOU SHOULD!!!!!
Mindee@ourfrontdoor
Your home looks beautiful Katie. Enjoy your tree this year. That’s the last time it will look the way you want it to for a loooong time.:)
Sarah H.
Looks excellent! That’s the same nativity scene I started collecting this year 🙂
Casey
I love Bean’s sweater in the first couple of pictures, and your Santa has great eyelashes. And what a great post, I have been kinda ba humbug this year, but this week I am getting excited. Merry Christmas!
Lori @ I Can Grow People
Ooh ooh ooh–we had that same ceramic Santa when I was growing up!! My grandma and great aunts all took a ceramics painting class back in the early ’80s, so we had all sorts of decorations like that. I wonder if my mom still has that Santa–and I wonder if she will let me have it….?
I, too, got my very own stocking handmade by Aaron’s mom once I was married into the family. Porter got his this summer and it was quite a big moment when we hung it on the mantle last week!
I wish we could have a big ol’ YSD baby Christmas party–that would be fun!
Rachel P.
Your home looks so cozy for Christmas. Where did you get the dogs’ stocking…particularly the one with the snowman. I haven’t been around the blog for too long, but I was just wondering this week about Bean’s “real” name. Bean sure is fitting for him. He’s too cute. Thanks for always sharing!
Katie
Target, of course!
Kristin
I have the same nativity – I LOVE IT! Your house looks gorgeous!
EmilyC
Your house looks so warm and inviting! I love how you’ve decorated it for Christmas. I didn’t put my dog stockings up this year but now that I’ve read your blog I’m starting to feel guilty..I think the dogs know they don’t have stockings up yet either because when I came home from work my sneaky dog had pulled two ornaments off of the tree and has been “playing” with them! I think she’s trying to punish me.
Laura
I’ve been reading your blog for well, over 6 months now, and ya know, I said the same thing to myself. “Who the heck is Michael?!” LOL!
You had me crying at that very last part. It is so very true. These babies put everything in perspective. And when you have had the very greatest gift of all, all the other gifts seem so very trivial. 🙂
Jayme
Love your house!!! Looks so cozy and inviting! Thanks for sharing!!!
Andria
Your little guy is such a cutie, and I love all your Christmas decor!
Ella
You are very blessed. Hope you all have a gorgeous Christmas. We are putting our tree up this sunday, better late than never! Im sure my 2 year old will have fun for the next few weeks – moving all the decorations around. Like you i have lots of meaningful decorations and like to get a new one each year. Brings back great memories when i open the decoration boxes. I have some decorations that were my Nannas (who has passed away) they are glass and very precious and older than me – id better put these high up on the tree out of my little ones reach.
Snarky Mommy
Just wait until next year when you have a 1.5-year-old who can move on his own and you have to gate off the tree and not put any ornaments on because little hands can reach out and grab them and throw them on the floor and then laugh hysterically when they break. Not that I would know anything about that. But this is the second time in four years I have an almost 2-year-old at Christmas and we have only lights on our tree. I like to be cautious.
alison
Very nice decorating! I have to tell you.. I have the SAME Santa and my Mom made it years ago, probably like 1982. I’ve kept it ever since my first Christmas on my own. I didn’t think I’d ever see another Santa exactly the same!
Pam
I was really happy to see that someone else only uses ornaments that mean something. I feel like a lot of people decorate their trees to look nice, but there is nothing personal on it. All of the ornaments on my tree (well my parents because I don’t have one in my tiny apartment) have a lot of meaning and are personal. And no the tree doesn’t all match but it’s really special. I can’t wait until I grow up (or you know finish grad school and become semi-settled) and inherit all my old ornaments from my mom.
Jayme
Just a little tip for next year…. I put our ornaments on the tree with fishing line. Nathan takes the ornaments off the tree ( shatter proof) and now i don’t have to worry about the hooks!!!
Christina
Sweetness! Those last pictures are adorable.
I love what your mom did with the snowmen…I love ornaments, too! I love having ornaments that were on my tree growing up, and I love getting ornaments each year for my kids, that I can one day pass on to them. So fun!
I have that same nativity, and it is so beautiful…just like you said, simple.
Enjoy these next two weeks!!
whitney
LOVE your Christmas pictures around the home. I love snooping, er…peeking, inside your home. So fun!!!