It's Dark!

Today the Christmas tree was undecorated.  The candles, the Santa Clauses, the wreaths, the snowmen, the various small Christmas trees...all made their way back into boxes and into the blue bedroom where they will remain until next Thanksgiving weekend.

Yes, it is later than usual for us to tackle this task.  But we spent a couple of days at Hilary's for Christmas, then we left for our Gatlinburg trip, then we returned to, not home, but first to Megan's house to watch the kids and take Cooper to pre-school, then to Hilary's to watch Owen while the rest of the family watch Purdue beat Rutgers at Mackey Arena.

Finally we came home.  Then it was unpacking from 12 days away.  Laundry.  Sorting through purchases.  Menus and groceries.  Picking up mail. Paying bills.  Looking at Christmas gifts since it was the first chance we had to really look at what others had selected as gifts for us.  Another trip to Hilary's to celebrate Landon's birthday with a lunch just for the three of us.

Plus it was just nice to sit in the living room, nothing but tree lights and candles glowing in the windows, while we watched television and knew that there was no rush to move forward.

But today.  It was time.

Boxes were dragged out.  Items were collected off the top of the hutch and entertainment center and the bookcases by the big picture window.

Holiday signs and wreaths were removed from the walls which had been their home for a month.

Ornaments were removed from the tree and I realized just how many bell ornaments were really decorating it!

Family pictures returned to the top of the entertainment center and on the table in the fireplace room.

Christmas candy was collected and put into a ziplock bag to take to Megan so she could share it with her library students.

The stockings, the collection of old Santas, and the garland were removed from the mantle and replaced with the country farm animals and candles and signs proclaiming favorite scriptures.

A few items were tossed in a black trash bag, ready for donation to Goodwill.  No sense in keeping those things around that are never used for the Christmas season.

The boxes and tubs were stowed in the blue bedroom once again.

The specks of glitter, the random lost green sprigs from the Christmas tree, the dead ladybugs from the window seat under the snowmen, the random specks of lint and threads on the floor - all removed by the sweeper, the dust swept away from a Pledge wipe.

Soon the house looks as it did nearly 6 weeks ago.  Before Thanksgiving. Before the Christmas holiday.  Just as it is in 'real life.'

Granted, the snowmen trinkets are hanging on the wooden peg strip on the wall above the television.

The lights remain on the tree in the corner and are lit (can't go to complete darkness---shock to the system!).

The window lights are glowing - at least most of them are.

And the outside lights still proclaim the festivity of the holidays in multi-colored lights gracing the fence along the sidewalk and the posts on the front porch.

But the rest of the house is dark.  Christmas is over.  The holiday season has come and gone.

Back to the routine. Once again. In the dead of winter.

I read somewhere today, probably on Facebook since that is what I read most often nowadays, that it is sad that we don't carry the spirit of Christmas with us as we continue into the new year.

I was thinking today about the happiness in this house on Dec. 22 when everyone was here to celebrate and open gifts. So much noise. Lots of laughter.  Squealing with delight and excitement.

The day was perfect.  The feeling of family was overwhelming and the spirit of Christmas was alive.

Our goal should be to continue that feeling each and every day.  Just because the house is dark again, the lights are put away, the red and green décor no longer graces the tops of furniture and the walls of every room in the house, this doesn't mean that the joy is gone.

It's dark, but the light in our lives shine on.  Let it shine!