It's Beginning to Feel a Lot Like Christmas...

I have a hum in my heart as the Christmas season approaches! I love this season. I love the traditions. I love the decorations. I love the colors. I love the smells. I love the cut-out cookies. I love it all!!!! Mostly, I love the meaning of the season, the celebration of God's greatest gift.

I have been wanting a new tree for years. Our ceilings are tall in our house and I've been wanting a 9 foot tree. Well, Garden Ridge was having the sale of the century and Mason and I came home with a 9 footer! Let the festivities begin!!!

We put on Christmas music and sang as we decorated the tree. We followed up with a cup of hot chocolate! Caleb kept saying, "Merry Christmas, Mommy. Merry Christmas, Mason!" The boys are really starting to enjoy and look forward to our family traditions this time of year. We have our annual trip to the Gaylord for pictures and a glimpse of Santa. (This is the first year they want to sit on his lap). We get the see the model trains set up and the life-size gingerbread house. We make Christmas cut-out cookies. We go look at lights. We read about the birth of Christ from Luke 2. We eat our traditional mock chicken legs and wake up to Santa's surprises under the tree. This year I hope to start the new tradition of lighting the Advent candles. I hope that this will further draw us closer to the significance of the season.

Oh, I must not forget my new favorite tradition to start of the season...Walmart on Black Friday at 3 am. What fun!!!!

Soccer Buddies!

Soccer season came to an end and I must admit, I was a little sad. This was the first year that the boys have ever participated in a team sport. We've always felt like parents that put their children in sports at a younger age do it for their enjoyment, not really because the child will develop skills that can't be developed later. That's another whole issue...

Anyway, we finally signed them up for soccer and they were the only kids on their team who had never played. It was good for the boys. We felt like they would benefit from teamwork (though they are twins and everything is about teamwork in our home), help them to build confidence, and encourage them socially before they head off to public school for the first time next year in first grade. All of these parental goals were accomplished and the boys had a great time!

The last game was really special for the boys. They got donuts from the coach and their first trophy! If you could have only seen the priceless look on their faces. They said, "It's like a Piston Cup!" If you've seen the movie, Cars, you'll know what they are referring to! When I walked in that night to turn out the overhead light, Caleb had his prized trophy cradled in his arms. Oh, sweet boy!!! Looks like we have a few more soccer seasons in our future!