It's Beginning To Feel A Lot Like Christmas...

This Christmas is not like all the rest of the Chrismases I have experienced in the past. This Christmas is extra special because THIS Christmas, I get to spend the joyous season with my sweetheart, my one and only, my wonderful husband AUSTIN!!! :) We were so excited to start the Christmas season together, our first one ever, as well as our first Christmas as a married couple, that we pulled out those decorations bright and early--well, nice and early, anyways. :) This is what our apartment looked like the Monday night of Family Home Evening, November 29, 2010. We were all a-bustle with trying to make our new little home ready to welcome the season of happiness and giving!

Here is Austin, my sweet husband, decorating our very own first Christmas tree! Hooray! We were SO happy!!! :) Austin wanted to decorate with white ornaments in remembrance of the fruits of the gospel given to us by Christ the Lord, so here is the work in progress. :)

Right before this, Austin asked me, "Am I doing this right?" He had never put garland on a Christmas tree before! I happily assured him he was doing a great job. :) What a wonderful tree-decorater he is! The garland just makes our Christmas tree look so cheerful! I'm glad that I got it last year when all the Christmas items went on sale. :)

Austin's dad makes beautiful Christmas stockings for everyone in the family. Since Austin loves his snowman stocking, and I like snowmen too, we got matching Mr. and Mrs. Snowmen stockings this year to hang on our "mantle". :) Hopefully Santa will find us in our new apartment! :)

I made a wreath for the fall holidays a while back, which gave me the idea to make a Christmas wreath, too! When Austin and I were at the store picking out things to decorate our home with for Christmas, I managed to snag some pretty ribbon, red jingle bells (originally on a door hanging decoration), and some beautiful and sparkly (fake) poinsetta flowers! Twist and twine these into a $4.50 pine wreath from Hobby Lobby, and *woila!* you get a cheery Christmas wreath! This was so fun, and makes it especially Chrismas-y over here. :)

This little tree brings back happy memories of decorating for Christmas at college. Momma sent this to me my freshman year at BYU-Idaho, and it has been with me ever since! If you make the picture bigger, you might be able to see that instead of hanging the nativity ornaments, I have arranged them around the tree like a regular nativity.

And here is my wonderful (early) Christmas present from Austin this year. A nativity set of our very own to display! And thanks to the beautiful furniture from a kind friend, we even have a fancy coffee table to display it on! I LOVE this nativity. Austin and I looked and looked for something that wasn't too expensive, but had all the pieces we were looking for. Austin especially likes that baby Jesus comes out of his manger, because the people in France have a tradition of waiting to put baby Jesus in the manger until Christmas eve to celebrate His birth. :)

This pretty poinsetta couldn't be left out! Momma and Daddy gave it to Austin and I to display in our home after the Carrollton Community Nativity display was over. We love it!!!! Thank you, Momma and Daddy!

I just love this Nativity so much, Austin wanted to take my picture with it. Nativity sets are so beautiful because they glorify the reason that we celebrate this season...and the reason that we can be joyful. Even with all the excitement of gifts and decorating and baking, the joy of the Christmas season really comes down to one of the most important events this world has ever seen--the birth of a Savior to redeem mankind. I can only imagine the joy of that first Chrismas, when the angels proclaimed the birth of a newborn child who would someday save us all, and allow us the chance to return to our Father in Heaven someday.

And lastly I wanted to show the beautiful piano that is my pride and joy, sporting its holiday decorations. Between the Merry Christmas blocks is the absolute first nativity I have received--I got it last year at Christmas, from my best friend, Leah. :) Thank you!

Merry Christmas to all! I hope that you are enjoying the Christmas season, and the true reason for its happy celebration!!! :)