Our Heirlooms and Traditions Christmas

As a part of the Nester's Tour of Homes for Christmas 2010, here is a sneak peak into our home at Christmastime:

For more details on our home and our Christmas decorating, it would encourage me so much if you would visit my new decorating blog, Fieldstone Hill! Let me know you stopped by... oh, and if you Follow it, it would just make me so stinkin' happy!!!

Fieldstone Hill:

Our new Heirloom stockings:

Our Parlor:

The Kid's Tree:

The Staircase leading to Our Tree:

One of our Mantles:

Our Jingle Bell Wreath:

Wintertime at Fieldstone Hill:

You can see more pictures of the inside of our home HERE.

And for more of our HOME TOUR:

Please join me today for a {slightly huge.} picture listing of some of our most precious Christmas traditions and the inclusion, this year, of some precious family Heirlooms:

Our new Heirlooms:

This Christmas, we added something special to our holiday decorating. I had old and thinning (yet stunning) tablecloths and napkins of my Grandmothers made into a tree skirt and linen Christmas stockings. Oh, how thrilled I am with these special Heirlooms in our Christmas Home:

Our Tradition: Hanging Dried Grapefruits from our Tree:

Each year, while we decorate our tree, we dry a bunch of sliced grapefruits in a low temp oven. Then, they are hung on the tree using a cheap package of ornament hangers. You can't imagine how the fruit looks like beautiful stained glass!

Our Tradition: Brown Paper Packages Tied Up In String:

This is how we wrap all of our gifts for our friends and family. They look beautiful all gathered under the tree!

Our Tradition: Going to a tree farm for a freshly cut tree:

This was only our second year, and it is definitely a new tradition for us to go and cut our tree. We had a wonderful time that morning. 

Our Tradition: The Greatest Gift of All Bow:

Each year, after our evening of decorating, we ceremoniously top the trees with bows, and we ask the kids "What is the Greatest Gift of All for Christmas?" Why, it is Jesus of course!

Our Tradition: PJ's, Hot Cocoa, and Garish Christmas Lights:

Each year, we pack the family into the car, in our Pajamas!! We take cocoa, and head out on a hunt for the ugliest Christmas lights. And we LAUGH and LAUGH!! I just love this night!

Our Tradition: A special Christmas Eve and Santa's Kiss:

On Christmas Eve, we always attend Children's Church service, and then come home for a celebration of family. Our evening includes: making cookies for Santa and leaving out carrots for the reindeer, exchanging one gift, snuggling in the dark looking at the Christmas tree, and reading The Christmas Story out of the Bible.

We also have the special tradition of Santa's kiss. After our little ones go to sleep, "Santa" sneaks in to give them ash covered kisses. Here is Caleb's kiss from last year at our dear friend's home:

Our Tradition: Waiting for the arrival of Baby Jesus:

Oh, how we love to build anticipation with the children as we eagerly await and actively prepare for the Birth of our Savior! Jesus does not arrive on the scene of our nativity until Christmas morn.

Oh, how I love this time of year!!!

Merry Christmas, y'all! And thank you for visiting my blog and my interiors blog!! It is so nice to meet you!!

{this is an updated and edited repost from the archives}