My Snow Village (lots of pics!)

 My grandparents (my mom's parents) had a flair for Christmas.  My grandma Willis had Christmas dishes, glasses, towels, linens, etc.  They had Christmas ornaments and special decorations that all meant something to them.

But one of my favorite traditions was the village (specifically a Dept. 56 The Original Snow Village) my grandpa set up every year across the buffet and tables he had built especially to suit the growing village.  There was a part of the village that was the town with city buildings and big fancy houses and then one end of the village was the country scene with barns, livestock, tractors and even an outhouse.  The other end of their village was a woodsy area with a cabin and a pond and even a small airplane.

Their village was my own personal Christmas wonderland.  Even though we weren't allowed to touch it, I loved looking at it and making up the stories about what all the people in the village were up to.  The kids sledding and ice skating looked like they were having so much fun and there was a cow with a wreath around her neck that I just loved.

Long story short, when my grandparents passed away, the village was split up between my mom and her brother (my uncle).  Mom took most of the country scenes and uncle took most of the woodsy stuff (he's a hunter) and they split up the towny stuff.

When Hubs first started coming around, he got a kick out of the village when Mom set it up.  It got to the point that she would set up all the buildings and then let Hubs and I set up all the people and accessories.  She didn't even mind (or say she did) when he slipped a monster truck or two into her village... God bless my mother!

So when Hubs and I got married, the day of our wedding, he sent a gift to me while I was in the "dressing room."  It was a large box and inside was the beginning of our Christmas village: The Silent Night Church.  To make matters even more sentimental, the Silent Night Church looked almost identical to the church we got married in (the church I essentially grew up in.)

Ever since then, we've continued to add to our village each year.  Even though we are in cramped space, we made room to set up the village this year (along with the nativity, but that's another post).

Let's take a tour and see what's happening in the Snow Village, shall we?

An overall show of my village (and the dog crate...things are tight in this little place!)

Here's the church Hubs gave me the day we got married. 

I love the bell

It's completed with decorations and poinsettias. 

This is the piece he gave me for our first Christmas (after we'd been married 1 week)

I love the look on the lady's face!

She was so excited and surprised that she dropped her purse and everything fell out!

But look at that rock! I'da dropped my pocketbook, too! (yes, I said pocketbook)

He also gave me this bus for our first Christmas.  There was a decorated bus involved in our wedding party transportation, so even it has significance to me.

For our 1 year anniversary, I got this little house from Hubs.  We'd just bought our first place that summer.

It's a music house (hence the violin playing snowman)

(did you know you could get these little signs customized?  I didn't, but I could.... just sayin')

That's why he also got this lovely lady shaking on a deal to buy a house.

Doesn't she look happy? (If you've ever bought a house, you may know what a relief it is to slap that "Sold" sign up!)

The next year, Hubs got me this pet shop.

It's the "town-ie-est" thing in my village, but I just love the detail of it...

...like the dogs in the window and the one tied to the hydrant outside.

The same year, he got me this little dog walker to go with the pet shop.  We have three dogs ourselves, so I know what this kid must feel like!

Here's a father/son team dragging a fresh cut tree into their house

This is the house Hubs got me for our 4 year anniversary last year.  I think the candle in the little window at the top is adorable

 Doesn't she look like she's having a blast?

I got this set of sledders at an out of business sale. 

And this guy is right on her tail

Here's another team building snowmen

I got this house this year at an antique store for next to nothing.

This little gal seems to be happy, too.

Why wouldn't she be? How cool to have an igloo to play in?!

She was having fun... until this little punk strolled into the village.

Oh yeah, anyone that has spent any amount of time around kids knows where this is going.

That was my village this year!  However, it's already dated some because Hubs got me a new log cabin to add to it this year and I took all these pictures before then.  You'll have to wait until next year to see it!

Hope you enjoyed the tour!

Merry Christmas!