1-800-DianeGo… my sister-in-law, affectionately called our Christmas crazy of the family. This is her favorite time of year and it shows. Big time.
I took this photo as we both, fools that we are, were outside after going to the grocery for the last of what was needed to cook the feast for tomorrow.
Looks like the good Lord took over decorating the outside of the house, though. So we’ll look at some of the outside with the snow before we go inside.
These lighted Christmas boxes are covered with about an inch of snow at this time.
The mail box topped with a wreath is getting covered.
The snow is blowing so fast and furious that it looks like a snowball fight going on in front of my camera.
When we left to go to the store you could see the lights. Two hours later after grocery shopping and stopping for a quick bite to eat the lights are under a blanket of snow.
Doesn’t this look like a big snow cone with colored dots on top?
Snow covered shrubs, lights and candy canes guaranteed to put you in the Christmas spirit even before it started snowing.
The frog has officially gotten more than a tongue full of snow… and both of our fingers were officially frozen now , so let’s go inside….
The tree is set up in the front foyer. Because of the high ceilings, the Christmas tree doesn’t look huge, but the sucker is 10 feet tall and Diane and whomever helps her to decorate have to use a ladder to get the up high stuff and to put the star on top. I didn’t help this year with the decorations but I have been a helper in past years.
This tree is a new addition this year. It is set up in the dining room and is a real tree. Ben decided he wanted a real tree for the wonderful memories the smell of the pine trees bring back from our childhood. Diane would never turn down another tree to decorate.
This tree is in my bedroom.
This tree is in the hallway as I come out of the bedroom to head into the family room.
This tree is in the family room with all the family members stockings hung by the chimney with care with hopes that Saint Nicholas soon will be there… There are stockings for Ben and Diane, Walter and me, Diane’s three children with their spouses name on the same stocking, Ben’s four children with the three married kids and their spouse’s names on a stocking together and one for his son that is not yet married. There are fourteen stockings for their grandchildren and we just found out that there will have to be at least one more stocking added for next Christmas. There are also stockings for their four cats. They are family members, too, you know.
Our mom and dad…
Diane’s mom and dad. I love that she honors them and shares Christmas with the ones that brought them into the world and eventually helped to combine two families into one.
A train is under the tree because we all love them and Diane’s late daddy Burt worked for years for the railroad.
And to top off the tree and to remind all of the reason for the season, the Christmas Angel.
Across the room and over the kitchen area is Diane’s homage to the wildlife that we all love to see. This takes the 10 or 12 foot ladder to get these beasties and the trees up there.
Whichever of the three bathrooms you stop into for the pit stop, you will have something to peruse. The hall bathroom is the Christmas train bathroom.
The train wreath next to the mirror over the sink…
The master bathroom… So many in here I’ll just put in two or three more pictures without a comment.
I love this window and Diane really dressed it up with another Christmas Angel.
And an angel by the light switches to make you smile whether you are coming or ‘going’.
The bathroom for the back two bedrooms.
And yes, there is a tree in this bathroom.
On the back of the commode…
The towel shelf across from the tub….
I love this bell tree.
On top of a storage cabinet in the bathroom.
This bathroom has a Santa and reindeer theme. There’s more and I’ll do it in another post. I’m tired of typing.
The preceding post truly is not a paid advertisement. I just wanted you all to share my Christmas with me and to know why, besides the fact that I love my siblings, I love all of the ‘eye candy’ that I so enjoy looking at when I come to Ft. Worth for Christmas.
From my heart to all of you out there in the blogsphere…
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU and as Tiny Tim said, “God bless us every one.”
9 comments:
Oh, what fun!!!
I'd love to have a house big enough to decorate like that. Cause you know I WOULD!!!
Merry Christmas, Helen, to you and all you love!!
Wow - was that 9 or 10 Christmas trees? I tried to count them but got confused in the end. She must have such a lot of fun putting them all up... Me, I'd be terrified of knocking the ornaments over when I had a bath or a wee...
A lovely atmosphere in which to celebrate Christmas Helen, and I hope it was a good one for you.
Caroline
WOW, I feel like I have been to a Christmas Museum it is just beautiful, right out of Southern Living Magazine if you ask me.
I am wondering how long it takes to construct this fairytale & then how long to de-construct! It's beautiful Helen & what a joy to spend Christmas in this environment.
Merry Christmas sear lady!
Um....WOW! Absolutely gorgeous. So many beautiful things. I love the looking up shot of the angel on top of the tree...my favorite :)
Fantastic decorations and wonderful photos! Are you allowed to take a bath during the Christmas season? If so, how?
Beautiful decorations and a beautiful home. Love shows in all the little details. I would love to have the time to do all that decorating. This year I was sick, but managed to get the tree up and some garland around the window. Next year will be better I promise, because now I am inspired!
Surprisingly Becky the house isn't so much as large as it seems, it has high ceilings in all the rooms except the bedrooms and two of the bathrooms. There are a lot of ledges for her to set up different scenarios and most in the living area are directed towards children.
Caroline I think there were 10 if I counted right. And that's not counting the little trees in the village scenes and the Nativity scenes. I think she has three Nativity scenes. Most of her decorations were purchased over the years at the after Christmas sales. She packs it all up after Christmas and stores it up in the attic or at the storage. Diane decorates for each of the seasons, but Christmas is her favorite.
It may look like that Dar but actually it is very warm and touchable. It's like being wrapped in Christmas warmth and cheer. Everywhere you look brings a smile to your face.
Ros she usually does it in less than a week if she is by herself but with help it can be done quicker. I think it takes longer to deconstruct because she is careful about packing them a certain way so she will know next year which container is which. I love the environment. Carol and I used to decorate a LOT at Christmas so it feels very homey to me.
Debbie she has a lot of angels. A lot of which stay out all year long, but the Christmas angels are very beautiful.
Hetty I bathe in one of the other bathrooms but if I needed to use the tub with the jets she wouldn't mind at all. I have in fact bathed in there when all the decorations were out. I tend to soak until I'm pickled when I do because there is so much eye candy to look at and I get somewhat mesmerized.
GingerJar even when I was still working I would come home from work and do at least some decorating. We always started the week end after Thanksgiving.
That is one awesome display of Christmas love. I would love having that kind of stuff to put up if I had that house to decorate. What a blessing to have a family that honors one another as yours does. Hip Hip Hooray for you.
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