2008 Christmas Tour Of Homes.

This is my first time participating in Boo Mama's Christmas Tour of Homes! I'm so excited!

Merry Christmas and welcome to my home!

Please come inside...and why yes, I made the garland hanging over my front door. I inherited those vintage trumpet ornaments from my Grandma. It's my way of honoring her memory--she always had a beautifully decorated home during the holidays...

I've just finished trimming our tree...please, pour yourself some hot cocoa and join me in my cozy living room.

I know, I know. I'm supposed to hang stockings from the fireplace mantel, right? Well, our old home didn't have a proper mantel, so each year we hung them from the stair banister. Somehow, Santa still found our stockings! In our current home, we do have a proper fireplace mantel...but still no stocking holders. So, the tradition continues + two new stockings for our twins who were born just before Christmas last year...

My older three children just love opening the little Advent doors each day. It's an easy way to help us focus on the meaning of Christmas. We've also added in Advent prayers and Scripture readings this year...

On these cool winter evenings (we don't have "White Christmases" in Southern California), you can find our big family all sprawled out in the living room reading books by a cheery fire...