Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!
It's hard to believe that Christmas is already here.  As I promised I am sharing my Christmas decor with you today.  I am sorry I was so late with it, but to be honest with you...Christmas snuck up on me!  Here are just a few shots of my Christmas trees and a few of my favorite things.

I have this tree in the entry way.  It has mostly homemade ornaments on it.  This is the first year I have put a tree here.  At first, I wasn't sure if I liked it.  I do have to say...I ended up loving it there.  

This tree my 'Starbucks' tree...yes, you read that correctly, I said 'Starbucks' tree!  I have to confess, I steal the new gift cards that come out at Starbucks.  They are so hard to resist...they are all so cute!  

My son and husband punched holes in the corner and I added wire to hang them.  The other ornaments are the yearly cup ornaments they have at Starbucks and NO, I don't steal those, but I do wait until they are half off!

Here is the tree we have in our living room.  It is very simple and yes, it has antlers in it!  You might be a red neck...if you have antlers in your Christmas tree.  

We used to have this adorable gift shop in town and that is where I got the snowflakes, pine cones and reindeer I have on this tree (it closed a few years back).  

I got the burlap snowflake ribbon at Michael's this year.  

The G at the top was purchased at Hobby Lobby and I painted it and used glitter on it.  I spray painted some of the hydrangeas I dried this year.

  This collage has a few of my favorite Christmas decorations.  I fell in love with that gingerbread person and had to have it (I have had him for a few years)!  Isn't it adorable?  The Santa in the upper right photo sits on a bench that my grandpa made...I have sat that bench under the tree since we have lived in this house.

Kerri made the JOY sign in the bottom right photo.  

I absolutely love snowmen...can you tell?  These are just a few of my snowmen.  

I made the baseball snowman last  year, it sits on a spring that I got from Cindy Jo at the barn sale (have I mentioned I love that place?). The bottom right photo is the entry way.

This last photo represents the reason my family celebrates Christmas...the birth of Jesus Christ.  This past Christmas season I have been reading Bible verses from this Advent calendar.  WOW...that's all I can say about Mary!  As I sat and read the daily verses I cried.  I could not imagine the joy and pain that she felt, knowing that she gave birth to the King of Kings and that one day He was going to die on the cross for our sins! As a mom, I could never imagine giving up one of my own children for somebody else's sins (let alone my own).  So as I write this post, I sit here and cry...trying to wrap my head around this miracle, simply because I don't deserve this love that Jesus has for me.  All I can say is THANK YOU Jesus for your love and forgiveness (that I don't deserve).
As you spend time with your family and friends today, remember the TRUE meaning of Christmas...JESUS!  
After all, He is the REASON for the SEASON.  
Have a BLESSED day and enjoy this time with your family and friends.
~Julie