The Stockings Are Hung by the Chimney With Care

This is sorta lame, and basically I just wanted to show you Brady's new stocking....but I've made up a story to go along with it. I was noticing how the holes on the underside of my mantel tell the story of our family the past few years.

We drill a little hook under the mantel to hold our stockings....b/c you all know that those things you buy called "stocking holders" can't hold anything! Ours are drilled in...load it up mama! Our first Christmas here, there were four of us, Annika was one week old. I'm not even sure if she had a stocking. Two Christmases before, I bought Mark and I stockings at an after-Christmas sale. It was the second year that I was sitting on the couch looking at those stockings, and I noticed it said "Let IN Snow". Yes that's right....BIG error on the stocking, and I didn't even notice it...guess that's why I got it on clearance.

So anyway, the next year I ordered us all matching stockings with our names on it...they did a horrible job on the embroidery on MY stocking...amazing how my eyes are drawn to that every day, when I didn't notice Let IN Snow for two years. Anyway, four evenly spaced holes on the mantel.

Well then I guess it was 2007...my sister and her two kids were staying with us for a little while...rearranged the holes...7 stockings, 7 holes, great memories.

Well this year, 2009....we added that sweet boy to our family! Ordered another stocking, rearranged the holes again.

I'll tell you that I know there will be more. That part is in God's hands. Maybe we'll expand through adoption...maybe it will be spouses, grandkids, or parents. We'll keep adding and re-arranging holes as necessary. Love it.