Deck the Halls

We got our Christmas tree up and decorated on Friday night. It was the first time that John has ever helped with the task. I know… you’re shocked. So was I! I had most of the filler ornaments up when he joined me, so he got to put up some of the special ones. Each time we do something neat, I buy an ornament to commemorate the moment. We have ornaments for each of our homes, for each weekend trip, and for some general accomplishments. They would probably look pretty ordinary to you, but they’re very special to me. As John hung each of those ornaments, we talked about what it was a reminder of. I think he really enjoyed it.

Late Saturday afternoon I suddenly noticed that John was AWOL — and the front door was open. I looked outside and found him on a ladder putting up Christmas lights for the first time ever. Now, we’ve had some lights every year. I have some colored net lights that I toss over the bushes and a lighted garland that goes around the door. But this year is the first time that 1) we’ve had lights on the house and 2) that John has participated in the decorating activities. He’s a total perfectionist, so it came out beautifully. We now have icicle lights on the front porch and the lower overhang, outline lights on the stair railing and my lighted garland on the door. John vetoed the net lights because they wouldn’t be seen from the road. Personally, I think the real reason is that they are colored net lights. He hates net lights.

So, no net lights this year but the rest of the house looks beautiful. Too bad we’re just about the only people on our street that decorate. I can just hear the meter spinning from our million candle-watt creation right now!

Having decorated the tree and put up some lights, John seems to be enjoying the approach of Christmas a lot more this year than in years past and that’s definitely a good thing. When I got home from the grocery store this evening he had the indoor lights on and the Mistletoe candles lit — it’s beginning to look (and smell) a lot like Christmas around here!�

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