musings at the start of the season

There are many things I love about Christmas time. I love the cold crisp air. Normally I hate to be cold but at Christmas it's acceptable. On Thanksgiving afternoon we were walking in to the the house from our turkey bowl and S and I said to each other "it smells like snow", a few hours later we were pleased to find our sniffers correct and we got a few flurries. Snow seems very Christmasy. I personally have never lived anywhere where it's snowed on Christmas, or snowed at all fore more than a day, but it still seems quintessentially Christmasy to have snow and I have been in Ohio when we've had snow on Christmas and it was the best! So the weather outside is cold and that seems appropriate.

I love Christmas music. I even don't mind the cheesy rock and roll stylized music they play in the mall. It's not my favorite but it adds to the ambiance. I like candy canes and hot chocolate and egg nog. I look forward to baking treats, decorating gingerbread houses and putting up our tree. I love the first Presidency Christmas devotional and our ward Christmas party. I love Christmas specials on TV and am looking forward to rounding out my personal Santa Claus collection with the 3rd movie "the Escape Clause".

There are some things I don't love. I love gifts and giving them. I don't love trying to do it on a "budget". We have an annual "discussion" at our house. How much to spend on gifts. One of us wants to spend more than the other and one of us wants to stay in our budget (which is a good thing). Another annual discussion is Christmas lights on the house. I love them. The kids love them. I think it says to the world, Yes! we are Christian. Why that is called into question is beyond me, and subject for another post. But still I like that announcement. It also says "we are not scrooges". DH doesn't ever love to put up lights. I don't really know why but it's like pulling teeth every year. This year we have a new roof and new gutters and he doesn't want to ruin them by putting up the lights. I don't think it will ruin them...but I don't know, not being a roofing expert of any sort. I also don't like fruit cake, or rampant commercialization.

I do love reading Christmas stories, seeing the kids dressed up in their Christmasy best, waking up early on Christmas morning to the shiny excited faces of the kids, singing carols, bringing treats to our friends, getting treats, Christmas cards and most of all that extra feeling of goodwill and cheer that seems to be everywhere (except maybe the mall :) ) at Christmas time.

And for the record DH and I went out Christmas shopping for our date last night. And we had a very fun time (both of us) and got a lot of our list done. Then we ate gingerbread at Soup or Salad and went to see August Rush (which he liked and I thought was slow and kind of dumb).

As for the lights...we'll see. DH is thinking of doing something on the lawn, which would be okay but I think we can't just put one reindeer out there and call it good, we'd need a herd or something...which wouldn't fit the budget...which...