Christmas Memories....

Since Jennifer asked for others to share their Christmas memories it started me thinking....What are my Christmas memories? These are from my childhood, they are a little different but yet special to me. I grew up in Miami, Florida and both sets of my grandparents lived in Jacksonville. Every other year we would travel to Jacksonville to spend Christmas with our grandparents and 3 of our cousins. My Nanny (my father's mother) had a SILVER Christmas tree set up in her family room. On the floor was a mechanism that turned a round piece of plastic that was made up of four colors, blue, red, green and yellow. There was bright light that shined through the plastic and it was pointed at the tree. Therefore as the colors rotated through, the tree changed colors. I have often thought how cool that would be to have an updated version of that Christmas tree. My granddaddy (my mother's father) did the traditional tree. As a child it always seemed so big and I can tell you it was perfect. Every light and ornament was hung just so and I always looked forward to seeing "granddaddy's tree". At home I remember my mom baking lots of cookies. We would have batches of Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal (some with no raisins just for me!), Date Bars, Thumbprint cookies and Crescent cookies. She would make up tins of these cookies and share them with the neighbors. But, one of my favorite things my parents would do with us is have a designated night where we would all pile in the car and drive around the neighborhoods and look at the Christmas lights. It was a huge, big deal to put up Christmas lights in Miami. It seemed like we spent hours driving around and seeing all the lights. Then we would go back home for some hot chocolate. Yum! After moving to Georgia my parents started the traditon of having us share what God had done in our lives during the year and we would share this on Christmas Eve. What a special time this is and what a blessing to know that God is at work in all of our lives. Merry Christmas!!!!

Remodeling and Christmas....

One thing I have learned throughout this remodeling experience during the Christmas season is how much I truly love Christmas!!! I somehow didn't think it would bother me not being able to decorate my house or bake all those fun cookies I make at this time of year but I have realized I was wrong. I do miss all of those traditional fun things we have done through out the years even down to hanging the "Griswald" lights on the outside of the house.

But the end is in sight. This week we get cabinets in, the fireplace installed, counter tops, and hopefully plumbing and electrical. Finishing the wood floors will be the very last thing done. I will say that we have been truly blessed in how it has all come together. Although we are tired and ready to have a neat, clean and orderly house, this is our dream and we are grateful to be living it.
floors ripped up, back wall removed (notice how there is not insulation in the outside wall) I guess that is how it was done in 1964.

our future fireplace.......just off the kitchen



wall before opening was cut from front room to dining room


after opening was cut out.....



wood floors, sheet rock on back wall of the house (with insulation underneath :)


this is where our refrigerator and a small cabinet will go



this window is being replace with a solid pane picture window, and it's hard to tell from this picture but the colors are a beige and chocolate