the return of the nutcracker...

the return of the nutcracker is not a new ballet production nor a new rendition of Tchaikovsky's famous musical score.

it's all of my 'little men' that i've been receiving over the years.

they make up my diverse collection of soldiers standing guard or ready to play a tune.

as a little girl, i've always loved the nutcracker figure.

my mom had one that my dad gave her years ago, and every year when the nutcracker came out for the holidays, i would admire him.

shortly after i was married, my dad started giving us~my sister & me, a nutcracker for Christmas.

i had a few before he started giving them to us, but the collection has grown over the years.

the one standing behind the word 'joy' was the first one.

this impish fellow was last year's gift...

 this little white one was purchased in germany~authentically handcrafted...

these two stand on guard above our heads when entering the house
the one wearing red stands just over 2' tall...

i have 16 of these soldiers in all shapes and sizes.

big, small, fat, tall, tree ornaments & even a stuffed door~stopper one.

i guess you could say i have my own army.

my infantry men :)

since the nutcrackers are scattered throughout the house, it's fun to watch guests take a mental note of how many there are. 

they always end up asking, "how many??" then i get to tell them how they come from my dad.

i look forward to this year's nutcracker from my dad~i still love getting one *wink wink dad!! :D

so, having the urge to decorate for the holidays, the nutcracker returns.