Christmas Time, Really??

It's the most wonderful time of the year! I L.O.V.E. Christmas. It just makes me so giddy and happy. Thanksgiving really kicks the Christmas season off for us and it runs all the way through New Years, which means over a month of holiday cheer! The house is all decorated, it's nippy outside, fire is going, Christmas movies are on...total bliss:) In honor of this special time of year, here are my Top 10 favorite things about Christmas...

1. Our Christmas tree...it really bums me out that it can't be up year round. I could just sit on the couch and stare at it for hours.


2. Decorating the mantel...my favorite part of the house to decorate. I have been scouring my Southern Living and Pottery Barn magazines for a few months looking for ideas. Here's the final product...


3. Christmas movies...our favorites are Home Alone, Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Story, The Santa Clause and Love Actually.

Ugh, this part kills me everytime....SO STINKIN' SWEET!


4. Baking Christmas cookies...the old fashioned way with Grammy's sugar cookie recipe, cookie cutter shapes, and old school decorations. We spend several date nights doing this.


5. Driving around looking at lights and decorations. Unfortunately our house does not look this awesome...


6. My Willow Tree Nativity Scene...usually the very first thing to come out of boxes. I am tempted to just leave this out year round. Hey, shouldn't we celebrate the birth of Jesus all year?!


7. Grammy's Christmas bread...we have had this every single Christmas morning that I can remember. It is going to be really hard this year with her being gone, but making this will be a special reminder that she is still with us in spirit.


8. Candlelight Christmas Eve service...nothing will give you goose bumps quite like an entire congregation singing "Silent Night" in a sea of candlelight. Beauty and peace at its finest.


9. Christmas music...I have a good playlist on my iPod, but I am also loving the Mariah Carey Merry Christmas II You cd!!


10. Reading the story of Jesus's birth every Christmas morning...a humbling reminder of what we are really celebrating. So thankful.