Decking the Halls

A few days ago, I awakened at four in the morning to the sound of rain pounding on our roof and thought, “Perfect time to start decorating!”  Rick had just started new medication and was snoring happily while I brought in boxes of Christmas decorations from the garage.  Our German Shepherd gave me a rather disgruntled look.  

By six in the morning, I’d finished setting up the Hummel nativity (used by Rick’s parents for decades) on the sideboard, spread the table cloth and arranged a center piece with the family candle on the dining room table and scattered various decorations around the living room, including a larger nativity, a minature brass tree with lots of fun ornaments, Swedish candlesticks, more reindeer couples (collected from McDonalds meals years back when that’s all the children wanted), a few nutcrackers and lots of silk poinsettias. Once Rick was out of bed (he’s usually up hours before I am), I added a few touches in the bedroom; a beaded red velvet runner for the dresser and two reindeer couples while he gaped in the living room.  “What time did you get up?”

Saturday, I went out in the rain and found the perfect (slightly off center) noble pine which was delivered  and set up because it wouldn’t fit in my car – and I’d rather someone else had to vacuum pine needles and clean sap from car seats and carpet than have to do it.   It is gorgeous, even naked.  The living room smells like a forest. 

After church (without electrical power, but plenty of Holy Spirit power), I loaded the Bose with Christmas music, made a cup of hot chocolate and decorated the tree while Rick settled downstairs to watch football.  It only took me three hours.  It takes time to unpack and go through ornaments when every one of them holds a special memory.  Some were made by our children or grandchildren.  Others passed down from our parents.  Most are mementos from trips Rick and I have taken together, from Israel to Russia, Sweden to Guatemala.  (We plan to add more!)   I put the non-breakable ones around the bottom half of the tree so little hands can play with them on Christmas Eve.   The precious, breakable ones (bride’s ornaments from Germany) go around the top. 

Tomorrow, I’ll have help getting the exterior lights up and setting up another nativity for all to see.  

Can you tell I love Christmas?