Glimpses Of Christmas...

Our thoughts are being captivated again by the reminders Christmas brings...a perfect gift from our Creator.  And because of Him, we are blessed to celebrate as family and friends, each year.  A time to slow down, reflect, give, say thanks, and enjoy family traditions.  Here are some glimpses of Christmas in our home...

A beautiful reminder of Jesus to catch our eye each day as we come and go. 

Our family train has been nursed along the past few years and finally last year, it quit completely-it sat silent under the tree leaving the little ones a little sad each night before bed(which is the time we all would gather to play with it)-but this year!!  We went out, all together to pick our new train.  It is a beauty, and the soft chugging as it goes around the track is a peaceful and calming sound.  It is the Pennsylvania and it is even carrying the Liberty Bell.  A train that should see even our littlest, Israel, through his childhood.

Here is part of my Christmas village.  My mother and father-in-law started this for me when Matt and I were first married.  One of my most favorite decorations to unpack!

Our new family table, cozied up in the corner so that we may fit our tree.  The little tree in the corner holds all of my wooden antique ornaments.  They get their own tree.  I love the glow it gives at dinnertime.

Here is our tree all done-it's first night aglow.  We always decorate the day after Thanksgiving.  We are not "Black Friday Shoppers"-a quiet day at home together is much more our style.

How fun it is to tell stories of the ornaments we pull out of the box.  The kids all get a new one each year.  Some years Matt and I pick them as a surprise, other years we all make an outing of it and the kids each pick their own.  I really like doing it both ways.

It is tradition to watch White Christmas(and sing) while we decorate the tree.

The bottom of our tree still gets weighted down from our littles.

Cole was right along side all the littles, helping.  He also sat this year and fixed all of the broken ornaments-that was fun to watch!

Yep!  It is that time...the shop is buzzing.  Here are 4 days worth of orders on their way around the world.  FUN!

Israel's first Christmas-the tree is quite captivating.  So amazing to have him here this year! I am going to just eat up having a wee little babe again at Christmas time!