Deck The Halls...And Everything Else

Let it be known...I happen to think Christmas is awesome. And when the time comes around each year to finally put up and decorate the tree, I begin to feel like an excited little kid yet again. Christmas was always a big deal when I was growing up. Without a better way to describe it, this time of year is simply magical! I love when the holidays begin!

I had forgotten how little effort the tree really takes to assemble. Two years ago, we bought it from Costco. John surprised me that week after I arrived home from work with the tree up and lit. He really is romantic. So I let him do the honor of assembling again this year, because that's how I roll. After checking that all the lights were working, we added the red tinsel garland. We also bought a huge container of ornaments from Costco a few years ago, and they do quite the job in making the tree look perfect. Perhaps the best thing about having the tree finished is being able to sit on the couch each evening to enjoy the beautiful glow. I discovered last night that it's even prettier without contacts! Blurry, but pretty! I am glad we have it up. I am already dreading that awful day when society insists I take it down. July will be here before I know it.

Inside the decorations tub, I found my favorite book as a kid, Jolly Old Santa Claus. I took a moment to flip through the pages again, and I still love it! Every scene is full of hundreds of things to enjoy! Each elf is doing something fun, and the artwork is just incredible. It doesn't feel like Christmas until this thing is out. I am reading it at the Ward Christmas Party this Friday...that's how much I like it!

Great news: the Christmas lights outside work like a charm! They are subtle but colorful, and I love them. They last about eight hours, so they turn off automatically after the juice is gone from the solar-charged battery. That's good for us to be automatic, since we have a tendency to accidentally leave things on all night (I'm talking to you, Pool Refill Hose). I didn't know if the lights were a good purchase, but now I'm tickled I found them!

I'm off to go stare at the tree. It's so pretty that I can hardly resist! I love Christmas!