How Christmas Decorations Can Change Your Outlook On The Holidays

Let me start off by saying that I love Christmas. I have always enjoyed the holiday's since I was a kid. Growing up in a family with a single father raising 3 boys, there normally wasn't a whole lot of Christmas decorating going on. Normally just a full day of putting up the Christmas tree and throwing some lights and ornaments on it and we called it done.

Now that I'm married and have a family of my own, things have change. My wife loves to decorate the house with Christmas decorations. Not just the outside, but the inside as well. I'm the one who climbs the ladder and puts up a few strings of Christmas lights. My wife works tirelessly to turn our home interior into a winter wonderland.

This year, we are staying with her parents as we save to buy our own home. I now see where she gets her love for the holidays. Her mother works tirelessly for days to completely transform the inside of her home into a place that sparks that Christmas feeling. "The Grinch" could walk into her house and instantly be overcome with Christmas joy. The entire atmosphere reminds me of what I imagined Christmas should be when I was growing up. While I really loved Christmas as a child with my family, I never experienced this side of it.

The moment you walk in the door, the smell of Christmas spice hits you and instantly makes you think of pumpkin pies and baked goodies. Every wall is a celebration of the Christmas season with photos of Santa Claus, wreathes, and other holiday decorations. The tables and fireplace stands are adorned with snowmen, manger scenes, and 'Nutcracker Soldiers'. Bags of holiday 'Chex Mix' fill the pantry and the cookie jars are filled with Christmas cookies.

Every day when I walk into the house, it feels like Christmas eve. Each day that goes by builds excitement in our daughter and ourselves. It's amazing to have such a great extended family that does so much to make the holidays a special time of year, for everyone.

These are things that I never realized that I missed growing up, because we never did these things. Now that I have my family, I know that this will be a holiday tradition that we carry and pass on to our children as they grow up.