For the last 20+ years it's been my job each Christmas to construct the Christmas village. It's been impossible to curb the slow accumulation of pieces, so, because I feel bad about not using everything, each year I have to come up new ways to fit as much as possible in the display while making it look good and different from years past. Taken December 2015.
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Christmas nativity and lights. Taken December 2016.
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As the title says, this was my parent's first Christmas tree they put up together after getting married in the fall. Picture was taken by my grandfather and I scanned the slid into the computer.
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This is me as a baby and my Mom at Christmastime. I'm guessing this is my first Christmas as I'd be about 5 months old. Picture taken by my grandfather and I scanned the slide in.
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One of my Mom's nativity sets. This one was a gift from my sister. Taken December 2017.
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One of the things I like to do when I construct my Christmas village is try to create a story for the people. Here, for example, we see the puppeteer setting up his show in the village green next to the town's tree and his show has interested several people to stop and watch. Taken December 2017.
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According to my Mom, having a bird's nest in one's Christmas tree is considered good luck. When using an artificial tree, it's hard for that to occur, so a suitable alternative is used. Taken December 2015.
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As a kid, one doesn't think about the work that goes into wrapping the gifts, but, as I got older, I've come to really appreciate the love and care that is shown in the wrapping. Taken December 2016.
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A line of snowmen light up the surrounding fresh snowfall. Taken December 2016.
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It wouldn't be Christmas without the home-baked Christmas cookies.
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All's quiet at the moment, but, that will change in a few hours. Taken December 2017.
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This is an older nativity set of my Mom's. It's needed a few minor repairs over the years, but, it still looks good. Taken December 2015.
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One of the traditions of my Christmas village is the Drummer Boy is always on the bridge. This stems from the fact that the bridge and the Drummer Boy were my first two pieces and they had to be together at the beginning. And yes, that is an aluminum foil river. I needed a river for the bridge to go over and one couldn't just buy a river.
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The snow begins to blanket a candy cane themed Christmas light display. Taken December 2017.
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This was one of the trees grown at home with the intent to be a Christmas tree someday. Well, it grew a bit too crooked, had a few big bare spots, and had an odd shape, but, it was our tree. It's these things that one looks back fondly on and what's missing when one uses an artificial tree.
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I'm a sidekick when it comes to Christmas cookie baking. I grind the nuts found in the Snowballs and Birds Nests; chop the dates in the Strawberries; break the starlight mints found in the Mint White Chocolate Chip cookies. I keep an eye on the clock to help make sure the cookies don't burn. I shoot the breeze with the main baker and keep them company as they work. Taken December 2013.
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This is not my house. Someone a couple miles from my house sets these displays up every year, has them timed to music and all that. We try to make it out there every year; the close to hour wait it takes to get close enough is worth it. Taken December 2016.
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Another view of the Crazy House, as my family calls it. Taken December 2016.
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Other things I take into consideration when making my Christmas villages is how they will look at night. I know Sudbury Crossing lights it's surroundings pretty well, so, I made sure to put a piece in the back to catch the light. I have to point out the stick tree in the back. It's homemade. It's a lilac twig glued into a wood block which is wrapped in fake snow. At the beginning, I couldn't find stickish trees, so I made three of these. Taken December 2016.
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After spending hours getting the dinner ready, she wants to eat and does not want to stop while I take her picture. Taken December 2018.
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My super-cute nephew notices the crackling fireplace my sister put on for her Christmas party. Taken December 2018.
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My super-cute nephew sneaks some popcorn before the start of the Christmas party. Taken December 2018.
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One of my family's traditions is to place luminaries on Christmas eve. These are milk cartons that have their tops cut open, sand poured in them, and a wrapped candle placed in the sand. We begin collecting the 3 dozen+ cartons we'll need in late October. It's the first thing we do in preparation for the holiday. Many will get used in creating a path towards our outdoor Nativity scene (the double row of lights in the back). We try to save a couple candles and reuse a couple luminaries for New Year's Eve. Taken December 2017.
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For as long as I can remember, my family would visit the Kraynaks Christmas Lane. It's different every year, though, there are some decorations that get reused. One of my favorite things to see is these Snow kids as they spin around. I presume others like them since they're in the display almost every year since at least I was a small kid. They've recently gotten a fresh coat of paint.
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Here's another view from the 2017 Kraynaks Christmas Lane. They also do an Easter lane which I also go to every year.
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Lakeshore Park in Astabula, Ohio puts up a light display every year for Christmas. This one is the Ashtabula Harbor lighthouse which can be seen from this point in the daytime as Lake Erie is actually only about 60 feet further out from where I'm standing.
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Here's another display from Lakeshore Park's display. There are some odd ones I'm tempted to upload, including a flying saucer and a T-rex.
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The last display at Lakeshore's Lights on the Lake is this Nativity scene.
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One of my family's traditional Christmas dinners is serving these Cornish hen dinners.
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My one sister is a farmer and hosts one of the family Thanksgiving dinners where we eat turkey that she raised herself, the popovers use eggs from her chickens, etc.. She's always busy, so, this last Thanksgiving we decided to help her by putting up her Christmas tree for her after we stuffed ourselves. Here, two of my nephews help put the ornaments on.
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