Santa is Coming Real Soon!

Zoey and Anthony were all smiles in front of the tree as we finished the decorating while listening to my favorite Muppets and Elvis Christmas music!

For a week now Anthony has been so excited to see all of the Christmas lights popping up around town. Every morning on the way to day care he points out the lights and lets me know that means Santa is coming real soon. Then he'll proceed to remind me what he would like for Christmas - a choo choo, popcorn and egos (Legos). He's in love with everything Christmas - Santa, lights, the stories, snowman, leaving cookies for Santa, the reindeer, Santa's sleigh, Christmas trees, presents, snow, etc. etc. etc. It is so much fun for Mark and I that he understands the holiday season better and is getting so excited. (It's also nice to hold the Santa card over his head. He actually stopped screaming in the car when I told him Santa wouldn't like it. CRAZY! I'll have to enjoy this and totally use it for the next 26 days.)
We're going to have a great holiday season and I'm so looking forward to everything that goes with it! I love this time of year.

I love having our tree up, decorated and lit. It's always such a beautiful sight and so relaxing to sit in front of. It was great fun to wrap presents this afternoon and get them under the tree too. Anthony was excited to see the gifts and wanted to open them immediately. I'm guessing there will be some that get unwrapped throughout the next few weeks.

Want to know the best thing about our tree? It's filled with memories and has ornaments that have meaning behind it. I love that it's all hodge podge. Every year it's great to see the old ornaments and remember the stories behind them. That means more to me than a theme-y, colored inspired tree for our house.

Crafty and creative Erik made this ornament for me a few years back.

Manda gave me this ornament back in 1991. I love it!

Mom has given me an ornament every year. This one was from the year I graduated from high school and started my first year of college.

This is Anthony's first ornament from Grandma and Papa Johnson. The barn theme was really appropriate given his love for everything animals and life on the farm.

This was Anthony first ornament from Grandma and Papa Hanson. 2008 will always be a special year for us because it was the year A came home and eventually celebrated his first Christmas with us.

Let the holiday season begin and bring on the snow!