The Story of our Front Yard Christmas Village

It started small and simple.

Well, simpler than it is now.

Jordan had medically retired from the Army. We were finally living in our forever home. All our trauma seemed to be behind us. There was this unmistakable feeling of hope amid our exhaustion from battling for survival for so long. We knew that our kids had faced more in their short years than some people would in their lifetime. Because of that, I wanted to do everything possible to ensure their Christmas seasons were filled with wonder and magic.

In the fall of 2017, I told Jordan, "I want a miniature tree farm in our front yard. One that looks like it's right out of a cheesy Christmas movie." That November, while I was at an advocacy assignment in Washington D.C., he built our tree farm. It was the perfect size for Lucy and Tag to play in and serve their imaginary yuletide shoppers.

Because of how unique the setup was, it quickly became a neighborhood favorite. Families would bring their children by to walk through the little farm. We even had neighbors taking their Christmas card photos in front of this thing we created from a desire to preserve the wonder of Christmas.

One of my favorite ways to unwind at the end of the day is to sit on our front porch. It brings me a feeling of peace and calm that I never expected. I'm still enveloped by the home that God gave us, but also right at the edge of civilization. For an introvert like myself, it's the perfect amount of socializing. Neighbors swing by on their walks, some wave and keep walking, while others stop to chat or let me play with their dogs. But I started noticing something; a majority of the conversations were started because someone came by to tell us that they love our holiday decorations. Any time of year. It could be Easter, the peak of Spring, and kind strangers and neighbors alike might come by to tell us just how much our decorations are part of their holiday traditions.

After the pandemic started, our family was devastated by one death after another. I'm not ashamed to admit that these unexpected losses and complex grief experiences plunged me into a depression I thought would never lift. I was so withdrawn that I didn't want to have any contact with the outside world. Except when the decorations were up. Slowly, I began to realize that the highlight of my day/week/month was when someone came by and simply told us that they felt better when our decorations were up. It was during that time that I learned that some people were even changing their route to and from work just so they could drive by our house. Kids were begging to come see the tree farm even when it was freezing cold outside.

That's when we felt the urge to do more. In December of 2021, Jordan designed the hot cocoa stand. It made sense for our Christmas movie set to have a hot cocoa stand along with the tree farm. For the big launch of the cocoa stand, we wanted to do something to give back to the people who came by. I don't think any of them realize how much they pulled me out of the pit I was drowning in. One night, we announced in our neighborhood Facebook group that any person, child or adult, who came by to look at the lights would get a candy cane. It was a small thing, but still, in the throes of recovering from our own long covid and managing grief at the holidays, it was the most we could do. The night had neighbors trickling in to see the new addition, and also just to make conversation. We loved getting to actually watch families enjoy what we had built.

Just when we thought it was safe to exhale, we were gutted by another loss. My grandma. Right between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The holiday cheer was absolutely torture for me and something that I just could not fake.

Once again, we were simply creating Christmas for the kids. And others. If it were up to me alone, I'm not sure we would have done anything. Everything felt so empty and meaningless. But I knew Grandma would have wanted nothing more than for us to carry on this new tradition, tired and depressed as we were. She absolutely loved that we found a way to give back to the people who lifted our spirits during those dark days. In the shock and trauma of her loss, we found the grace to do more. Instead of just candy canes that year, we added toys to the giveaway. They were small and mostly from Dollar Tree. We knew it wasn't much, but we weren't the only ones hurting. The years after the pandemic had left most of the families we knew reeling from losses, financial distress, and just a general heaviness that was difficult to escape. So, we sat outside in the cold. Trying not to cry. Giving away little toys and candy canes. It ended up being the most joy we experienced during the whole season.

The next year, we added a new building. Santa's Toy Shop was Jordan's most ambitious and detailed build. He took a used playhouse and converted it into a full experience, complete with a scavenger hunt for visitors. He put so much thought into making this magical for anyone who passes by, but also a way to honor our losses. There are vintage toys, a real working animatronic, and a sleeping stuffed puppy keeping the elf company. But you'll also spot metal airplanes dangling from the ceiling; those belonged to my paternal grandfather, who was a pilot. And if you look closely in one of the windows, you'll see a nutcracker that was hand-painted to look like Charlie Brown, Grandma's favorite. Making space for those precious parts of my childhood did so much for my spirit in 2023. The giveaway night that year also did a lot to ease the grief we felt. Friends and neighbors gathered outside, kids played in the yard, and some came inside and stayed for hours. Christmas music rang out as families took pictures of their little ones' bright smiles as they ran through our village.

Despite being determined to take the year off...we added one more set piece in 2024. Santa has his toy shop, and now Mrs. Claus has her bakery. Jordan once again created an entire experience within the confines of a child's playhouse. He thought of every detail, from the barrels of flour and sugar on the floor to the individually painted sweets for sale in the bake case. One of my favorite parts about this one is the menu. You might notice that the first item is Sally's Sausage Balls. This is my favorite thing that Grandma would make at the holidays. She would often have giant bags of them kept back for me. If you look closely, you might notice that this is the only item that doesn't have a price. Sally's Sausage Balls are free at Mrs. Claus's bakery because Grandma would never let anyone leave her house hungry. Last year's bakery debut and giveaway night brought in more kids than we had ever had.

The years we've been doing this have seen so much change in our family, but also for the ones who come to visit us. One year, early on, a family came by with a preschooler and a baby who was in a stroller. Last year, that baby was big enough to walk up, pick out their own toy, and walk around the Christmas tree farm unassisted. It's hard to imagine life without our Christmas village, yet it took so much trauma and loss for us to get here. But that's the beauty of Christmas. God reached down to a world that was hurting and torn apart by sin and death, so we could be reconciled to Him. Without that pain and darkness, we would never know the awe-inspiring glory of His light. We still grieve, but we do it with hope. Especially during this wonderful time of year, when we celebrate how God came down to restore mankind to His presence, one day ending the curse of sin once and for all.

To all of you who come by our village this time of year, please know we are so grateful God put you in our lives. We can feel His light shining brighter than ever.

Follow us on social media to see video tours and behind-the-scenes looks at how we build the sets each year!