I'm Santa...really, I am.

My husband and I have both had some major losses in life: a parent (mom for him, dad for me) and a spouse. We saw a memorial lantern a few years ago, with the "Christmas in Heaven" poem. Dave really wanted it but the cost was beyond ridiculous. When I saw lanterns in Michaels this year, I decided to make him one of his very own, personalized just a bit.

Here it is:

I set it up early, because Dave is the type who thinks Christmas decorations should come down on December 26th. I make him wait (impatiently, I might add) until after the new year.

To make it personal, I offset the presents a bit, so they look kind of cluttered. With three cats, that's how they often end up! I also added two of our three cats (the two that his late mom and wife knew; they never met my baby Athena). I put them in the usual places they like to sit. I chose a red lantern because it felt more like Christmas. Here's a close up or two:

Thanks for visiting and I hope your holiday season is full of warmth, love, and happy memories!