It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

What fun we had putting up our Christmas tree! My husband and I enjoyed looking at each ornament and remembering where it came from. Some ornaments were gifts to us, some are homemade, some are from places we have visited, and some are from our childhood. My 89-year-old Dad sat and watched all the activity, just smiling away.


We always hang up our stockings early because we enjoy looking at them so much. When Michael and I were first married, I stitched these two stockings. These were the third and fourth projects I ever stitched, and they are entirely done in cross stitch. My dear friend Val "finished" them for me -- she's awesome!!

The dinosaur ornament was one Michael was given during his childhood. It's very fragile and we handle it with tender loving care!

One year I made a lot of these little felt mice and gave them out as gifts. I'm so glad I kept one for myself!

This ornament was made during the recent Mystic Stitcher's Hideaway Retreat. Belinda Karls-Nace of Blue Ribbon Designs was the instructor. She was awesome! We learned great finishing techniques from her.

Doesn't every stitcher have at least one frog on their tree?!? Hehehehe....

What about an alligator in high heels and pink ribbons?

A decked out gargoyle? Hmmmm....maybe the rumors are true....Michael and I just might never grow up.

The creche was made by my Mom! She was really into ceramics when I was a little girl. She would have made these in the early 1950's. My Dad made the manger.

We really enjoy Christmas at my house but, like many others experience, there will also be a little sadness as my mother passed away this year at the age of 90. To think that I was blessed to have almost 90 Christmases with her! Amazing.

Here's my Mom with my older brother and me in 1951.

And here's one of me with my younger brother -- quite excited over our stockings on Christmas morning!

I was remembering today how I came to my Dad as a young girl and asked him if there was really a Santa. He replied, "What do you think?" I told him I wasn't sure and that some of the kids at school said there wasn't. He said, "Well, you'll find out." Oh, how I wanted him to tell me that YES, there was a Santa...but he didn't. So I went to bed that night not really sure about anything.

The next morning when I woke up -- the living room had been transformed, stockings filled, and presents under the tree. Of course, I was very excited...but I still wasn't sure about Santa. And then...I went over to the fireplace to get my stocking and happened to look inside the fireplace! There was a HUGE footprint in the ashes!!! WOW!! Was I ever excited! It never occurred to me that anyone but Santa would have left that footprint there, so I was a very enthusiastic believer again -- LOL!!

Just recently Santa dropped by for a visit at the Mystic retreats. Santa and I are old friends after these many years. It was great to have Belinda meet him, too!

Ho-Ho-Ho!!

Sue