My typical first week of New Year behavior!!!

The great task of undoing all of the previous doing of the Christmas decorations is underway.

One evening after he'd worked so hard and we were both tired I wrote these feelings...

 "All of this makes it feel Christmasy and homey and we enjoy it but we may not do it again.  At one point tonight we decided to keep some ornaments for the tree and give the others away to our kiddo's if they want them and friends.  Put the inside garlands outside and keep the outside tree as is.  Keep the wreath over the mirror.  Of course keep the Nativities but even me stop buying them.  We are in a tiny place and we have enough stuff going on to decorate a village!  and speaking of villages....that is still up in the air if we should even do it. It's so much work!  Mostly Terry.  Not me so much.  But him!" 

Then it got finished and we loved it and enjoyed it and so did others and we are definitely going to do it next year and I even found a little church to add to it!  Terry has plans to elevate by the chimney and make a snow hill and this will perch on top plus it has a little light in it!!  I hope it holds up being stored for a year because it is light weight poster board.  Here is what the Church looks like.

Might be a house but we are calling it a Church!

 Here are 2 Nativities that a friend made.  Crafters are amazing people and I always wear my cheerleader clothes and wave pompoms for their feats!!  Can you imagine making dozens of these at one sitting and then giving them away?  I was at her house once before Halloween and she had Pumpkins that could be stuck on your fridge door.  I ask her what she was doing and she said...Having fun!!  I think she said she was making 50.  I asked....what will you do with them?  She looked at me like I was crazy to not know that of course,  she was giving them away.  I made the friends list while I worked with her in the Stake.  Thanks, Cathy!!!  and here are the last December 2011 and 2012 gifts she gave me.  All crafters need standing ovations and that is my part in the crafter guild!  Cheer them on!!!

Things are being packed more carefully this year as far as labeling etc.  plus a chart for where to put the houses.  This should minimize set up next year plus he made the 2 shelves for the stove and the little entertainment center that hold all the paraphernalia and DVDs. 

Stove is cleared off!

Stand is cleared!

Nativities are mostly cleared off!

I'm excited about 2013.  This is the time that I annually make the decision to downsize/dejunk/purge/ etc. etc.  I carefully make a list of the order of which rooms I will do all of that to and then...organize and then...paint and then...spruce up and decorate and then do the garage and then  organize all of the pictures and sew and oh, the list is endless!!!  I actually do have the list made and am excited as I always am the first week into a New Year!

Here is what I'm dealing with...both are me!  Actual pictures!  Oh, I am so bad!!!

part of 1st and 2nd shelf

Part of 2nd and 3rd shelf.  Yes.  a bathmat for Goodwill.  love the 

buried simplify sign!!!

I dug the metal sign out and had forgotten how much I liked it before it got buried in complication as the shelf system is definitely not simple!!  I'm eager to pitch and throw but don't hold your breath waiting for a finished picture!!  Isn't this lovely????