I rationalized that this Christmas is the first since we left Alaska that I feel pretty much back to normal. No chaotic feeling, just relaxed with an easy known playlist. I know where I like all the decorations to go, minus a few tweeks, and comfortable with a new routine, even though it isn't much different than any other year. I just don't feel rushed or not sure what comes next. It's a good feeling, one that allows me to feel a post is in order!
A few photos of Christmas decorating...
I don't have another place in this house for the advent stockings, so in a new twist in place from last year (our first Christmas in this house) they come down on Christmas eve and replaced with our stockings for Santa to fill!
Kevin the elf returned on Thanksgiving and is still hiding around the house each day for Amelia to find.
The Cocoa Station is a must.
Another is the kitchen tree that is still going strong.
Outside the bedrooms we have our fabric ornament tree...not all the fabric ornaments, but most. No easy place to adorn Amelia's Nutcrackers either, so opted for under this tree and around the house instead.
Our basement (or art/office/game room) has two trees, one is our lego tree that I added to our large bedroom in the rental house we had for 2 years here in Illinois (too small for it now) ...
and our Woodland Animal tree where the decorating kind of morphed out of Amelia's Woodland Birthday Party way back when as I had to make the house feel like a forest and decorated many small trees in that fashion.
Originally, our second tree came about when we decided to cut down a small Charlie Brown tree from the woods in the backyard in Alaska when Amelia was 2 or so, that grew (with the number of ornaments) to be our dining room tree that was tall and slender but could hold many ornaments! I think we might need one of those again :)
Our main tree was a real one for a couple years until we realized traveling at Christmas did not allow for this nonsense. The little one we cut down bridged that feeling of loss in not having a real tree for a few years. Now totally at peace with fakes. Someday...maybe a small real one again...will see, but not here...no place to put it!
That angel will always be on top, along with the ornaments we all adore.
A look back in the blog, I realize I didn't post Christmas 2023 til March! A promise that this one will be posted promptly. At this posting T-minus 4 days til Christmas!