It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

When my parents moved from Virginia Beach back to Franklin in 1991, they decided to decorate the top of the baby grand with a Christmas Village each Christmas. The first batch of the grandchildren were very small and they adored looking at what Nanny and Papa had added the 14 years it was displayed. And they would buy a different piece every Christmas.

Back in 2005 my Mother asked me if I wanted to inherit the village. I was speechless! Nathan was born the year before and most of the grandchildren had grown older and they just didn't have the desire to drag the heavy boxes down from the attic in the last few years. At that time my Mom was 74, my Dad, 77. Yes I was speechless because I couldn't believe I was given the honor of carrying on the tradition.

I set it up for the first time in 2005 and could never duplicate the beautiful likeness my parents put into it. There was once a working ice rink, a train and street lights, but over time they puttered out. In 2006 I hesitantly decided to display it but my Mom talked me into it and said how much Nathan would enjoy the village at night. That Christmas Mom was so sick and it wasn't much celebrating deep down in my heart. But display I did and Nathan gazed at the lights and city in amazement. She was right, she was always right.

The Christmas of 2007 was extremely tough on the family. The first one without Mom and she LOVED Christmas, went all out decorating the house and it was always fun to find out where the movable cardboard Santa was displayed in the house. I thought long and hard about pulling the village out, but out it came, but not every piece left the box. With the birth of AnnaBelle in 2008 I again put up some of the village, enough to satisfy the children's curiosity.

This year I have included the entire village and we added our first piece this Christmas. Nathan picked out this family sledding, telling me it reminded him of his family with him driving the sled. I lovingly put the date on the bottom as my parents did on every piece. And this year there is such a joy I feel when I see the village. The children being a little older are marveling at it's tiny features and glowing lights.

I love my Christmas Village and I love the fact that I am carrying on a tradition started by my beautiful loving parents and one day I hope one of my children will set it up and remember the fun times of Christmas' past with us and start some more beautiful memories of their own.