The Kirby Christmas Home in Alexandria, Virginia

In February, my friend Kristy and I took a long weekend and rode up to our dear friend Stacey’s and her husband Jimmy’s home in Alexandria, Virginia. Kristy, Stacey, and I try to do a girls’ trip every other year, but due to Covid, our retreat was delayed a year and then postponed…so Stacey left up her Christmas decor for us through mid-February so that we could experience it over the long President’s Day weekend! We spent most of our time just sitting around in the glow of her the trees, enjoying each other's company and reminiscing on our college days and 20+ years of friendship. And we talked about the trees.

Stacey has more Christmas decorations and trees than anyone I know, and I have quite a few friends with extensive tree collections! Stacey’s 46 trees are meticulously decorated; every ornament has a special story and meaning. There is a tree dedicated to their travels, a reindeer tree, a Santa tree, a nativity tree, a Clemson tree, a snowman tree, a Rockwell tree, a gingerbread tree, a Jesus tree, an O’Tannenbaum tree themed with German ornaments, a “Cup of Tea” tree, a fruit tree, and even a shoe tree! Jimmy has always been fascinated by airplanes, so there is a tree dedicated to flight in his office. Music is a huge part of both of their lives, so there’s a music-themed tree. Stacey can tell you where every ornament is from—gifts from friends and family, yard sale finds, souvenirs from worldwide travels, or ones that have been passed down from generations before. Here’s what she said about some of her ornaments:

“The multi colored glass blown ornament on the America tree was bought as a gift for me from my husband. It is made out of the ashes of Mount St. Helen. I love that ornament!! The schwibbogen is probably my most favorite Christmas decoration. We bought it at a Christmas market in Nuremberg, Germany. The paper angel ornament that’s on the bookshelf in Jimmy‘s office is a Nuremberg Christmas angel. The story behind that one was that I was interested in looking for one, but I didn’t actually see them while we were in Nuremberg. The next day we were on the ship getting a lecture from a local guide sharing about European customs, and he had that angel in a box and told us the folklore behind it. After his presentation I asked him if we would have an opportunity to purchase those elsewhere on the trip, and he said no, but he wound up letting us have his. We gave him money, but probably gave around half market price!”

A crowd favorite is the “Whimsical tree,” which serves as a catch-all for all the ornaments that don’t quite fit the themes of her other trees (see below). It is also my personal favorite.

But it’s not just the trees. Many of the trees have a corresponding nativity scene, there are two complete Christmas villages, and there are holiday knick knacks in every nook and cranny, even the bathrooms!

You’d never imagine from the exterior of Stacey and Jimmy’s home that such a wonderland exists inside. Once her friends and coworkers realized the enchantment in the house, they started asking to invite their friends to see. So every Sunday after church and many other days throughout the week, Stacey hosts people on a tour through her home. She’s even created a scavenger hunt for children who visit to find all the pickle ornaments! This past February, one of their elderly neighbor’s homes tragically caught fire and she rushed over to Stacey and Jimmy’s for help, where they readily assisted and helped make her comfortable while the firemen worked on her house. After she had been there for a few minutes, she looked around and exclaimed, “It’s so pretty in here!” Later that day when she and her family were able to start sorting through the rubble of her home, she invited her aunt and another family member over to see the trees. In the midst of one of the worst days of her life, the trees brought her some joy and brightened her day.

It takes Stacey and Jimmy months to decorate their home, beginning as early as August, and then several weeks after the holidays to pull it all back down and get it packed up in storage. They usually leave it up through January, but I was so grateful they kept it up for Kristy and me this past February! What a magical visit.

Here’s what Stacey said about her passion:

“For me, Christmas is a time to celebrate the Hope that Jesus, Emmanuel, God With Us, brought to Earth. I marvel that Creator God would love His creation so much that He would provide a way of salvation through a tiny innocent Baby, His Son.

I love the lights and the ornaments and the decorations and the greenery. I love the parties and the gifts and the cards and the music. I love the food and the family time and time away from work. I love special occasions. I love the stars and the stillness of the winter nights. But I really love the way Christmas brings people together and seems to remind people that we need to be kind and loving to one another and remember one another and encourage one another.

So my goal at Christmas is to share my love and passion for Christmas decorating with the people in my life to encourage them and lift their spirits and share holiday cheer, but mainly I want the Hope of the world, Jesus Christ, to be shared in every invitation to my home.

For every tree that is admired, for every bit of food that is prepared, for every song that I sing, for every card that I write, or gift that I buy, I want the love of Christ to flow through me, and I want to share the Hope of His salvation with all those that I am able to touch at Christmas time.

One of the things that I try to do is to put a manger scene beside or under or on every Christmas tree in my house. I also created a “Jesus” themed tree in 2021 that represents as many different parts of Jesus‘s character and person that I could find to represent. He is my God. He is my Savior. He is my Friend. He is my Shepherd. He is my Peace. He is my Joy. He is the Lover of my soul, and He is my Hope for all eternity.

May He be honored and glorified through all of these pictures.”