Christmas Decorations

 I wanted to do this post, not because our decorating was amazing, but because 1) it is an accomplishment for us to have achieved much decoration at all, 2) this is our first year to decorate at this house, 3) it gives me an opportunity to post a few pictures of the inside of our house, which I haven't done yet, and 4) I got a new camera for Christmas and some of these are a few of my first pictures taken with it. 

 These first two shots are from the standpoint of entering the front door.  The dining room can be seen directly ahead and part of the living room/stairwell can be seen on the left.  These were taken on Christmas Eve with my old camera.

 Looking further to the left, you can see the entrance to the kitchen, which is by the white door that leads out onto the deck.

 Moving into the living room, you can see the entrance to the hallway.

 Turning around you can see the entire living room from the perspective of the kitchen entry.

 I'm still working on permanent decorations.  I wonder if I'll ever be done?  I just printed out my home-taken portraits of the kids and framed them and hung them above the piano. 

 The Christmas card wreath.

 Above the kitchen sink.  These decorations were done entirely by Cecily (4).

 Down in the basement, looking back towards the stairwell.  The wreath is hanging on the laundry room door.

 And the basement itself.

This is the front porch with the lights that the children hung.  None of it was perfect.  But it was done in a spirit of celebration of the most wonderful thing we have to celebrate, the gift of Jesus, come to earth, to purchase our salvation.  We want to teach the children that it's WORTH the effort it takes.