When my vintage Shiny Brites are out, I know it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. I think we are all alike when it comes to bringing out all of our Christmas decorations that have been stored away for a year. Once I get mine out and start displaying them, I am always reminded how much many of my Christmas decorations mean to me. Here are just a few of my favorite things.
My snowman collection is probably one of my most heartwarming collections. It was started as a gift from a friend, who gave me my first "really" awesome snowman, on the day my ex-husband was moving out of our house, which is now ten years ago. That same friend added to my collection over the years and even though we are no longer friends, her gesture of "giving" still remains with me. After my parents passed away, I added some of their snowmen to my collection along with one or two from Country Roads.
A few years ago I started collecting old silver, loving cups, etc that I fill with ornaments and other random decorations. I especially like the vintage loving cups that have been engraved with different inscriptions like the one in the picture that was for the winner of the Baja Fishing Derby!
This is a portion of our seven Christmas stockings that hang above my fireplace. The one on the left is Brande's, and the one on the right is Bryce's. My mom made each of my three kids these Christmas stockings after they were born. It didn't matter if it was close to Christmas, she made them anyway. And not a Christmas passes without thinking of my mom taking all the time to make stockings for my kids when they were babies. I know she would be so proud of them all. I guess that is what makes my holidays so special, those memories
And lastly,the little handprints above were gifts to me from each of my kids when they were in pre-school, (the little funky Christmas hats on my butter churn are also what my mom made). The school would have them do a handprint with the date and wrap them up for us at Christmas. On the back of the little handprint "plaques" is a verse that goes like this, "Sometimes you get discouraged because I am so small, and always leave my fingerprints on the furniture and wall. But everyday I'm growing up and soon I'll be so tall, that all those little handprints will be hard to recall. So here's a little handprint just so you can remember exactly how my fingers looked for Christmas in December". It seems like yesterday when my kids gave those to me. Where does time go? Time, just like our kids, is a gift. I hope this holiday season we can all "make" the time to do what warms our hearts, you know? Happy Holidays to you all!!
My family's Christmas started off at my house the way we "tradionally" do it, a pancake breakfast. Pancakes happen to be one of Riley's favorites!
While everyone was finishing up breakfast, Riley couldn't wait to open presents, so Bryce let her open one from him and Justine. 
Bryce & Katie's husband, Vinnie, "always" have the tv on. Since it was driving me crazy, I turned it to the annual "yule log fire" station as Katie and Brande "warmed" their hands by the festive yule log fire! 
As you can see, this was one of Riley's favorite gifts. It was a little stuffed bird that came with a book Brande had given her.
Next, Brande & I went over to Katie's house to watch Riley open her gifts from Santa.
This year, Katie and Vinnie did Christmas dinner. Everyone came from my family, my sister's family, Vinnie's family and more.And as awful as it sounds, there were more presents to be opened. But in the end, it's always "the box" that the kids like the best, especially when Uncle Bryce pushes you all over the house in it! I probably say this too much, but I really am blessed to have such a great family and so many good friends. Hope you all had a wonderful holiday as well!
