Christmas at home, and a very worthwhile 5 minutes!

I know that "home is where the heart is"... and now a piece of my heart will forever be in Japan...

but it DOES feel really good to truly be home-home this Christmas season...

Especially with the promise of all three chickies back in the nest...

And celebrating our daughter Kaela's recent engagement to Joe:

We refocus on the birth of Jesus:

 And have some fun as well:

This is about half of the Christmas quilt I finished last year...

It's from an old, great little book called "Favorite Quilts Fast and Fun" by Nancy Smith and Lynda Milligan.

I added a little red house to represent where we lived when I started the quilt years ago... in a little red Cape nestled in the pines...

Not a great photo but you get the idea:

I hope you are having a wonderful December.  If you are so inclined, I invite you to watch this beautiful little video -  "Good Tidings of Great Joy: The Birth of Jesus Christ" - one of a series of Bible videos produced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It's an excellent way to spend five minutes!  I have found that it's one good way to refocus on the Savior when I'm feeling a little scattered or stressed with the busy-ness of the Christmas season.  "The story of Christmas is a story of love." 

And the stockings were hung...

Life has thrown one of its curve balls and it seems in the past month I've had about 30 seconds to think about quilting, but the other day I stopped into my favorite local antiques place, the tiny and artful Upton House Antiques in Littleton, MA: 

At this time of year there are these wonderful, simple handmade stockings made from old damaged blankets and quilts: 

It's wonderful to be home for Christmas, with David and all three of our chickies back in the nest.

  These stockings from Upton House, collected over several years, are among my favorite Christmas decorations.  I think this mantle in my dining room is a nice place for them:

Soup stock is simmering and company arrives later today.  We are still wishing for snow and may not get it, but the wood stove is burning and the house feels cozy.

Japan seems like a faraway dream but I'll be back there soon enough!

(Yes.... I did snatch up that red stocking!)