Christmas is Up after Dionne was Down

Our Christmas decor is finally UP!! I pulled it all out and started working on it the day I started feeling the sick, and then I was diagnosed a week later -- walking pneumonia. Yuck. So the half-put-up tree and five buckets of Christmas decorations and their contents have been out this whole time. And since clutter kills, I am happy tonight!

Here's my little helper coloring on her sleigh:

And here she is with a stocking as a scarf. (And dress-up shoes.)

I REALLY wish I had a working camera right now to post pictures of our decorations. I think our house looks beautiful!! I have just the right mix of decorations from both of my grandmothers, who are both deceased, my mom, my aunt Trina (who gave us our tree), and things that I've bought for our home. I love how decorating for Christmas makes me feel close to these women because I love all the things that they loved. And they have great taste.

While I was sick the past few weeks, I was in bed a LOT. But I enjoyed my vantage point, watching the girls in a way that I don't normally do. In their own way and in their own "love languages," they dealt with Mom being sick. Raleigh stayed in the other room, writing me notes and drawing pictures, and she wanted me to write her back. (Which I did. On a paper towel.) Madeline came in to see me often and would kiss my cheeks and my head and lay and snuggle with me and say, "I love you, Mom." She liked to stay close and check on me a lot. Then there was Choobs who would come in with big bursts of energy and lots of unrecognizable chatter and she'd try to be funny and make me laugh. She is one big ham sandwich. These girls -- they take such good care of me!