Linking up for Blogmas 2014…25 Days of Christmas. Because I LOVE Christmastime…now if it would only snow!! 🙂

I don’t put presents out under the tree until Christmas Eve, usually when my daughter and I do all the wrapping, which is my favorite thing to do!!  Even then I don’t put out all of them yet, I’ll leave a few to put out once the kids are asleep.  So we open our presents on Christmas Morning…early…Christmas Morning.

My kids know to wake me up, and just let me head to the kitchen for my cup of coffee. 🙂  We don’t open presents right away, we read the Christmas story from the Bible, and then say a short prayer and thank God for another blessed year.  While my two youngest pass out the presents, Nat King Cole plays in the background.  Once everyone has a small pile in front of them, we take turns opening the gifts starting from the youngest to the oldest.  Once the presents are all opened, we get the screwdrivers and wire cutters out to actually get the toys from their boxes, and start to clean up all the wrapping paper, it’s at this point that my middle son will exclaim, “This is the BEST Christmas Ever!!”

It’s funny how something that took so long to prepare for, seems to be over in an instant, once the presents are opened.  But it’s all well worth it as I look around and see the smiles on everyone’s faces…the kids are having fun and actually getting along…everyone is happy….ahhhh….peace on earth!! 🙂

Linking up for Blogmas 2014…25 Days of Christmas. Because I LOVE Christmastime…now if it would only snow!! 🙂

My favorite Christmas food is homemade Christmas Cookies.  But I am saving all the details for a later post. 🙂 Today I made all the cookie dough, and tomorrow I will be baking all day, with Christmas carols playing in the background.

Linking up for Blogmas 2014…25 Days of Christmas. Because I LOVE Christmastime…now if it would only snow!! 🙂

I have quite a few favorite Christmas movies.  My top three have to be:

“While You Were Sleeping” – with Sandra Bullock

This one might not be considered a Christmas movie.  But the movie takes place from Christmas to New Years.  The family in it is so funny, as well as all the other supporting cast.

“Arthur Christmas” – a newer computer animated one

My family saw this one when it was in the Theater a couple of years ago.  We knew that watching it from year to year we would pick up on more of the one liners, it does not disappoint.  This is a great family movie for all ages.  I love the detail that goes into the computer animated movies.

“It’s a Wonderful Life” – a classic…enough said.

I especially like to watch Christmas movies once the house is all decorated and I have baked some of the Christmas cookies.  We turn on the Christmas lights and our family also likes to watch:

“The Santa Clause” Movies 1, 2, and 3 – with Tim Allen
“Elf” – with Will Ferrell

Disney made two TV specials that will air this season again on ABC, you can also buy it on DVD.  Even though they are animated, they are well worth sitting down with your kids to watch.  I love the clever use of Christmas song titles throughout, I think my twins finally sat down and watched them one year, and even they enjoyed them.

“Prep & Landing” and “Naughty vs. Nice”

At some point during the holiday season, when a break is needed, my husband and I will sit down and watch “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” – with Chevy Chase

The holiday season can now officially begin because we watched “A Charlie Brown Christmas” last night on TV.  It still makes me laugh, just like when I was a kid.  LOVE Snoopy!!

“I just like to smile! Smiling’s my favorite.”

– Buddy the Elf

Linking up for Blogmas 2014…25 Days of Christmas. Because I LOVE Christmastime…now if it would only snow!! 🙂

When I was growing up, we decorated, baked cookies, had Christmas parties with friends, and did the whole Santa and reindeer thing.  But the highlight for me was Midnight Mass.  We would spend Christmas Eve at my grandma’s with my mom’s brothers and sisters and all of our cousins, visiting and opening presents.  Then we would go home for awhile and try to rest before we went to Mass.  It was actually at midnight, which I’m not sure if many churches do that anymore.  I just remember the excitement, maybe it was just because I got to stay up late, but as I remember it now, there just seemed to be an aura of peace and joy that night.  I would be wearing a new dress, and most everyone at church would be dressed up too.  I loved walking into the church and seeing all the decorations, the huge brightly lit Christmas Trees, the wreaths draped with red bows, and the large nativity that was empty through the advent season up until this night.  People greeted each other with genuine smiles and well wishes.  Then the choir would sing all those beautiful Christmas carols, and for this one night they would add drums and a trumpet.  Even though it was the same Mass we sat through Sunday after Sunday, this night, it was different…special.  At the end of Mass, the choir’s finale was a resounding “Joy To the World,” that you could feel deep in your soul. At it’s very last note everyone couldn’t help but applaud, which was unheard of back then in a Catholic church…but this night was different…special.  We would go out into the still night air, and it would be freezing outside, but you felt warm on the inside, and those occasions when snow would be falling, just made it complete.  I knew then that Christmas wasn’t about the fancy decorations, or the presents, or the celebrating with friends and family.  It was about the birth of Jesus, and having faith in God no matter what the New Year would bring.

Now that I am older and celebrate differently with my family, we still celebrate the birth of Jesus along with all the other things.  But it’s the time when the year is winding down, and we anticipate the New Year and what it will bring.  Even in the midst of the hustle and bustle, it’s a time of year that I feel like I can just breathe for a moment.  Because it seems that during Christmastime everything is good and everyone is happy…it’s different…special.