Getting the house dressed for the holidays

Each year I try to tell my husband that the tree he's chosen is too tall.  Out in the field, under the big sky, it looks small.  Our ceilings are low, so with the tree stand and wanting to leave room at the top for an angel or star, we need to get a 6 foot tree.  Here he is preparing to cut more of the trunk and top off, slightly perplexed by how big the tree really is.
Once the tree is up, the girls get busy setting up the train.  It only comes out in December, so it is always a treat to be reunited with it each year.

Then come the lights and ornaments.  We're trying a combination of colored lights, white lights, and candles this year.  Since we got a Fraser fir with sturdy, open branches, we can safely put candles on the tips of the branches.  We'll only light them on one or two special evenings.

The girls were excited to practice for their Santa Lucia ceremony which we'll have with family here on December 15th.  It's a long standing family tradition...


Here I am at age 4, not yet old enough to wear the crown with real candles, so I got to wear a cone hat with the star boys.

Here I am at 16, old enough to wear the crown, but warned by my aunt to "keep moving" because if I stayed in one spot too long the smoke from my candles would singe the ceiling.  I was (am) 6'2", so it wasn't that much further to the ceiling!  The real joy of Lucia came later, when I continued to comb hard globs of wax out of my hair well into the New Year.  One year I tried to use a hot hair dryer to melt it out, but all it did was spread it around more and prolong the mess.

Back to 2007... we had the neighbor kids over after school this week to decorate candy houses.  A big success this year, as last, but we missed some of our neighbors that moved away this past summer.

I still can't bear to toss the gourds that we've had on the table since October.  At least I've put away the ceramic turkeys.  There's A still wearing her paper Lucia crown.  I'm not sure it will last until the 15th, as she wants to wear it all the time, even to bed at night.

Here's our family room dressed for the holiday.  The blue-flamed gas fireplace just doesn't have the warmth of the old wood fires we used to have, but after the chimney fire we had a few years back, we either had to convert to gas or completely rebuild the chimney and firebox.  I voted for the safety of gas.  No more worrying about an unattended fire if I had to run to the store, or when we turned in for the night.  You just aim the remote and press "off."  No more spiders and ornery hornets woken from hibernation coming in on the firewood.  No more soot and ashes coating everything in the room.  No more holes burned into the carpet from sparks that found their way through the screen.  It's safe and tidy, but definitely lacking charm.

This weekend my Swiss step-mother will visit and play traditional German Christmas songs on the old family organ.  She's the only one in the family who knows how to play, and we all look forward to her transforming what is usually just a piece of furniture into a melodious maker of treasured memories.  We will gather around after a dinner of Dungeness Crab Fondue and sing our lungs out, trying to properly pronounce the German lyrics on the tattered sheet music.

There's no place like home for the holidays.  I'm so happy we never travel during December, and can enjoy the warmth of our home, blue-flame fireplace and all.

Comments

[Sheila at Dodging Raindrops]

Gorgeous photos. I love your toy cabinet in the background. That would be awesome to be able to close the door on the stuff. :)

[Renee]

I love the pics. But what did ever practical me notice!?!? That awesome white cabinet in the first two pics :D Where did you get it from?

Blessings,
Renee

[Dawn]

Your home looks so beautiful for the holidays. Thank you for sharing the link to make the crown. My daughter has been asking to celebrate S. Lucia ever since she read the American Girl book.

[Joyful Days]

Your house looks like a wonderful place to visit!!

[Susan]

Enjoyed your pics! We have a fireplace, for the first time ever, this year, and it's a gas one. It's a little bit of a disappointment, but I just love having a fireplace finally!

[Queen of My Domain]

You have a beautiful home and lovely decorations. I love the wreath over your fireplace. But I really enjoyed the pictures of you celebrating Saint Lucia.

[Dawn]

Your home is so welcoming and inviting! Thank you for allowing me in :-)

I love the train around the tree...I hope we can do that next year!!! It would be so neat! :-)

Merry Christmas from Dawn in Germany!