My favorite time of year

"Christmas time is here

Happiness and cheer

Fun for all that children call

Their favorite time of the year"

I love Christmas. It really is my favorite time of year because I get to be like a child again. I love celebrating the birth of Jesus. I have 3 nativity scenes, and wish I had room in my home to display more!

Somehow, a dog that looks an awful lot like Molly made it into our Little People nativity scene this year... See it on the right? Hmmmmm... Where did that come from?

I love the joyous spirit that seems to engulf people. I love the lights, the trees, the decorations, the sights and the smells. I love it all! I love getting to see the wonder and amazement that shines through in the eyes of my children. And I love decorating the house. This is probably why from the day after Thanksgiving right up until January 2, my house looks like, as my oldest sister Nina put it, a Christmas gift shop exploded and everything landed in my house! :-)

Besides the fact that everyone (dogs and cat included) gets a stocking hung by the fireplace...

...all 3 children get their own tree in their room, that they can decorate any way they want to.

I really do love it all. So this is why, when I saw my neighbors putting out their Christmas decorations and yard art a full 2 weeks before Thanksgiving, I seriously had to fight the urge to not put mine out. After all, I must give Thanksgiving it's proper amount of decoration time. But finally the day after Thanksgiving arrived, bringing with it the Christmas season. Hector got up on the roof to hang the lights, in the cold rain, all for the love of Christmas! :-) Thanks Hector! We also made our annual trip out to the Christmas tree farm. And this year, we had the special treat of going to the Christmas tree farm with my sister Nina, niece Aimee and nephew Adam. A good time was had by all, right up until I walked out of the barn with a cup of hot cider and was immediately swarmed by bees. I sat the cup down, and loaded everyone into the Suburban while Hector paid for the tree. Our time on the farm was cut short, thanks to those pesky bees. But we still had fun picking out the tree!

The final product...

This year, we all made our own gingerbread house. From left to right you have Avery's house, Hector's house, my house, Samuel's house and Isaac's house. The kids actually decorated their own house! Didn't they do good?!?!

And then last night at church, Samuel and Avery had their choir Christmas performances. It was a little hard for Hector and I to see the kids from where we were sitting, but Hector was able to snap a few pictures. The kids did a great job and it warmed my heart to hear them lifting up their voices in song.

I truly hope that you are enjoying this time of year.