Ho Ho Ho

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas." Actually, no, it's really not. Today it was 76 degrees and I wore a Tshirt and gym shorts to string tiny Christmas lights outside my house. Pathetic.

This weekend we set aside time in the family agenda to decorate for Christmas. We went on a Christmas tree hunt and found the perfect tree. Of course, we had to put the beautiful tree in the far corner of the dining room--not the usual place for our Christmas tree, but strategically placed to limit Mr. Sticky Fingers' exposure. My favorite thing is to unwrap all my ornaments. I unroll layer after layer of paper towels, waiting to see which sparkly and fragile piece of Christmas cheer I will find. It is like meeting old friends you haven't seen in a year.

Growing up, my parents collected Dickens Village pieces. We would add one little shop or house at a time. It was always fun looking at all the miniature accessories at the store. They make all kinds of things to make the village look realistic. Every year, when we lived in Colorado, it was my job to whine until the Dickens Village boxes were brought up from the basement. I LOVED helping my mom set up the village. We had a big bay window in the front room (actually, it was in the "don't sit on the couches in this room" room). We would put a blanket of (fake) snow across the entire window sill and put books underneath to form mountains and valleys. We even used a circular mirror to create a pond. So fun. Well, once I hit high school, I was WAY TOO COOL to mess with all that stuff. I don't remember the last time the Dickens Village was properly set up. Until now.......

This year (starting in July, I believe), I held true to my title of "whiny little sister" and begged my Dad to let "me me, me, me" inherit the Dickens collection. I mean, why should a perfectly wonderful collection of holiday goodness waste away in a closet? He graciously let me "borrow" the collection so Josh could have the similar memories of looking at the miniature lamp posts outside The Butcher, Baker and Candlestick Maker's Shops. It is no wonder I grew up to be a NICU nurse. I love miniature things, whether it is miniature babies or a miniature man riding on a ceramic sled- they're all cute and make me smile inside.
The Big Reveal.....
(Some people had to close their shops early on account of the snow storm- a.k.a. the light bulbs were out and I was too lazy to go to Home Depot.)

Ahhh, just as cool as I remember it being as an 8 year-old little girl.