Sunday, December 12, 2021

Sunday, December 12, 2021

Tonight's picture was taken in December of 2008. That year we didn't officially decorate for Christmas. Mainly because we were in the hospital more than we were at home. However, Mattie brought many of the items he received (from the hospital to decorate his hospital room) home. He set them up in the living room. Do notice the Christmas train. This was a Mattie tradition. We bought that train together years before, and Mattie always featured it around our Christmas tree. Though I donated many of Mattie's things, I kept the train! As it brought him great joy! The train goes around the track, Santa is the conductor, and the train plays Christmas music and puffs out Christmas smelling smoke. 

Quote of the day: Today's coronavirus update from Johns Hopkins. 

• Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 49,918,880
• Number of people who died from the virus: 797,293

I wanted to share some photos of our decorated house! This may not sound like a big deal, but for us it is HUGE. Peter and I haven't opened up any of our holiday items since 2008! Naturally I could have donated them before moving into this house, but we didn't. We kept them, and the main reason I am decorating is for my parents. I am quite sure if it were just Peter and me, we wouldn't have done this. 

If you look at the photo above from 2008 and compare it to this photo, you will notice the SAME ornaments. These are the ornaments that Mattie's child life specialist gave him to decorate the tree in his hospital room. I kept all the ornaments! They are now on our little tree in the kitchen. 

Peter went to the nursery yesterday and came home with this 7 1/2 foot Douglas Fir tree. It is beauty and a wonderful shape for our dining room. 

There are many Mattie creations on our tree. We preserved them over the years. Mattie made this photographic ornament in 2006 in his preschool class. 

In November, I was at the Hallmark store, and came across this moon ornament that read.... Love you to the moon and back. The perfect ornament that symbolizes Mattie to me. As his nickname in preschool was Mattie Moon and I always told him I loved him to the moon and back. 

In 2005, Mattie had a preschool teacher named Margaret. I LOVED Margaret. She may have been Mattie's teacher, but she became one of my closest friends. I lost Margaret in 2014 to ALS. Within Mattie's preschool class, he made many wonderful ornaments with Margaret. These laminated mittens are one of the special keepsakes. 

Mattie also made many cinnamon ornaments with Margaret. This is the only one I still have intact. 

A Mattie snowman!

Our mantle in the family room! Peter just bought this wonderful poinsettia bough, which I love. Mattie's stocking is featured in the center, as he is the center of our universe. 

Mattie and I had a Santa collection of sorts. Several of these Santas were mine from when I was a child. 

In honor of Mattie, his train is featured around our tree. 

This afternoon we went out to have a late lunch at Clyde's. Clyde's is the perfect restaurant group for us, because there is something on the menu for each of us. I have decided that we are going out every weekend, since cooking five days during the week is more than enough for me. I know I feel tired, but I did not realize how tired I actually looked until I saw this photo.