powell brower at home: Holiday

Our traditions at Christmas time begin with a trip to Evergreen Tree Farm in Nokesville, VA to cut down our tree the weekend of Thanksgiving. (Every tree no matter the size is $40-$60!) It was a glorious day followed by lunch and drinks.

I thought this car in front of us was cute with their pup. Between Bethany and I we have 5 and no extra room in our tiny truck, so no one went with us, sadly.

A Thanksgiving family tradition in our family involves a trip to Bethany Beach, DE on Saturday for our annual Seafood Feast. We all bring a seafood dish and graze all day, visit, play football on the beach, and end the day with singing Christmas carols and songs from our eldest aunts and uncles' childhood, like " Stormy Weather", "Mack the Knife" and "Bicycle Built for Two"- all of which echoed my mother's voice as I remember these sung by her. Oysters fixed in every imaginable way, salmon, crab and various goodies were enjoyed by all. I hadn't been in a few years and really missed being with my husbands side of the family. These are the warmest, most loving and sharing cousins. This year renewed the importance of this tradition for me.

Here are those drop dead sunset views from our Uncle Jack's home, and here he is at the table.

Now I'm decorating our tree, mantles and rooms with another goal in mind. Our family Christmas party is at our house on the 14th, where we host about 50 relatives on my husband's side. If this doesn't get a fire lit under me to get it done, nothing will. Then my side of the family meets the following weekend for our Christmas party at my sisters house nearby, with all of us bringing food and desserts and presents.

I love to decorate for Christmas and have been taking all week, savoring each moment.

I often have had themes in years past like peacock colors and feathers, or, to stretch out the turquoise, I used copper with it last year, but this year is going to be my throwback Christmas. I am bringing out old family decorations and putting the odd assortment of the most loved and cherished memory-filled ornaments on our tree. It has really been a joy to relive those memories as I decorate the tree.