Oh boy....the girls are going to love me for posting this lovely photo of Christmas morning last year. But, this is what I love! Look at those faces! They are all just huddled up talking and enjoying each other and loving the moment. I only have about a million of those photos. I only hope I live long enough to scrapbook them all! I should be working on paperwork, but the procrastinator in me (see last night's posting) just decided to take a moment and write about something fun. Rachel gave me the idea to start listening to Christmas music today while I work. I mean, honestly, why not? It's everywhere. While driving home from Wynne last night, I saw numerous homes already with their outdoor lights up. Of course, we are in Arkansas. If you all have not discovered the online radio station of Pandora.com, you really should check into it. You can simply type in your favorite song or artist and it starts a station just like the music you choose and finds other similar music that you can give a thumbs up or down whether or not they should play it again or not. Awesome! I started a Christmas station today and it provided a wonderful distraction!
So now I've been thinking about some of the things I like best about the holidays, which really does include Thanksgiving as well because we have moved Christmas back so far that they run a lot together. Remember this is how I feel right now and I may change the list between now and the 25th of December. I challenge the rest of you to work on your list too!
- the music: "Jingle Bell Rock" the best fun song that I actually know all of the words to. Of course, the music to the Nutcracker will always warm my heart because the girls were in it for so many years with Western Arkansas Ballet. I worked backstage and when I hear the music I can close my eyes and see just what is supposed to be going on onstage. There's nothing like it.
- the Christmas cards: I just LOVE LOVE LOVE them. Not many people send them anymore, but I still do. If you want one from me, just send me one and you'll get one! I still write the letter and send a photo to! I like it because for some people it is the only contact we have with them all year!
- the Christmas cookies: Oh yeah. We have the BEST cookie recipe and if I am lucky enough to have sugar cookie dough left (it seems there are 3 large mice that like to eat it right out of the bowl in the refrigerator), then we roll them out and bake them, ice them and decorate them. We make a ton of them. I have to admit they are decorated much prettier at the beginning than at the end. I still have my cookie cutters from when I was in 5th grade.
- the Christmas tree: Our poor tree has just about run out of room for ornaments. We started when they were babies picking out an ornament one a year for them, then when they were old enough they chose them for something they liked that year. Steve and I did it too! We labeled the ornament by the year. Each person is responsible for hanging their own ornaments on the tree each year. It is a very sentimental thing to do.
- the traditions: We have several, although we have gotten away from several of them as the kids have gotten older and busier. We always manage to watch Chevy Chase in a "Christmas Vacation" together because even though we've seen it a million times, it is still one of the funniest movies ever. We also like to open one gift on Christmas Eve from each other. The rest are for the next morning, along with the stockings from Santa.
Well, that's enough Christmas for one day. There'll be more later.
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