Decking the Halls…Under Duress

ByDeborah Raney
28 Comments

My title is tongue-in-cheek, but I will confess that I had no intention of putting up a Christmas tree this year. Our kids are always here the week between Christmas and New Year’s so Christmas is officially over before they arrive. I usually make the house look festive, and there are some decorations I always put out, but the tree wasn’t even on my radar for 2016, especially since we will have two toddlers this year, and I’m going out of town the same day the last kids head for home.

Enter my youngest daughter, Tavia, who, on hearing my plans—or lack thereof—called my sanity, my humanity, and even my Christianity into question. 😉

I don’t always do what she says, but when she offered to help me take the tree down before they leave, I decided a tree would be nice. Of course, we discovered most of the lights were burned out and it took much longer than I planned on, but Ken helped me carry things in from the garage and untangle lights. And I must admit, now that it’s all done and I’m cozied up on the sofa in front of the twinkling lights with the fire blazing and Christmas music wafting through the cinnamon scented air, it’s pretty magical. Thank you, Tavia! 🙂

Here’s a little mini tour of our house all dressed up for Christmas.

The wreath on our front door hung on the door of my parents’ house for many years. The ivy on the front porch hasn’t succumbed to our freezing temps yet.
The red and white nativity scene was made by our son Trey and his wife. It’s one of the first things I put out each year.
This buffet was my mom’s and is all the more special now that she’s in Heaven. The ribbon was kind of an “accident” but I think I like it. A writer friend Heather Eslick gave me the lovely carved nativity last year.
My oldest granddaughter and her mommy made this little holy family for us a couple of years ago. It’s held a place of honor on the coffee bar in my office each year since.
My mom had a large collection of snowmen that she decorated with every year. This little guy is now mine and he makes me smile and fondly remember Mothe’s collection.
Our appointment board sports Christmas cards and decorations, including the three little monogrammed boxes my sister Vicky made us several years ago.

 

I even have the grandkids’ presents all bought and wrapped!
There are still autumn leaves on the trees, but it just adds to the festive feel.
My niece painted this garage sale table and it’s become the kids’ table when the grandkids are here.
Our dining table was given to us 40 years ago by Ken’s parents, who refinished it. We’ve shared literally thousands of meals around this table. The lazy susan turntable was on the table in the farmhouse where I grew up.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

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DEBORAH RANEY's first novel, A Vow to Cherish, inspired the World Wide Pictures film of the same title and launched Deb’s writing career. Forty books later, she's still creating stories that touch hearts and lives. Her novels have won RWA's RITA Award, the ACFW Carol Award, the National Readers Choice Award, and the HOLT Medallion. She is also a four-time Christy Award finalist. Deb is on faculty for several national writers’ conferences and served on the executive board of the 2,500-member American Christian Fiction Writers organization for 18 years before retiring in 2022. She is a recent transplant to Missouri, having moved with her husband, Ken Raney, from their native Kansas to be closer to kids and grandkids. They love road trips, e-biking, Friday garage sale dates, and breakfast on the screened porch overlooking their wooded backyard.

28 Comments

  2. Love your pictures and Decorations! Everything looks lovely and ready for your family. Merry Christmas!

    1. Thanks, Melissa. It really is wonderful to have things that were used by my parents and even grandparents, and to know that someday our kids will enjoy having them too.

  4. Love how everything looks! I will confess that I have downgraded the decorations I put out every year and this year Roger and I agreed that we wouldn’t bother with any decorations. Our home is small, so any decorating requires a lot of reorganization, and our children all live far away from us and won’t be here at any point during the holidays. For just the two of us it seems like a lot of work and certainly not necessary for us to appreciate and celebrate the birth of our Savior. Our big event is participation in our Church’s Christmas musical, which is next weekend. That is when we really start feeling in the Christmas spirit! 🙂

    1. I totally understand, Kathleen! The reason it took me so long yesterday was that I had to rearrange almost every room to make things fit. It’s not as easy as just “putting up the tree!” But I love that you’ve found other ways to get in the Christmas spirit! And that’s just fine! Despite my daughter’s “guilt trip” I don’t think there’s a biblical command that “thou shalt put up a Christmas tree.” (In fact some would argue that “thou” should NOT. 😉

  6. I was hoping you’d do a Christmas decorations post, Deb! I always love it when you share pictures of your home and garden. I’m always inspired!

    2. I think Tavia must be to you like I was to my mother years ago. I LOVE Christmas decorations and the tree and my mom never did much so I was always prodding her. Finally it got to where her main decoration was a stained glass-looking star that she hung in the picture window of the living room. Huh!! That was not enough for me! I finally get it though..it gets harder and harder the older you get and becomes such a chore. Grandchildren who used to come over and put up the tree, etc. are now so busy with their own lives it is very hard to find an open time to come help Gramma! And because we’ve down-sized we simply don’t have room for everything anymore. Yesterday when the family was here the second oldest granddaughter was sadly looking around and asking “Where’s this? and Where’s that?” She wasn’t able to be home for Christmas last year and I think she just wants a Christmas of her childhood back again. Your house is beautiful, by the way!

      1. Jeanie, we’re in the same boat in so many ways. I remember the last few years my parents lived in the country, we sisters would go help put up the decorations. That was a special memory in itself, even though it represented something kind of sad: that our parents were getting older and slowing down. 🙁 I’m glad we made a memory of it! I know you will too!

  8. I agree with Tavia! How can you have Christmas and exchange gifts without a tree? The grandkids would have been disappointed if you didn’t have one. Your home is beautiful, as usual! Merry Christmas!

  9. What a lovely home you have.Very cozy looking.Thanks for sharing the pictures.God Bless you.Merry Christmas

  10. Your home looks so warm and cozy, Deb. I love the many memories you have of the decorations in your home. Good memories are worth a million dollars!

  11. I love all your sentimental items you showcased. I’m very sentimental but alas my daughter is not. I’m glad you put up a tree. Ours is similar. The corner where we always put it is small so we love our “pencil” tree.

    1. It was actually Tavia who found that skinny tree! Back when she was in high school. Even then, she always was eager to get the tree up! I remember that day, she drove to Walmart and picked out this tree herself! (It is pretty raggedy now. Only one half of the bottom is still “prelit”…had to add lots of lights, but we’ve gotten our $$-worth out of it for sure!)

      1. Made me laugh! I have wished for a skinny tree too…but instead we had to make our tree “Less Big” by not using the lower half of the tree and putting the top half on a corner table!! It still works! And Sh-h-h, don’t tell, but I only decorate the front side of the tree since it’s in a corner!!!!

        1. Haha! I do that too, Jeanie! We once had a tree that every branch went in separately. By not putting any of the back branches on, we could set the tree close to the wall and no one was the wiser. The only reason I decorate the back of the tree is because it faces a window. But I put all the prettiest decorations on the front.

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