Christmas at Our House!

Welcome to my home!  We have been busy decorating for Christmas, both outside ...

....and inside! This is our eight foot Noble Fir Christmas tree. It was so heavy we decided to place it by our staircase this year, instead of in front of our living room windows. I like how it looks here, and it is easy to walk around and see all our ornaments. I'll also have room to place all our family's presents underneath, on Christmas Eve! The first rule I taught my 22-month-old granddaughter about the tree was: "Look, but do not touch!" Smile.  She has been very good, so far!

Another view of the tree during the daytime, and from a different angle.  We placed the cotton fluff on our staircase railing to protect it from being scratched by the lighted garland we hung there.  When my granddaughter first saw it she said:  "Look!  Clouds!" 

I love to decorate my tree every year, as almost every ornament on it holds a special meaning for me. Some have been handmade by my children when they were young, and some by my grandsons. I'm sure my granddaughter will add her own creativity to our tree one year in the future.

Many ornaments were purchased on our vacations.  I'm showing just a few.  They are a Santa starfish from the Outer Banks in North Carolina, a cable car from San Francisco, a Brown bear from Yellowstone National Park, another bear from Quebec, Canada, the opera house in Sydney, Australia, a Big Apple from New York, City, a Saint Nicholas from the German Christkindl Market in Denver, a beaded Texas flag from San Antonio, Texas, Santa crushing the grapes from Napa Valley, California, an America Eagle from Washington DC, a Belleek Saint Patrick from Dublin, Ireland, a wild sunflower that we saw all over Wyoming, and this year's 100th anniversary Columbine flower ornament of Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park!

I have a weakness for both Santa Claus and Snowmen, so my tree is also filled with both ornaments,
as well as ornaments that friends and family have given to me over the years.  There are really too many to show in one blog post, but each and every one of them is so special to me!

I have a small artificial tree on my kitchen island, as well as my two ornament baker "helpers" that stand underneath. The beautiful Waterford Santa Claus cookie jar was a gift from my husband many years ago.  The stuffies around my fireplace are there for my grandchildren to enjoy.

Our Nativity set was purchased the first year we were married, forty years ago! It also holds many memories for me.  The angels turn as "Silent Night" plays from the music box underneath.

Of course, in an Italian home food is also an important part of the Christmas holiday, and I adopted many of my husband's Calabrian food traditions, as well as my American holiday food traditions,  into my menu. Last year's feast is shown above. From appetizers to homemade Christmas cookies for dessert, we enjoy a holiday "abbondanza," which means an abundance in Italian.

We are so thankful for all our blessings and our ability to make Christmas a holy and happy holiday for our family! Thank you for sharing a glimpse into our holiday--I look forward to seeing your traditions!