Well, WE and I officially have the Christmas Cheer!

We finished putting up the outside lights last night (Ha, I got up on the roof but got too scared to finish all but one section so we had to go get the Ricks’ extension ladder – weak sauce! I know. But hey, it was cold and windy too). Aside from being out in the freezing cold alot this weekend (two late night co-ed softball games and an Evening Song Christmas concert at the West Village Mall downtown) we also watched our first Christmas Special. This was the cherry on top for WE since he has such fond memories of watching Specials as a kid.

I also stayed up late last night making my Christmas gift for my picked name on my side of the family. (TLS – if you are reading – your gift is in the mail and should arrive this week!) My family decides to keep the name-picking a surprise – so I can’t tell who it is for. But it’s definitely the little things that make Christmas so much fun.

For instance, I decided to put up both of our Christmas trees this year (WE and I both brought one into the marriage). The nicer tree is in the front room with all the super pretty red and gold ornaments. The Charlie-Brown-ish tree we put up in the family room. But the best part was pulling out my Christmas ornament box that Mom had saved all those years and putting them all on that tree. It’s a first and I had a fun time laughing at all the Little Mermaid, Fievel Goes West, Precious Moments, and Primary Popsicle stick ornaments that somehow have lasted. My favorite was a rotating ornament with a little mouse dunking a basketball. =)

I also made WE try some of my favorite herbal tea from Bulgaria last night. Just the smell reminds me of my winter spent there and brings floods of good memories. I don’t think WE appreciated it as much as I did – but when you add a spoon and a half of sugar and a slice of lemon to the tea – the flavor is absolutely perrrrfect! (PS. Celestial Seasonings comes no where close to this stuff and in fact – I don’t think that we even have the fruity herb in the tea here in the U.S. – or at least not that I know of. )

So I say bring on the cheer. There’s plenty of good to go around and it’s always fun to celebrate the most Good of all – that is the life and mission of Jesus Christ.

Here’s a fabulous rendition of “The Shepherd’s Carol” that I just LOVE. “Our love, our hearts, ourselves – we give to your Son.”