Christmas Review

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. I {LOVED} Christmas this year because Mike and I decided we would cut WAY back and really focus on just being with family and friends.

We enjoyed having my brother Brian here. However, we missed having my sister Cathi and her family here as they were in Oregon visiting her in-laws. We also missed having Eric and his family here. Maybe one of these coming years we can all get together for Christmas!

I also love the week between Christmas and New Years. It is a week of reflection for me. I look back on the year and look forward to the year to come. Never has this been as true as this year. So much has happened and so much has yet to come.

This coming week, since I am on vacation, I think I will begin my 2009 Top Things lists. I hope everyone, whether you make lists or just reflect on your own, will take this week to remember all the memories that were created for you this year.

Many blessings for the rest of this year and the year to come!

Merry Christmas!

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas! I hope everyone is able to remember the reason we celebrate this holiday!

Some Christmas Top 5's

My cousin Michelle over at Just Jump, started by doing Christmas Songs and Christmas Cartoons. I added a few more. Number one is my TOP/FAVORITE in the list.

My Top 5 Christmas Songs:

5) Joy To The World (not the traditional, the one by Nicholas Jonas that plays on my blog- yes this is the same kid that is now in the Jonas Brothers but is him when he was around 7 years old.)

4) Josh Groban's rendition of I'll Be Home For Christmas with all the messages from military personel

3) You're a Mean One Mr Grinch- THE ORIGINAL from the cartoon movie.

2) Little Drummer Boy- Bing Crosby with David Bowie (what an unusual combo, but such a gorgeous song)

1) O Holy Night- Especially by Josh Groban, and if not him, I love an alto female singing a capella with a choir coming in behind her.


My Top 5 Christmas Movies (Not just cartoons for me)

5) Christmas with The Kranks

4) A Christmas Story (It's an Award!)

3) A Charlie Brown Christmas

2) The Polar Express (and not just because it is another place to hear Josh Groban)

and the number one movie:
1) How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the original cartoon version)


Top 5 Christmas Events
(Especially in the Boise Area)

5) Holiday Parade (very small here in Boise but it kicks everything off)

4) Festival of Trees

3) The tree lighting ceremony at the capital building

2) Winter Garden Aglow

1) The production of The Nutcracker by Ballet Idaho


Top 5 Christmas Foods ( This is mostly Mike's list)

5) Peppermint Candy Canes

4) Fudge

3) Pie

2) Warm Apple Cider

1) Sugar Cookies

2 WEEKS!

I can hardly believe there is only 2 weeks left until Christmas!

Are you ready?

I only have 2 people left to buy for! WOOHOO!

This year, Mike and I have been thinking a lot about TRADITIONS.

What are your favorite traditions?

One that Mike and I had issues with was opening presents. See, my family always opened one gift on Christmas Eve and then the remaining Christmas morning. Mike's family hated the kids waking them up to open presents so they opened ALL gifts Christmas Eve. This seemed CRAZY to me. Mike has eventually decided he likes 2 days of presents to open.

Another tradition I love is getting together at my parents house and Joyce playing all the Christmas songs while we sing.

A tradition Mike and I have started is going to a movie on Christmas (or Christmas Eve if Christmas is a Sunday) and also going out to breakfast with his mom. We love leaving a little gift or a large tip for the waitress that is stuck working on Christmas Day.

We have been trying to decide other traditions we will want to start with our kids. We know that we want to buy our kids an ornament every year so that when they have their own place they have special ornaments to place on their tree.

I would LOVE to hear your traditions! What are your favorite memories?

Traditions are one of those things that I think should be the focus of Christmas. All too often these days, people focus on the wrong thing. Or the complain that Christmas is too materialistic (um, only if you let it be...) and so on. I think as we bring the focus off expensive gifts and such we will find that it is the small things, like singing Christmas Carols around the piano, that we remember and love the most.

A New Address for Your Christmas Card List

We are all so grateful to those who serve our country. A friend of mine told me about this and I wanted to share it with everyone here. If you have extra Christmas Cards, please write a little note in them for our military personnel. Then mail it to the following address:

Holiday Mail for Heroes
P.O Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

With all that they and their families give up for us, I feel a stamp and my extra Christmas Cards is the least I can give up for them.

(Now I know how to get rid of that box I have left from last year!!! So I get a little decluttering done at the same time.)

The Christmas Season

The Christmas Season is here! I am SO excited! Last year, I took on a HUGE blogging task in doing the 25 Blogs of Christmas. I am NOT doing that again this year. While I loved that experience, it became more of a chore then a joy.

This year, I am making most of my gifts. I have some great ideas and I wish I could share them with you all now, but since most the people I am making them for, read this blog, I will have to save them for after Christmas. Thanks to everyone who gave me ideas.

If you are wanting a good site to find some great ideas check out THIS SITE.