Christmas in November

Together as a family we put all our decorations up the Saturday after Thanksgiving.  It was this mad dash of trying to keep Zana from swallowing Baby Jesus out of the Nativity and stopping Abe from electrocuting himself on the Christmas lights.  (voltage is very different here)

Here are photos of my favorite decoration.  A lot of me went the way of the rubbish heap when I married.  It was a good cleaning out of my closest but most of my Christmas decorations made the cut.  Why?  Because they rock.  The Nativity in a bag made by lepers from my mom that Zana likes to suck on and I let her because it is made of cloth.  The Nativity made in Bethlehem of olive wood.  Polished, shining and so elegant set up high enough so not one of the kids can touch it.  The wall hangings of the stable, the shimmering cloth from my mom made into wall hangings muting my walls and transforming our home.  The Nativity made in Sindh by widows complete with three shepherds in special arderck cloth evoking home, friendship and memories.  And last but not least the most beautiful hand carved set of flat silhouettes that march along window sills in their own little hand carved wooden stands.  Given to me by my mom.

I don't have anything tonight pithy to say about Christmas.  I just love it.  I love telling the story over and over again to my children.  I love writing plays about Christmas and directing them.  I love singing carols.  I love being reminded that God Immanuel.  I love that because of His perfect life and atoning death I live different today than I would without Him.  Live today better, better because I am loved not because I am better.  I love Christmas.  I see myself in the shepherds, the Wise Men, the angels, Mary, Joseph, Herod, and even yes even in Jesus because He died to make it so!

Enjoy the photos.

Mary and Joseph Journey.
Shepherds stand looking up at the sky.

Here are all four lined up along the top of the sill.

and the stable last of all........