20.11.08

Christmas is HERE!!

CHRISTMAS!!!
Christmas is in full swing in our home!! And has been for a week or two now! I really do love christmas. Maybe it's the way I was raised. My Mom loves christmas!!! I remember doing craft fairs, and hunting for the perfect gift for my siblings. When we were really little my parents did a 'Mom and Pop shop' in one of the rooms in the house and dressed up silly and put themselves into character. I think my Mom was 'Milly' but that could be faulty memory. They had all kinds of goodies for us to choose from, and usually some candie dots for ourselves, you know the ones that were rainbow colored on that roll of waxy paper. Well we loved it! It gave us a real sense of the spirit of christmas, to give to others.

I think that one year I thought I was being such a sneeky 7-8 yr old. I went through the consumers catalogue and put a 'code' next to each gift I was going to purchase for the members of my family. Unfortunately everyone else goes through the catalogue too, and my 'code' was their initials. Oops! I was young!
Well I love christmas! I love to focus on our Savior's birth. I love to have the kids act out the traditional and sometimes chaotic and funny nativity. I love to see my kids eyes light up when we drive by a house with lights and they exclaim " it's christmas!" likes it's in everyone of those little LED bulbs. The best is the tree displays over the past couple of weeks in the stores. My kids are soooo excited about this season with me, we haven't even really gotten into the gift part of it to much. Oh and 'Baby Jesus' should be proudly displayed at my Mom's front door here soon for all the kids to swoon over!
I am so excited to see what they pick for each other this year.  I am so excited for them to go through their old toys and decide what to give to children who don't have so much. I was explaining this concept to Evan, that other kids don't always have christmas. He was SO sad for them.

So here is to christmas! Dancing to christmas tunes, yelling jingle bells, making chocolates with family, finding ways to serve others, my Mom's amazing fruit tea on the stove 24/7 and being with family, all the while focusing on the true spirit of christmas, and remembering baby Jesus.

I hope that the wonder of christmas is filling your home soon! We are in heaven!

P.S. I'm making official stockings for my kids this year, finally, so keep posted for those!

27 comments:

Eve said...

I'm trying really hard to hold off, but I have started playing the Christmas music. I'm counting down the days to Thanksgiving JUST because that is the day I plan to put up the tree!

Yay for a little early Christmas spirit and fun!

The Pratts said...

Yay for Christmas! I don't think I'll put up decorations this year with the move...but I've been listening to Christmas music all week! Oh, and I made our official stockings last year. Too much fun. Good luck!

Ashley Dawn said...

Christmas sure is awesome. We're in full swing here too. My kids just can't get enough. Saryn hasn't stopped playing with our toy nativity set since we took it out. She is just in heaven...and so am I. There are just so many memories and such wonderful feelings that come with Christmas.

Terri said...

Hooray for Christmas! :) Sounds like you have a lot of fun with it!

Terri

Art Nest said...

WOW - I can't believe it's Christmas at your house already! Maybe I'll drag our tree out this weekend and get started.
These pictures are fantastic! Love you tree AND your wall color!

Anonymous said...

Christmas is great . Start getting ours on the go on December 1st .

Dana and Daisy said...

Oh I am so jealous! You have I dream of Jeannie on your christmas tree! lol!

I hope you might share your mom's tea recipe with us. I love a good steamy cup of fruity spicy tea!

Can't wait to see your stockings!

love, dana

Anonymous said...

I am a Christmas addict! We also however want not to veer too far from the true meaning of Christmas with our kids so this year I am making quite a few gifts and we are doing a special midnight grocery trip with the youth at our church to buy food for some families in our area in need of good nutrition. So fun and a good way for teens to get involved in the community!
Enjoy your stocking making. I've made a stocking for everyone in our family and they are 3 ft long! I love that the kids have to dig down deep to find their treasures and I also love finding ways to fill them up without spending a fortune(like last year I bought neck pillows for the car!)
Enjoy!
Kelly O.
skotten@distributel.net

Kritta22 said...

What a great tree! Your little Evan sounds like such a sweetheart! I have my tree up this Wednesday. It makes me sooo happy.

Ranisa said...

I love Christmas!!! I can't wait until Thursday night when we can get our tree up! I like to do as a tradition on the evening of Thanksgiving.....it is also a tradition that we argue about the hole day because Kris doesn't want to do it......or he didn't want to the first year so now he has to argue just for the sack of it.

Anonymous said...

Okay, okay, I am officially homesick. Thanks for this trip down memory lane, Liz.
I Love You!
xoxo
Mom

Kaci said...

Cute decorations! Merry Christmas!

Victoria Findlay Wolfe said...

Your tree is up already? holy cow.
Have a great holiday. My mother used to decorate like crazy too. Its nice to have that energy in the air! But I can't put my tree up yet, the steam heat in our building drys them up like toast in a week. Btu we have made our annual xmas ornanments! does that count? have a great thanksgiving!

Unknown said...

We will be decorating this weekend. I can't wait! I love Christmas. The memories are fun and happy. My kids have a tradition with there dad that i love. They make a gingerbread house together. Of course a lot of the candy and icing gets eaten. But it's still fun to seem them working together,laughing and smiling!

Unknown said...

Fabulous - Christmas in November ... I'm quite jealous - I have to wait until Dec 1st before the tree is allowed to come out!

Tom Earl said...

I miss you!

Elizabeth Cranmer said...

Missing you too Tom!! Evan was asking me about the Earl clan just this morning, wondered when we would see you all again?

Waterrose said...

Oh, love all of the christmasy decor! This time of year is so much fun...the sights, smells, and sounds!

Becka. said...

Um, can I just tell you what a BIG GEEK I am for checking out your blinds behind the Christmas tree photo? LOL...thanks for the info.

Becks

Anonymous said...

I'm so ready to decorate for the holidays! I meant to have the boys pull everything out of the attic today but I was just happy to get our Christmas card photo done. LOL!

Rachel Mason said...

I used to hate Christmas in November, but now the earlier the better. I love that you are making your families stockings. Make sure to share 'cause I know they will be super cute!

Rachel Mason said...

Well I don't think my first post worked so here I go again... I used to hate Christmas in November, but now I love it. I love that you are making "official stockings". Make sure to share 'cause I know they will be cute!

Rachel Mason said...

Oh, now I see the thing at the top saying you have to approve it...oops!!!! I'm learning...slowly :)

Stephanie M Larsen said...

Oh, I so want to get my tree out, but it's in the shed and Jess is gone to Monday. Maybe we'll do some christmasy crafts for the tree instead! But, for sure Monday night FHE will be treats, cocoa, and tree decorating, I look forward to it every year!

Val said...

I love Christmas too! We are doing our decorations tomorrow! We are cooking lots of goodies too.

Unknown said...

Hey girl, just stopping by to see how you are all doing. You are way ahead of me on the decorating front. Looks great.

mumovearls said...

I'm all for Christmas! in fact I started early this year because I was so excited for it... well ok you got me Ryan wasn't home to stop me so I figured... hmmm lets do it!- love the code in the toy book story! so like you!-Nena