When I got up this morning, I was alone.
No husband, no kids, no vehicle.
Just me and the quiet of the house.
What to do…what to do…
Oh, I knew exactly what I was going to do!
I put on some holiday music and pulled out the Christmas decorations.
I have been looking forward to decorating for Christmas the last few months.
I love this time of year.
I love creating a festive atmosphere in the home.
Tantalizing our senses with all kinds of seasonal goodness!
For the past few weeks, I have been Christmas shopping
and collecting a few new ornaments.
My husband always thanks me for doing the “wifey” duties.
He is certain that Christmas shopping and decorating is so hard.
Who am I to correct him?
I just smile and act as if I am exhausted,
and usually I can get a kiss and a foot rub out of it. J
Between you and me…
I LOVE Christmas shopping and decorating.
This morning, enjoyed myself as I pulled out the Santa hats, stockings, the snowman cookie jar, plates and mugs.
The nativity sets, the snow globes, village houses and the Christmas trees
(although the trees will be left untouched until the kids come home.)
I hung the mistletoe in the hallway and displayed the new Santa pictures in the kitchen.
To the front porch, I added the little sign that I painted a few weeks ago,
and I loved it.
I love it all.
The glitter.
The bright red and green colors complimenting the snowy, fuzzy whites.
I love the glittering star that goes on top of the Christmas tree
and the little Santa that greets our guests.
I love the red bows that hang on our kitchen chairs,
but most of all I love the little brown jacket.
It isn’t fancy or festive.
It isn’t traditional holiday décor,
but it IS my most favorite Christmas possession of all.
Each year, when I bring out my decorations this little brown jacket comes out with them.
This little jacket takes me back to my childhood.
I will never forget waking up early Christmas day
along with my brothers to look at our gifts from Santa.
My grandparents would always drive to our house early in the morning, long before the sun would come out to watch us open our gifts.
Grandpa and Grandma Romero, Grandma and Grandpa Burke
always sat behind us “ooh-ing” and “aah-ing” as we unwrapped our gifts.
That first Christmas without my Grandpa Romero was a hard one.
I was so used to having him there with us and I wasn’t ready for that tradition to stop.
Since moving out of my parents’ house, it has become a tradition for me to pull out Grandpa’s brown jacket and drape it somewhere near my Christmas tree.
It is my way of inviting Grandpa to my house for the holidays.
I like to think that these days on Christmas morning,
Grandpa watches me - watching my kids - open their presents.
I think of presents, pine trees,
turkey and mistletoe.
I think of cold weather, Jesus,
giving, gathering and family…
and
I think of magic.
The magic of Christmas arrived at my house today,
in the form of a little brown jacket.
