We got through another Christmas, and as happily as we were able.  This year with the passing of my mother this past summer, it was awkwardly difficult.  Family has pretty much shut down for a period, and in needing to blame someone, I have two daughters looking harshly at me.  Sibling group has acted poorly (imo) and are holding on by their teeth through the grieving process or better said I am holding on by my teeth as I go through the grieving process.  Getting on though with this post, sharing lot of the photos I took of our Christmas decor this year.  Asked my sweetheart to haul out all the bins of holiday decor, thought I might sell off many items towards my effort at downsizing.  Turns out I was not able to part with majority of the items, my goodness, they go back so many years to when children were little people.

Oddly though, I got more accomplished and done this year than other years even with the typical crash and burn I have each year for a couple of weeks in December.  So here goes, photos galore….

The beginning and before Thanksgiving – getting an early start. Decorating Christmas trees outside front door and adding the Christmas wreath.

A small crafting project I did; tearing sheet music into strips, inserting into ornament bulbs.

Then adding a few decorations inside the house.   Shopping and we encountered a photo Santa chimney booth, took photos of ourselves.

Early on in December, we visited my son’s family in Portland area to take them gifts, also it is his birthday and I very much wanted to do this by acknowledging his birthday with Christmas gifts to come after.  He was so pleasantly surprised by birthday acknowledgement gift First.  Although entirely unexpected, he also had surprise  gifts to give to us to take home.  I wanted to amend our travels so my darling 71 year old husband was  not driving us as he had been doing for 8 to 10 hours and in the dark hours.  Arranged for overnight at halfway point in our journey.  We pulled into hotel just as it was becoming dark, and having checked in, as my husband pulled out of his parking slot, he backed into a parked pick-up which rather dented our little Scion’s backside.  Getting older does mean making some adjustments for somewhat slower reflexes.

Looks rather like a conglomeration of items doesn’t it.  Lots of accumulated Christmas decor!   Close up photos of fireplace decorations.

As the month progressed, finished working the decorations, the Christmas Tree, mailed out 50 cards to members of the chapter where I am member, sent out about 25 more cards to family, wrapped gifts for my children and grandchildren, delivered and enjoyed my husband.  Our first year of sharing the season as the Two of Us in Hygge with only one holiday outing and no family visits this year.  Actually, I am still healing and recovering from the passing of my mother (Joy)  this summer and he does not say he is yet I think he is also healing.  She moved to be near us, lived two doors from us, and we both saw and attended to her daily for the last 3 years.   This is for entire family, her children, her grandchildren, her great grandchildren, our first Christmas without my mother.

It was a different, quiet season for us this year.  No less festive, yet we found ourselves saying no to several invitations, no Church service at our churches, no to holiday get togethers, no to holiday parties.  Staying in together gave us opportunity to appreciate it is another chapter in our lives, and it really will be The Two of Us caring one for the other in our later years.