Lights, trees and gifts – oh my!

I. Love. Christmas. And it’s not just any one thing about Christmas that I love, but it’s the combination of events, decorations, traditions and happiness. I feel joyful at Christmas time. The lights make me smile, I listen to my Christmas “mix tape” on replay and I relish in the excitement of giving gifts to those I appreciate. Last year, Murphy Rose was not even six months old for her first Christmas. She enjoyed the brightly colored lights and wrapping paper more than anything else. This year, I’m looking forward to her participating in our holiday family traditions in a more active way. And this brings me to the top five things I’m looking forward to this Christmas:

#5: Holiday music! I enjoy all kinds of Christmas music from traditional to contemporary. However, my favorite Christmas song in any genre is “O, Holy Night” – I listen to that song probably 1,000 times each year.

#4: Decorating the tree! My family decorates our Christmas tree the weekend after Thanksgiving, so our tree is already up. What was exciting about this year was we were able to put up a 7.5 foot tree – our first big tree now that we have room for it in our new home. Every year we get a new ornament for my husband and me, and a new ornament for Murphy Rose.

#3: Gift giving! I enjoy giving gifts to my family and friends, whether it is something small or large. The opportunity to pick something special out for someone you love and watching the joy on their face when they receive it is priceless.

#2: Food! I could go one for days about the awesome holiday treats that we enjoy each year. I love Christmas morning breakfast the most – egg casserole, potatoes, cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate. What’s not to love?!

#1: Christmas morning at home! This will be our first year to have Christmas morning in our house with just the three of us. Since Murphy hasn’t reached the age to fully grasp the concept that Christmas is a special day with great food, music, family time and gifts, I am more anxious than she is to wake up early and start the festivities.

Whether you celebrate Christmas, another holiday or none at all – I hope your 2015 has been full of happy times, great learning opportunities and love. Happy whatever makes you smile. Thanks for stopping by – see you next week!