It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!

Oh yes it is!  And the more it looks like Christmas, the more my blood pressure rises.  But, as much as I wish I could, there is no stopping it now.  I am never fully prepared when this season hits.  It seems to come around faster and faster each year.  I have to say that Christmas has never been my favorite holiday.  Well, actually it probably was when I was a kid and had zero pressure, but now that I am an adult, mom, wife, in-law, and tradition fanatic, it has become - to put it simply - 

A LOT OF STRESS!

Every year I am determined that I will get a huge jump start on it and every year I am still wishing I had started even sooner.  This year I actually had a ton of my shopping and almost all of my ideas done by Thanksgiving.  My goal has always been to have it ALL done by Thanksgiving so I can sit back and just ENJOY the rest of the season.  THAT has NEVER happened and quite frankly, I am sure it never will.  I have not yet discovered the answer to being able to fit in all the extra that this season requires AND keep on doing everything else I am already doing.  The math just doesn't work.  MAYBE if I started the day after Christmas each year and tried to get as much done as I can, then I could make it.  But, I am SO not in the mood to shop once it's over, so I highly doubt that is going to happen either.  Instead, I just let out a very loud groan and get on with it. 

Here are a few of my many faces of this HO-HO-HO season...

We always get a REAL tree.  I almost had everyone talked into FINALLY getting an artificial one this year thinking Dave would be the biggest protester, but it was the boys that didn't want to go that route.  I told them how nice it would be to not have to string all those lights on it each year and then having to take them all off again, but they still wanted the real thing. So off we went to get our tree.  We found a really tall one this year.  Our ceiling is 18 feet high and the tree is about 16 and half feet!  We always get a pretty tall one, but I think this year's holds the record.     

   As keeping with TRADITION, we always go eat at VILLAGE INN after we get the tree.  So far, we haven't had anyone try and steal the tree off the top of the car yet. 

It almost touches the ceiling this year.  I think it's beautiful!  It has taken me several years to like the look of the Charlie Brown tree.  We had many marital wars over what tree to get before we built this house. I always wanted the really gorgeous full and bushy ones.  Dave has always liked the tall skinny ones.  Once we built the house with the tall ceiling, we really had no choice but to get the tall skinny ones.  But I do like the look of them now. 

And here it is all decorated!

Oh my!  Look at these GORGEOUS PURPLE GLITTERY BALLS!  I am so in love with these!  I have the dearest friend who gave me these!  She is the most generous woman I know and I was so shocked but so happy when I opened these!  She always knows EXACTLY what to get me too!  Oh man, I love these things!  I need to get some stands for them but haven't had time to look yet. 

This time of the year is so busy with so much going on and to top it all off for some crazy reason they decided to have McKay's football banquet now as well.  The food was good, but it was freezing in the gym.  McKay lettered as a junior!  We are so proud of him!  I can't believe he will be a senior next year at this time!  And two years from now, he will be a missionary celebrating Christmas in who knows where!

We gave Dave's parents a night out to dinner and to go see Voice Male with us again this year.  They do put on a good concert and we had some yummy food at Goodwood's BBQ.  Somehow I forgot to get a picture at dinner.

A traditional part of their concert, is when they sing Rubber Ducky and the audience goes wild throwing rubber ducks of all sizes and shapes onto the stage.  Some of them don't quite make it.  AMAZINGLY enough this year, a PURPLE ducky hit me from behind.  I couldn't believe I got a purple ducky.  I guess I could have thrown it up on stage to help it finish it's journey, but I know fate when I see it and that purple ducky was meant to be mine!  He came home with me along with a couple others that were on the floor as we walked out. 

Oh my this winter started out F R E E Z I N G !!!!   We have had a lot of below zero temps already and it's only December!  Last year it at least waited until January or February to freeze our biscuits off!  It was minus 13 the other morning.  MINUS. 13. I decided to bag my run that day!  Brrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!

At least Mr. Cat is smart enough to stay inside and cuddle up and take a long winter's nap!

We have had a lot of snow already as well.  The yummy food photo below is one I took to send to Taylor of a feast we had on a Sunday.  I'm not sure if he appreciates us always sending him photos of our yummy dinners.  But he sends photos of his too, so I guess we're even, other than I don't drool over the ones he sends and I'm pretty sure he does over ours! 

It was so cold and windy one Saturday that I had Dave take me to the hospital so I could run on the treadmill there (aka dreadmill) since it was my day for my long run.  While he was off getting a key, I decided to shovel the walks.  When he got back he saw me out doing this.  I'm sure he was wishing I would have done it at our house before we left but hey, that's what my boys are for!  haha

Preparing our neighborhood gifts this year.

We wash you a Merry Christmas....

Even though I do NOT look forward to winter coming each year, last year I made a Hot Chocolate Station and I DO look forward to getting it out when it turns chilly.  We love hot cocoa around our house and this just makes it seem a little more special. 

I made my brother's family their own Hot Chocolate Station this year for Christmas.  It had a bit more room on the tray and so I added some cute mugs and more topping jars. 

Mr. Cat has seemed to become a bit more loveable since it got cold.  He is a wimp when it comes to going outside on cold days and so he spends most of his time indoors which means more quality family time.  If I wasn't a runner, I would be right there with him on most days. When I am cold, you can find me in front of my fireplace in my bedroom trying to warm up. Unless of course, Mr. Cat is snuggled up on the couch, and then I will be right there with him.  

My niece Tanae is leaving to serve a mission to Austrailia for our church and so we gathered at their home as a family to wish her well.  My cute, cute, little nephew Isaac is so much fun.  He is such a tease and I am so in love with that kid.  Dave got a few photos of me trying to tickle him.  

He cracks me up!  Look at that face!

We had our Ward Christmas Party and Dave (the Bishop) got to take a few minutes and speak.  That's him at the microphone.  Hard to tell, but it is, I promise. 

Santa always makes a quick visit at the party as well, and in keeping with tradition, I grabbed Bonnie and tried to find Mona but she hadn't arrived yet.  So, I started to grab others to be in the photo with us.  Audrey and her sister Ashley were good sports, but we had to practically force Colleen to join us.  I'm so glad she did, now that she has moved away. =(  We all match and we didn't even plan it that way.  I am not sure what Santa is thinking with all of these women sitting on his lap.  But I don't think he was complaining.  lol

Oh my!  Look who we found out on our long run!!!  What are the odds?  Luckily Jen thought to take a photo with him.  This is one of my favorite pictures ever!  He was more than happy to comply.  Interestingly enough after we ran off we noticed he was going door to door from house to house.  Maybe checking up on the little kiddos to see if they were being naughty or nice.  He was also leaving things in envelopes in their mailboxes as well, so who knows what he was really up to.  ;)

The Sunday before Christmas.  

We are matchy-matchy again this year just like we were last year.

Oh-oh...this post is getting a little too mushy! 
Time to bid adieu!

MERRY KISS-MAS!!!!