11.30.2011

decking the halls for these happy holy days




We are fa-la-la-la-la-ing our little hearts out as we deck these halls.  All to celebrate our King's birth.  All to joyfully proclaim Jesus is our Lord, the Saviour of mankind.  "It's Jesus' birthday!" little voices chime the morning after Thanksgiving, their eyes wide in wonder as the christmas boxes are unpacked and lights are strung in every corner of their room.  It's a tradition I want to preserve, every year on the day following Thanksgiving, we throw a decorating party for Jesus' birthday.  And this year it spilled into the weekend as well, and it hasn't stopped yet.  We'll probably be decorating, baking, crafting, and creating right up until Christmas morning.



I love the wonder in my children's eyes, the joy and anticipation.  
The awe of it all.  
The air alive with holiness and happiness and hymns of glad tidings.  
Sipping hot cocoa through peppermint candy canes.
Dancing in our slippers. 
Wandering hand in hand through acres of Christmas trees.

Astair asked Papa D. where Christmas trees came from, so this year Mimi and Papa D. took us to the Christmas tree farm.  I have many cherished childhood memories of my family searching the canyons for a Christmas tree and cutting it down.  We would drive off into the hills covered in white, often being greeted by deer and other wildlife, and attempt to find an evergreen that might suffice as a christmas tree.  It was always an adventure and the trees we would find were the sparse and crooked "charlie brown" kind.

Mimi and Papa D. with the kids at the Christmas Tree Farm

It's exciting to share these memories and to make our own, to pass down family traditions and to preserve the practice of our faith.  For some, Christmas trees may not be important or may even be controversial, but for me and my family, we've given them our own special meaning.  The evergreen is our reminder that Jesus brings eternal life, the strands of twinkling lights fill our home with a warm glow, just as Jesus brought light into the darkness.  And lastly, it's sturdy trunk alludes to the tree Christ died on at Calvary.

setting up the Christmas tree
This week I'll be sharing some Christmas traditions we have, as well as some new ones we'll be making.

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?

8 comments:

Mary said...

eeek!
looks like so much fun!
we are doing the same thing over here today. :)
we brought the tree in last night and can't wait to decorate, decorate, decorate!
happy birthday JESUS!
:)

Lisa Grace said...

Oh, how FUN! We'll be decking our halls this weekend :) I can't wait!!! Today we start our 25 Days Countdown with our Advent celebration ... we read The Jesse Tree each evening and this year I'm going to be reading Jotham's Journey each afternoon for our family reading time. We made Advent bags for our countdown, too, and each one has a special holiday task in it. So much fun ahead!

Joanne Bischof said...

My favorite thing is Christmas lights. Whether they're on the tree or on the house, they are just so simple and beautiful. I remember sitting up on Christmas eve with all the lights off except the tree and just remembering the reason for the season is Jesus.

Lauren said...

TOO perfect!!! I love last picture SO much!!!

Kelly said...

i love the last picture. so precious.

Olivia Grace said...

These beautiful photos just made me so excited, I love this time of year! Looks like your family is really enjoying it!!

Mama Duck said...

can't wait to see your next posts on your traditions :) We have a 1 1/2 year old now and we're trying to start traditions of our own! Love some inspiration!

Mich said...

I love seeing Christmas through a young child's eyes. My kiddos are teenagers now...I miss those days.

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