Hosting Christmas.. and a bit nervous about it..

Hello,

Every day that I walk into my house I honestly love it.. so why is it that as I get ready to host my husbands family for Christmas Dinner I am of course fretting over my house, I get anxious knowing that my style is different then theirs.

I started this blog thinking that I was drawn to Parisienne style, however.. I think my German heritage is actually more of what I long for in my home.

If you have known my Oma and Opa... Ah...as a guest in their home, you know the feeling I am talking about..

An eclectic, cozy, imperfectly perfect, clean old home, with a lot of love, and true to who they are people, that makes you instantly feel welcome.

For 36 years I have attended Christmas Eve at my Oma & Opa's home, we have a large family and almost everyone makes it a point to be there on that night. We have had the same German meal each year with only a couple additions due to new family memebers that might like another option.

The Rouladin, Red Cabbage, Mashed Potatoes w/ Gravy, Carrots and a Dinner Roll are always the same and served at 5:00.

We open gifts after 6pm. I remember as a child and then watched my own children run into my Opa to check if we could open our presents and him always making us wait until exactly 6:00 to begin. I lost my Opa a few years back and miss him dearly, but it honestly feels like he is still in my Oma's home, and that is so comforting. We will again be there for Christmas Eve this year.. Oma needs a little help with things but still knows how important it is to her family to come.

I want my children to have the same memories with all of their family.

I am excited and stressed about hosting,but on that day.. I want no stress.

I really hope that everyone feels welcomed, comfortable and loved when they are here at our home this year, just as we feel at my Oma's.

I am going to try my hand at my Oma's Christmas Eve dinner.. with a few additions for maybe different tastes.

I want it to be fun.

With Love,

Jen

As I am reading all of the other blogs I see that I am not the only one that is taking a peek at the Christmas decor that that has been boxed away for 12 months. Like casually laying my ticking stripe stockings on the magazine rack..with the Ballard Designs Christmas Edition peeking out.. I am taking them down.. but yes I confess my tree is always up about a week before Thanksgiving..... I love Christmas!

~Cozy Corner~

The baby is in bed, the girls are all asleep, and as I am getting ready to settle into my favorite quiet spot to read several new Christmas magazines.. I thought I'd share my cozy corner with you.. I hope that you to have time and a cozy spot this week to snuggle up in with something inspiring to read and maybe a nice warm cup of hot chocolate.

God Bless You,

~Jen

Hope you all have a fun evening with your little ones what ever it may be that you are doing.. We will be doing a little family party at home as both of our little Candy Cane Witches to be and our little spider.. are not feeling well.. So Dad went to rent movies, mom made snacks, and for the first time we have a sign on our bowl outside our door full of popcorn balls to take one and enjoy.. and a very unhappy 9 year old.

9 Months!!!

Day 2 ~ Mitch helping Dad ~

I do not remember whom on my blog roll had a post on her stair re-do.. I know she took off the carpet that was bugging her and she and her husband said, that they wanted an older home look to their new construction home..but that their contractor really didn't "GET IT"...WEll, I GET IT.. I love it, and I feel the same way!! Character of an older home is well .. "ME" ... Anyway, my husband didn't "get it" until I started blogging. He now see's that what I am talking about is not just my thing.. a lot of other feel the same way about charm, age, and imperfectly perfect charm. I have a fantastic husband who almost always has let me do as I please with our home because he knows how much I love to fiddle. However, something like ripping carpet off, and going for a farmhouse stair...well.. probably never would have happened with out YOU.. Blogger Love ~Jen

Here we are in the first step of farmhouse'n our stairs.. will post progress as we sand, putty, caulk .. sand some more.. paint and put on a runner.. How is it that this is so EXCITING to me.. haha well if you know me... you know ;) ~Jen

Faith has the right idea on this rainy Thursday in October!! :)

Super cute blog.. love the fashion series.. to see it click here Sweet as a candy

Ready to leave for Homecoming 2009!

Wow!! I'm glad I'm not a GURL!!! :) all this running around today .. makes me laugh at how goofy they are!! ~ Love ~ Mitchell ( well, I think that's what he'd say anyway!!)

Thank you so much Brad and Dan for working so hard Labor Day Weekend laying this new tiled floor!! I really love it :) You both are awesome! Color on the wall is Stone Brown by Benjamin Moore.

Mitch waiting for Dad :)

8 1/2 Months

Topiaries~

Italy

Chateau's