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!!!!