Monday, December 15, 2025

The Reason for the Season




Every year, I tenderly take out of bubble wrap this Nativity set that I purchased the first Christmas of our marriage, 51 years ago! The three angels on the right in the stable wind up over a music box and play the song "Silent Night."

The month of December is a whirlwind! Between shopping, decorating, holiday plans, buying and wrapping presents, attending grandchildren's events at school, and holiday get-togethers and parties, it seems as if the month goes by so quickly! But what really matters this month as Christians is that we remember the "Reason for the Season," which is that December's Christmas Day is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. 




A few years ago, my husband and I went with a few friends to a concert at the Lakewood Cultural Center in Lakewood, Colorado, to attend the annual Timothy P Irvin and the Rocky Mountain Stocking Stuffers Concert. All the musicians and singers were very talented, as they sang a combination of Western country and bluegrass Christmas songs. One very remarkable rendition of Silent Night was sung by Jon Chandler. He told us that when he was growing up, his grandparents and great-grandmother lived with his family. His great-grandmother told him as a child that her great-grandfather was Franz Gruber, the composer who wrote the guitar music to the song Silent Night. He then went on to perform the song so beautifully! 

 I found the video above, on YouTube, of him telling the story and singing the song at a different venue. Click here to go to YouTube if you can not see the video. There are so many beautiful renditions of Silent Night, but I think you will also enjoy hearing Jon sing it in English and native German.


Some of the Nativity Christmas ornaments that decorate my Christmas tree.

See my entire Christmas tree in this post


Year after year, the Denver City and County Building is beautifully lit for the Christmas season, and it features a Nativity scene in a display in front.


The beautiful, life-size Nativity set that I loved to see every year in my church when I lived in Brooklyn, New York.


Some of the many other Nativity sets I've admired over the years.

"At this Christmas, when Christ comes, will He find a warm heart? Mark the season of Advent by loving and serving others 
with God's own love and concern."

~ Mother Teresa


A beautiful sunset this week over our neighborhood.

"The Blessings of Peace,
The beauty of Hope,
The Spirit of Love,
The Comfort of Faith.
May these be your gifts 
this Christmas Season!"

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy 2026! 

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Monday, December 8, 2025

Early December Holiday Happenings!


I don't decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving, so I decorated our Christmas tree on the first few days of December. It is full of sentimental ornaments that bring back many memories as I place them on our tree.


We were happy to have decorated the outside of our home the day after Thanksgiving, as the cold and snow finally arrived! Colorado experienced significant snowfall over several days following a prolonged drought.



We usually leave some leaves on our lawns in late fall, as we have seen the deer dig under the snow to eat them all winter.  They are good foragers, and they survive on what they can find in the wild.


Santa Claus visits our community in early December, and although our oldest granddaughter is a few months away from becoming a teenager, she agreed to take photos with him again. 
My husband and I joined in, as this might be the last year we see him!



We even get to take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage after seeing Santa Claus!




Our community is about 25 miles west of Denver, located in a valley of the foothills, and on our way back home after seeing Santa Claus, we had this view of dramatic, stormy snow clouds over the city!
 



This past week, we enjoyed listening to our oldest grandson and oldest granddaughter play the viola in a holiday orchestra production at their schools. They both enjoy music very much!


Our youngest granddaughter enjoys ballet, and her ballet school put on a fabulous production of "The Nutcracker" this week.



Our granddaughter had some solo parts in the dance of the "Russian Candy Canes" segment of the ballet, as seen in the short video above.


She was so excited!


As these assorted decorations proclaim ..."It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas"...and more busy times are ahead! 
I'll be writing my Christmas cards, baking some traditional cookies, and making savory zeppole that we serve as appetizers.

I'm sure you are all busy too! Enjoy all the fun!


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