Journaling My Christmas

One of the prompts in Shimelle's Journal Your Christmas class is about wrapping presents.  My favorite type of wrapping is the kind that stores will do for you! It always looks so nice and professional and saves me time later in the holidays.  I was so happy when William Sonoma agreed to wrap these presents (one for my brother and one for my husband).  I always ask if there's complimentary gift wrap available and take advantage of it when it is.  How about you? Do you ever get the complimentary gift wrap?

Stockings is a prompt for later this month, but I'll be heavily involved in a baking party that day, so I decided to complete the prompt now:

I love the idea of having fancy, personalized stockings that the kids can use throughout their lives and take with them when they grow up and move out.  It's one of the things that I want to be heirloom quality.  So early on, I bought these stockings from Lands' End.  I added personalized pewter stocking hangers a few years ago. They're one of my favorite Christmas things.

And here's the post I settled on for the "Traditions" prompt because it involves two things which are key two me about Christmast traditions - family and the real reason for Christmas:

 Many years ago, Paul's parents asked each of their children and spouse to select a shared present for their household.  I told Paul's mother that I wanted a nice Nativity set.  I think they gave us a TV that year.  But the idea stuck in her mind because the next year she gave us this beautiful set which she made herself!  I love it and treasure it both because of its beauty and because of what it represents.

Now, of course, I realize that it must have taken forever to make.  It has 18 pieces and is just gorgeous.  Since so many of you commented on my last post about Nativity Sets, I thought I would share a picture of my other set.  It's one I bought for the kids when they were little, and they used to assemble it in front of the tree on Christmas Eve. I thought they were a little old for it now but Clara found it when we were decorating last weekend and had fun putting it together on top of the keyboard: