Welcome December

Press your face to your computer screen. Can you feel my excitement? The season from Thanksgiving to New Year's is my absolute favorite time of the year, and the month of December falls squarely in the middle.

Here are a few things that make me feel like a kid waiting for Santa:

*Decorating the house and enjoying the Christmas tree with the house lights off. Avery is loving waving to my Santas and also her Elf on the Shelf. He's hanging out this year but will be busy reporting to Santa next year.

*Yankee Candle's Home for the Holidays.

*Taking Avery to Richmond to see the Legenary Santa.

*Seeing Conway Photo Shop's magic touch on our Christmas cards and getting them mailed out.

*Receiving Christmas cards.

*Christmas music, Christmas movies, Christmas commercials, etc. It's been such a thrill to find them on TV and the radio already. We've caught Christmas Vacation, Elf, and the first two Home Alone movies several times. Avery and I have been jamming to Christmas music for awhile, and who doesn't love the Hershey Kisses bells commercial?

*Finding Frosty the Snowman, Charlie Brown, and The Grinch on TV. Next year sweet Avery gets to watch too!

*Fires in the downstairs fireplace.

*Writing Avery's letter to Santa for our local papers and reading all the letters when they appear in the paper.

*Buying for family and close friends, and trying to not to buy anything else for Avery.

*Participating in a toy drive and Angel Tree.

*Enjoying Christmas decorations, from stores to tacky house displays.

*TWO WHOLE WEEKS OF CHRISTMAS VACATION!

*Christmas baking.

*Christmas Eve Service and singing Silent Night by candelight.

*Avery Grace in Christmas jammies and seeing her face Christmas morning. What will she play with first?

*Family visits, family meals, family all season long.

May you have a delightful December as well!