creating warmth from the inside out

As many of you know, my father-in-law was recently moved into a wonderfully warm and caring hospice residence. Needless to say, time is precious. Your prayers for him and my husband's family would be greatly appreciated.

With that being said, it's amazing how much comfort can be received from a home filled with the sounds and scents of Christmas. I can't even tell you how many decorated trees grace the hospice home nor the number of treats set out for visiting family and friends. The sense of peace that pervades is palpable.

I've thought a lot about that this holiday season, wanting very much to create a peaceful cocoon in my own home. So I've worked extra hard to keep the usual clutter at bay... kept the decorating simple but fun (perhaps keeping it simple is why it was FUN)... baked a little... we are also playing more holiday music than ever before (including my old records from childhood). Sights, scents, and sounds of the season.

To give the boys a visual reminder of our long awaited vacation (and something fun to focus on), I resurrected a set of animated figures that were given to my son as a baptism gift in December 1997.

We'll be setting sail on Disney's newest ship this spring, the Disney Dream. The trip was book more than a year in advance so the wait has been HUGE. Minnie and Mickey are tucked in the corner opposite our tree:

Here's the view from another direction:

And the fireplace mantel, which didn't change much from last year:

Looking forward to live animals at the Christmas Eve service again this year (click HERE for a peek at last year), time with family, and the holiday break from school. Putting some thought into my blog for 2011 and will introduce a few new items for the new year. In case I don't have the chance to post again this week, have a very Merry Christmas!