Holly Jolly Christmas

I'm drinking luke warm "hot" chocolate. It's not very good, but that's not the point of this post, so I suppose I should move on.

So the house is finally decorated. I scaled back a little this year. Some of the decor that I wasn't really enamored with was relegated to remain in the Rubbermaid container. I couldn't justify hauling it through the narrow attic opening. Perhaps next year, it will make the cut. A few years back, I started marking all the items that went to storage with their exact location of display so that the next year, I didn't have to rethink positioning. I got a little crazy this year and mixed it up ever so slightly. I'm sure that no one except me will even notice that I stuck a small tree in with the mantle decor because I didn't know where else to put it. Apparently I must not have marked it's location last year. I also have the issue of miniature man (Spencer) who is into everything. I shouldn't have even put ornaments on the lower three feet of the tree. And his insatiable curiosity was reason to not even bother hanging greenery around the railings. Overall, we portray holiday cheer and Matthew thinks it's great. He said to me the other day, "will people see our outside decorations and say "Matthew's decorations look really nice?' " We sang carols in his room last night with just the little lights from his mini tree (purchased from Target three years ago at the 75% off sale) and it was worth all the decorating.

So now my next observation of Christmas--we haven't received any Christmas cards yet and it is December 11. I attribute this to three possibilities:
1. we gave out the wrong address
2. our friends are lazy and cheap (which would explain why they are my friends in the first place)
3. we have no friends

Now don't rush out and send me a card. Chances are you won't be getting one from me this year. I just haven't made it a priority. Please forgive me as I have been forced to learn to forgive you.

It seems strange not to have received neighbor gifts. The last few years, the neighborhood has lead a food drive, which I think is a fabulous idea. Neighbor gifts are tricky for a number of reasons. Not only does it get costly but there is the time of assembling and delivering. Not to mention the delicate balancing act of not being overly or under inclusive. Never failed in the past that someone would show up with a gift who I hadn't thought to put on our list. I finally got to the point where I kept a little stash of stuff without name tags and then I could run over and grab a gift and tell them we hadn't gotten around with our stuff yet. Overall, this new food drive system is great but I do kind of miss the surprises on the doorstep.

Lastly, we are getting off easy for Christmas this year--thankfully. (While we're on the topic, please continue the prayers for our own little Christmas miracle of a job for Corbin, whether it's in his new field or just in a field) Matthew keeps telling us that he wants Santa to bring a wooden Gordon. That would be Gordon--the large engine--belonging to Thomas the Tank Engine fame. I was sure that he would demand more, I used to, but bless his little heart, it's all he says he wants Santa to bring. Gordon and some bubble bath, because we ran out last night. He is going to add bubbles to his Gordon drawing that is going to Santa. I think I can swing Gordon and some bubbles. I bet I won't get off this lucky in years to come, so I will enjoy it now.

Well, there you have it--what's happening in my Christmas world. We love this time of year and are are looking forward to attending the Mormon Tabernacle Christmas Concert this Saturday--for which we were lucky enough to have received tickets from the lottery drawing. We're going with my childhood friend, Cathy and her husband. It's been along time since we've gotten together so I'm excited to see her.

Only 14 more days according to our advent calendar!