It's the most Wonderful Time of the Year! Oh how I LOVE Christmas...I love everything about it and literally look forward to it all year long. It is just such a magical time to me.
~Christmas Decorations~
The way homes look, inside and out, are so special at Christmas. I love driving down the streets and seeing all the lights and trees lit up inside the windows. I love love love smelling the fresh cut tree inside the house and sitting by it in the evenings all lit up with all the memorable ornaments on it. This year has been very different for us. Since we are still living at Mom and Dad's, I don't get to decorate my own place this year, have my own tree with my own ornaments, and put our own lights on our house. So it's been a change for me but I am so grateful to be in Tennessee surrounded by all our family at Christmas. We did get Emma a tree for her room and decorated it with a few of her own ornaments and she loves it. Mom and I picked out tree and decorated it together which was nice because we haven't done that since before I got married. Will helped my dad put the lights on the house and Emma loved as we pulled out all the decorations for inside the house. She even helped place them all!
~Christmas Traditions~
It's been hard for Will and I to form our own family traditions since we've been married because we have always been traveling at Christmas and then this year our situation is still kinda different but there are some traditions that no matter what the circumstances, will always be Christmas to me. I am in love with the Rockefeller Christmas tree. I never miss the special each year on tv when the tree is lit up for the first time and I am determined to stand at the foot of that tree one day! I also love all the other Christmas specials that come on tv, Rudolph, Frosty, the Grinch, Charlie Brown, etc. And Emma has become quite fond of them this year too! Her favorite is Frosty. She has me play the song on my phone and wants it to repeat over and over, which it does for as long as I will let her listen to it! It is precious. There are numerous Christmas movies that we always watch and then of course the Christmas baking...Mom and I used to bake so many delicious Christmas treats and I know this year will be no different. One of my very favorite things we do at Christmas is go to my Aunt's house for a Christmas appetizer dinner and games. We always have the best time and the food is incredible! On Christmas Eve, my family usually goes to see a movie, a special dinner at Chop House, touring the millions of lights at Bristol Motor Speedway, then home to read the Christmas Story from the Bible. Christmas Day, we wake up and give each other our gifts. My Mom cooks a breakfast casserole and then Christmas night we go to my Grandma's house for dinner. We will also go to my Mamaw's for a Christmas meal at some point during the season when all the family can get together.
~Christmas Through a Child's Eyes~
I never thought I could love Christmas any more than I do but this year my love for it has grown as I am seeing Christmas as a child again. Watching Emma discover the joys of Christmas has been the neatest experience. She is definitely my child because she seems to love it all as much as I do. To hear her say Christmas just melts my heart, it is so stinking cute! Whenever we drive by a house with lights, she points and says, "It's Christmas Mommy! There it is!" She is fascinated with all the decorations and I love to see her eyes light up as she takes it all in. I'm not so sure how sitting on Santa's lap will go this year, last year he was not a hit, but we'll see. We are going to take her tonight :)
~The True Meaning of Christmas~
While there are so many things about Christmas that I love, the thing I love most is that for one day, though we should celebrate it each and every day, we get to completely rejoice in the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The world has definitely made Christmas to be something where Jesus could be completely forgotten but I think Christmas is a celebration. It is a celebration in the fact that because a baby was born, led a sinful life, and died on a cross for my sins, I will one day spend eternity in Heaven. When we set up the nativity, Emma helped me put out each piece, putting baby Jesus out last. I hope that I can teach her what Christmas is really about. While it's fun to show her all the Christmas lights and decorations, to let her listen to Frosty the Snowman over and over, to take her to see Santa Clause, to wrap up gifts, to bake Christmas goodies, I hope that I can teach her that it is all simply a celebration leading up to the greatest birthday we celebrate all year long!
