Yesterday our children put the nativity set in the hutch. With four of them working, it was done in just moments. Only one figure was dropped; a shepherd boy who survived his fall without a scratch. 
This afternoon, with the little ones in school, I hung the stockings up along the staircase. When Haiku got home from school she helped me make a Countdown to Christmas garland for each of the boys, from tiny chocolate candies knotted up in colored plastic wrap. Little ribbon bows separate the candies. The boys can untie and eat one each day through Christmas, beginning tomorrow. By counting the remaining candies they can answer that one question asked so often in December by the young and young at heart: How many days until Christmas?
I pulled a big pile of Christmas picture books out of a closet to read to my sons this month. These books have accumulated over the past 19 years since our oldest child was a tiny tot. I do remember her eyes all aglow over the tiny details, as she saw from her earliest days that there is love sewn into every stitch of our homespun Christmas.
photos by Haiku, November 30, 2009
16 comments:
I see she even helped you take the photos today! What a helper. Your kids are doing better than me. I've already broken a ceramic bell I bought last year. Luckily my husband was able to glue it back together! I seem to break a lot of things. A klutz am I!
Brenda
This post is so nice...I love the photographs. I tried taking a picture of our nativity but it just didn't come out nicely. I'll have to try again!
When I put all the decorations away after Christmas, I am tired of them and I wonder if they'll look so "happy" to me the next year. They always do! It's fun to see your sweet heirlooms! Lovely photos!
Pom Pom, Thank you! You remind of the saying "to everything there is a season." When it is time, we pack treasures all away carefully. I'm always glad to see them again the next year too!
Brenda, You're right she did! She is a good helper and a creative photographer! Oh no! I'm sorry about your ceramic bell, but your husband sounds handy!
Thank you both for visiting!
Jessica, I'm not sure how I would have done, but my daughter seemed to catch the detail on the nativity set nicely! I'd be very interested to see your set.
Thank you for visiting!
That is a great idea, makes each day special. It seems like we break something each year, hehe. Luckily it hasn't been anything with special value. Blessings
Mandie, I think we break something each year too... just so far hasn't been one of the nativity pieces. Thankfully!
Thanks for your nice comment. I definitely want each day to be special for my boys. I'm in such a different mode of life than I was when my girls were little. Now I'm back in school full time, and we are all so busy. I just want to put some extra effort into making sure the boys have special memories of childhood too. Can't let these precious days pass in a blur!
Seems like we're all on the same page this week with the holiday decorating. What a beautiful Nativity set - just gorgeous. Reminds me of a very old set we got from my Grandmother when I was a kid.
Love a homespun Christmas! And so glad the shepherd boy is intact :)
Small Pines, I don't know if you saw in my posts the other day, but my mother in law painted that set as a gift for my husband and I for our first married Christmas (22 years ago!) Thanks for the nice comment on it. I have to get by and see what Christmas in the Adirondacks looks like! :D
Susan, Thank you. A homespun Christmas is just right for our family. Thanks for visiting!
I agree, they are only little for a blink of an eye. I see that with every passing day :(
Mandie, It's too true. *sigh* It is nice to have little ways to save and treasure some of those childhood days. I think traditions are a way of doing that. Each time you pull out that old tradition it connects you to all those earlier days and shared memories. :)
Hey Aisling!
I was so hoping you would post pictures of your nativity and was tickled this morning to find them. I can see why you love them so much and I especially enjoyed seeing Mary.
I appreciated the opportunity to listen to your music for awhile too this morning. Ahhhh...just what I needed.
Wishing you a blessed day!
Prairie Star, Thank you for visiting friend. I'm glad you found what you were looking for here... the photos of the nativity and the serene music! I need to add a few more "small touches" to my home this weekend. I think the tree will be the following weekend.
I hope all is well with you!
Aisling, So many special Christmas memories we make. Your post made me smile and "remember" the times my home was full of children.
Ernestine, Thank you for letting me know I brought a smile to your face. The good memories really do pile up through the different seasons of life!
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