decking my halls

this year, putting out the christmas seemed to overwhelm me. i dare say that i even had a moment or two when i said, "i'm OVER this! SO not worth it. we are boycotting christmas and everything like unto it."

for any that know me, verbalizing this thought would be the nearest thing to blasphemy that my lips could utter. (ummmm, well.....there are a few other tiny things that come close. but are very, very un-bloggable.)

decorating for each season has always been my bag--i have a profane number of boxes of seasonals in my basement. putting out my christmas entails about 3 days of naughty words and extremely creative usage thereof, countless numbers of man-hours as well as an infinite amount of patience on my sainted-husband's part, and a hand-full of valiums washed down with an 8 ounce bottle of robitussin DM. (allegedly.)

but there's never been a question about whether decking our halls was something that i wanted to do--it's always brought me joy. it's also satisfied my decorating a.d.h.d. by giving me something to change, something new to re-arrange, something festive to display.

this year, i just wasn't sure i had it in me. what had, in the past, seemed like such a satisfying and fulfilling ritual only seemed like a colossal CHORE.

and for what? so that i had to repeat the whole process in reverse, less than 30 days later? it didn't seem like the outcome was worth the input.

but i did it anyway. because it's what i do. and what my children expect. and, quite frankly, i knew that by not putting it out, red flags would be flying all around me--close friends and family would be alarmed. my scarred psyche would most certainly be discussed, evaluated, dissected & fretted over. serious action would most strenuously be considered.

and now all the halls are decked. all of the trimmings and trappings, as well as the ribbons and the wrappings are out in force. and i remember why i do it:




we do many activities during the christmas season, and try as best we can to create fond memories--and i realize that it's the time we spend together that's most important.

but i do recall what my home looked like during my childhood christmases--

i'm so sentimental about it that i display some of the decorations, like one of the little stockings that my mom must have spent more than ONE homemaking night creating in bulk for our christmas tree:



and one of the four (old school) holly hobbie plaques that she "modge-podged" (ahhh, yet ANOTHER tribute to those homemaking nights! bless those mormon hearts!) and would hang on our wall:


just the mere fact that i am in possession of either one of these items is testament enough to my mother's efforts at creating a loving, family-inspired christmas atmosphere--i am sentimental about few things, and keep even less than that. but these items are so near & dear to my heart that i will cherish them always.

so......my hope, after schlepping box after box of christmas boxes up and down the stairs?

my hope is that the four little ladies pictured above will have the same fond memories of what our home looked like during the holidays. and how it felt to spend time playing a game or reading a book or just chillaxing by the tree, watching dave & martin play with the ornaments like naughty toddlers.

for this reason, and this reason alone, i put out the christmas decor this year.

{ p.s.--it was worth it.}

p.p.s.--i laughed out loud when i read the words of wisdom from my vanessa's comment:

"I guess it's not always all about me (WHAT?) and that the kids will have the memories that I make with them forever."
true, that.