Deck the Halls and other Holiday Traditions...

Mother loves Christmas. She always has. It's her favorite time of year. All the decorations and festivities. It's just such a happy time. When she was younger, mom used to decorate the Santa Fe Building where she worked in Amarillo. She was "in charge" of all the centerpieces and holiday flair! And she was good at it - in fact, she was the best. After she moved to Chicago, she was busy decorating her home and having parties during the holidays. I remember a favorite cookbook she helped create while she worked as a real estate agent after retiring from the Santa Fe in Downtown Chicago. I use it to this day to pull out all the old favorites that mom used to make.

Mom was thrilled when I brought over the holiday decorations for her to use in her new apartment this year. David and I had a small 4 ft. tree we used when we moved into the apartment a few years back. It was the perfect fit for her apartment this year.

Putting those first decorations on the tree was the best. She lite up before we even turned the lights on!

I had packed all the Christmas decorations last year after she moved out of the house. It was fun seeing her unpack those things and see her excitement over the Fritz & Lloyd cookie jar! It is one of her favorite possessions.

We are still working on some of the decorations, but you can tell she is very happy with what we accomplished in a Saturday morning! Her new nativity on the table is getting some additional pieces and it should complete the decorations for her apartment.

Her friends have been down to see the decoration in her apartment and they all oohhh and aahh over the way it looks. Now the administrative staff will be calling on her to oversee the holiday decorations at Sterling House! And she will love every minute of it!

Merry Christmas to all!!