House of Lloyd

I don’t buy my husband Christmas gifts and he does not buy me Christmas gifts.  I know many of you are thinking “that’s strange” and others are thinking “I wish I could get away with not giving my spouse a present.”  (more…)

For the past several years my favorite Christmas song has been, “A Strange Way to Save the World.”  Through the years many groups have recorded this song but one of my favorite renditions is by the teen band JUMP5, followed very closely by the recording done by 4Him. (more…)

Our  first Christmas as a married couple. was in 1991. We were also both full time college students and were so glad to finally be finished the semester and with finals and to finally have some time to relax. (more…)

I think as we get older we like to remember the magic of Christmas and how we felt when we got that one special gift. Most of us can remember one gift that stood out and continues to stand out as time passes by. (more…)

I love decorating for the holidays. David and I have been married for 23 years and I have been collecting Christmas decorations for as long as we have been married.  Each year I set a budget and buy a few new things to make our home even more festive than the year before. (more…)

I know that this is not a popular stance but in my house we do not encourage the belief in Santa. David and I decided many years ago that we would not encourage our children to believe in Santa. Instead we tell our children that Santa is an example of how we should give to others while expecting nothing in return.  (more…)

Madilyn has her homemade Countdown to Christmas Chain, but Caleb has his Nutcracker.  Caleb was around 5 years old when the Nutcracker came to be part of our Christmas decorations and traditions. (more…)

Each year Madilyn makes her “Countdown to Christmas Chain.” The first thing she does each morning after she has created the chain is to tear off one link and then count the remaining links. (more…)

Unless I am at Disney World I do not like crowds, even then I dislike being in a crowd. So my family avoids Black Friday shopping like the plague. We have no desire to stand in long lines and fight others for discounted items. (more…)

Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow.  ~Edward Sandford Martin

Today I am thankful for Thanksgiving. During the month of November I try to focus on all that is good in my life. I admit that at times it is hard for me to focus on the blessings. (more…)