Christmas Tour of Homes

It's been fun looking at all of the beautifully-decorated houses that are part of the Christmas Tour of Homes this year. More than 1,000 bloggers have joined the carnival, hosted by The Nester, to show off their holiday decor.

I've been wishing I could participate, but, honestly, with our fourth child born on Dec. 1, I'm just happy we even put up our Christmas tree this year.

I didn't bother to get out the nativity set, the Christmas village, the outdoor lights or even the wreath for the front door.

When you walk in our home, you are greeted by this most days.


It's like we have a volcano in the center of our living room that spits out coats, boots and gloves.

But, that's OK. We're all snuggly and warm inside, especially when we get to cuddle up with this precious gift that came to our home this month.


I used to be very picky about how we decorated our Christmas tree. I would carefully hang glass balls and ornaments that looked like jewelry. This year, we gave the kids one small box of ornaments -- most of them made by their own little hands in preschool -- and let them hang them wherever they wanted.


It's not beautiful. But we don't care. We're all too preoccupied with this sweet bundle of joy.


In past years, I draped my dining room table with a pretty table cloth and set in the middle a glass bowl full of ornaments. This year, our dining room table is cluttered with books, paper and pencils we use to do home school.


And that's OK. Because we're all learning how to take care of a baby, enjoy the moments and live at a slower pace.


Our home is not decorated with pretty things this year. We don't have piles of gifts under our tree. But we couldn't be happier.



And really? What could be more beautiful?

** To see more homes taking part in the Christmas Tour of Homes, head over to The Nesting Place. **

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