What's Your Favorite Christmas?

While eating Christmas dinner my dad started asking each of us what our favorite Christmas was. Hands down, mine was Christmas of 1993.

I was in fourth grade and was aching for a beautiful, blue, colonial style dollhouse. I was doubtful I would get it because of the ridiculous price, but my parents had actually purchased a kit to make it. All fall my dad would disappear after dinner and not return until I was in bed. He said he had meetings at work and at church and I believed him. He was really sneaking over to our neighbors and building my dollhouse in their garage.

I was shocked and so excited on Christmas morning. It was beautiful - three stories tall and my mother had put Christmas wreathes on all the windows and a tree in the living room. Dad had glued on countless shingles, banister rails and crown moulding. I collected furniture and carpet for it and eventually we wired it with electricity so the ceiling fans would spin and the lamps would light up. It's in the attic now, but I can't wait too pull it out and add it to a playroom one day.

This Christmas certainly is up there in the list as well! Mom and Dad outdid themselves once again and here are a few of the fabulous surprises I awoke to:

Mom found these beautiful hand-painted plates at an estate sale. I can't wait to hang them up!

She also found these antique planters which will be great on my kitchen shelves.

I inherited a set of china from my grandmother. It's almost a full set and I have been collecting the rest of the pieces to complete it. Mom found this covered casserole dish and I found these berry bowls to add to it.