Squeak!

Colored lights upon the tree
Rocking horse and snow fairy
Gathered round the fire at night
Carols sung by candlelight

Hayley Westenra Christmas Morning

I don't know what it is about this year that's making me so excited for Christmas. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm always excited for Christmas. But most of the time, we don't really start decorating until December 6th or 8th. And that's normally okay. Normally I feel like that song:

Save a little Christmas

for Christmas.
Save a little spirit, 

put some love away. 

Think about the shepherds

in fields as they lay.

And save a little Christmas

For Christmas Day!

And I still feel like the day after Thanksgiving is too soon to start decorating and being all Christmasy. 

But for some reason, December first rolled around, and I was filled with total and  utter Christmas zest. I wanted to decorate ALL the things! I wanted to sing ALL the carols! I wanted to bring out ALL the lights! 

There's a Johnny Mathis song called "Need a little Christmas" that reminds me of me right now:

Haul out the holly;
Put up the tree before my spirit falls again.
Fill up the stockings,
I may be rushing things, but deck the halls again now!

 Setting up and decorating our Christmas tree is a long process, because we tend to spread it out over the course of a few days. (Setting up, yes. We have a fake tree. It's a very nice face tree, but it lacks the invigorating essence of pine.) 

So I was put in charge of setting it up with the help of my little sisters and nieces. 

They were so excited.

Disturbingly excited.

Bella was quite overcome.

And then, about fifteen minutes into it. My dad, my brother, and Amy joined in the fun. 

For we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute,
Candles in the window,
Carols at the spinet.
Yes, we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute.

 It hasn't snowed a single flurry,
But Santa, dear, we're in a hurry;

  

That finished, the next day was Saint Nicolas' Day, and we all put out our shoes with much ceremony and tradition. The little kids always love Saint Nicolas' Day. 

Since the Christmas tree wasn't done, we put up the lights and garland later on.

So climb down the chimney;
Put up the brightest string of lights I've ever seen.

And today! Today we got our first real snow of the season. (I'm actually glad. I was ready for snow.) It wasn't that much, only a foot and a half or so, but it was icy. Luckily we have a naughty donkey snowblower. My daddy loves it.

After we shoveled, several of us older girls crowded into Kat's new beast of a Land Rover, and drove over the mountain to go Christmas shopping.

That was fun.

We finished up the day with stew. STEW!! And put the ornaments on the tree.

For we need a little music,
Need a little laughter,
Need a little singing
Ringing through the rafter.
 

I think Christmas trees

are like seeing magic

 

 And we need a little snappy
"Happy ever after,"
Need a little Christmas now.
Need a little Christmas now!

Johnny Mathis Need a little Christmas

Cheers and God bless!

Merry Christmas!