Merry Christmas

George and I hope that all of you have a Merry Christmas this year...   Even though giving and receiving gifts,  eating big meals,  spending time with family and friends are ALL very important,  let's not forget the true meaning of Christmas.   Happy Birthday to Jesus Christ.    HALLELUJAH.

Hugs,

Emoticons

Christmas at our Home, Part III ---Outside Decorations

One of our pretty wreaths hanging in the front of our home

Hello to my Blog Friends....  Can you believe that ONE WEEK from today,  we will be celebrating Christmas,  the birth of Jesus Christ???   WOW--how time flies....

Today I'll share the third post in this series,   our OUTSIDE Decorations...  I took most of these pictures this year --but there are a few I'm sharing from previous Christmases....   Hope you enjoy seeing the outside decorations...

Compare this picture to my HEADER at the top, which was taken before it was totally dark outside.

Decorations on our deck in back!!!!

Another of our pretty lit wreaths along the front of the house

Close-up picture of the little tree with lights/candy canes and bows --on our front porch

The front of our house after dark

A close-up picture of the garage lights, wreath and candles out front 

Another of our lit wreaths out front 

I took this picture while standing in the backyard ---looking at the deck and the Christmas Tree inside.

I just had to add this picture!!!!!!   This was taken several years ago --when we actually had a little snow during Christmas... OH--how I would love to see some snow this Christmas!!!!! HOPE HOPE HOPE!!!!

The only other decorations we have outside are some garland and a big bow on our Lamppost/flowerbed near the road,  and some garland and another big bow on our mailbox....  Sorry---I didn't get any pictures....

We have company coming this week --so I won't be blogging much at all between now and January... SO--I'd like to take this opportunity to wish each and everyone of you a very Merry Christmas....

Hugs,

Emoticons

Christmas at our Home, Part II ---- Inside Decorations

My gorgeous Willow Collection

Hello  Friends,   This week I have picked out some of my favorite little inside decorations in our home...   Many of these,  I have had for years ---and love thinking about them and the memories that rush back in my mind as I open them for another Christmas Season.

Several of my friends have said that they no longer put out their Christmas decorations...    I agree that it is a lot of work --but the joy I receive when doing it keeps me motivated to continue decorating as long as I physically can.

Hope you enjoy seeing some of the little cuties around our home during this season.   I am a collector,  and have a collection of things like bird ornaments,  Santas,  and all kinds of little angels....  The group in the above picture is my all-time favorite collection.   These are my WILLOWS  ---and are priceless to me... I can just sit and look at them forever.

My Advent Calendar  (very special to me since it was made many years ago by my sister-in-law,  Evelyn Banks,  who is no longer with us);   When my sons were young,  they would put an ornament on the tree beginning on Dec. 1st and ending on Dec. 24 (with the star on top)...  That way they would know how many days were left until Christmas!

This little guy has been with me for many years also.   I call him my Flower Pot  Santa since he was made using a small ceramic flower pot... 

Sitting by the fireplace are some of my little Christmas Babies  (a couple of snowmen and a couple of Santas)   I have gotten through the years!!!!  

 Here's a picture of our pretty Christmas Tree;   Other than a small tree on our front porch, and 4 little tiny trees in our home,  This is our ONLY large tree...  We actually purchased this pre-lit tree in 2004  (believe it or not) --and although all of the pre-lit lights no longer work,  we just keep on using this tree --and adding our own lights.   This year we added about 800 lights.  We have searched for another pre-lit tree just like this one but have yet to find one we like, since this one looks so real.  We also like the shape. SO--we just keep on using this one!!!!  We think it is still pretty!  I am one of the few people who still love the multi-colored lights.

In 2015,  while on our annual December trip to Ocean Isle Beach,  we purchased this adorable little Snowman at  one of the largest Christmas Stores I have ever been in,  Callahan's in Calabash,  North Carolina.   

Then the next year,  in Dec. of 2016,  we purchased Mr. Skinny Legs Santa...  I love this little guy!!!!!  (We didn't get to make our annual December trip to Ocean Isle this year due to family emergencies, but when we go back --I will visit Callahan's again to see what new 'cuties' they may have which may jump into our car!!!! ha)

Here are a few more of my Christmas Babies sitting next to the Christmas Tree and near the fireplace.     Besides the little snowman,   there is another of my Santas,  a Christmas Teddy Bear,  and a Christmas Cow.   How many of you have a Christmas Cow????? ha ha 

This is our living room --from my recliner  (you can see my feet all covered up).    I love to sit there with a fire going in the fireplace,  just enjoying the view!!!!!!    Christmas is just such an awesome time!

Finally,   the most important display in our home is our little creche.   This Nativity is from George's family and means so much to both of us....   Let's never forget the REAL meaning of Christmas....  Happy Birthday to Baby Jesus  (on Dec. 25)!

I could share many more  of the decorations  inside our home --including all of my many angels.  BUT---I will stop for today and let you enjoy all of these...

Have a great week, my Friends.

Hugs,

Emoticons

Christmas at Our Home, Part I ---- A Special Tradition

Welcome to our Home at Christmas  (one of my favorite ornaments)

Dear Friends,  It's hard to believe that it is December and that Christmas will be here before we know it..... Time Flies When We are having FUN,  doesn't it??????   (not sure all of this hustle and bustle is always fun though... ha).....

Anyhow,  since I will only have 3 blog posts between now and Christmas Day,  I want to take those three posts and share more about  our Christmases.  If you have been following my blog for years,  then you  may already know a lot about Christmas at our Home....  Many of you know how much I LOVE Christmas... I love to decorate the 'old-fashioned' way using multi-colored lights,   the regular Christmas colors of greens and reds--and doing things inexpensively!!!!!   My home is definitely not a fancy one by a long shot when looking at others' homes at Christmastime.   BUT--it's OURS and we love it....

One non-expensive tradition which I love and which George and I started in 2001 when we got married is to exchange cute and sometimes crazy ornaments each Christmas.   I love unwrapping all of these 'memories' each year as I put them on our tree....   I've shared some of the ornaments through the years on blog posts, but since I'm never sure what I've shown before and what I haven't,   I just chose a bunch to share today with you.   Hope you enjoy seeing one of our special Christmas Traditions!!!!

All we need at Christmas is each other!

One of my MANY Bird Ornaments 

Another pretty birdie --but I think he may be a 'tad' too big to get inside that birdhouse!!!!! ha

My all-time favorite bird,  the Eastern Bluebird;   I ordered this one from Etsy --and absolutely LOVE it.  

That little Cardinal is sitting in his nest in our tree!!!!

Ah---how sweet;  George and I are lovers forever!

This was one of our FIRST ornaments --from 2001... AH---it's all about MEMORIES.

A cute little Bluebird house sitting in our Christmas Tree

These 3 ornaments show some of our many trips we took in 2014.

As you know,  we grow ROSES --along with many other beautiful flowers in our yard.... We try to keep something blooming most of the year  (except Winter).

Both George and I LOVE Music....  Right now we have been listening to Christmas music  in the house,  while working in the yard,  and while we are in the car!!!!!  LOVE it!

We collect ornaments from many of our travels...  This is a neat little ornament from Mt. Rushmore.

HA HA HA ---Here's a FUNNY ONE which needs no explanation......Glad she admitted it though  so that Santa would know that all she deserved was a 'bag of coal'..... ha ha 

A cup of Hot Chocolate is warming --but not as warming to my heart as George is!!!!

Another Cute One I got for George one year,  showing Santa and his LONG list....  (Seems as if I always have a "honey do"  list going for George.... ha ha )

Another one I got for George in about 2001;   I call this little fishie   my little 'kissie' ornament --since I love George's kisses so much!!!!!!

WELL----I could go on and on and on --but this is plenty for  one post!!!!!!  You can see how much fun we have exchanging ornaments every Christmas morning.    We experience such joy --and so many memories through the years!!!!!!

I hope you will share some of your special Christmas memories this month.....

Have a great week ---and always remember that none of us bloggers really know what our blog friends are going through in their lives and families... We need to be patient with each other --when some of us do not have time to comment on others' posts as much as we wish we could....I have experienced this 'need for patience' first hand this past year.   George and I just hope and pray that 2018 is a better year for us and our families....

Hugs,

Emoticons