"Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?"

Is it just me or do we need some snow? I mean it is the last day of November and this means Christmas is right around the corner. Snow seems like a reasonable request. I’m dreaming of a White Christmas…… (using my best Bing Crosby voice).

Before I dive too deep into this Christmas filled post I hope y’all had a Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you indulged in moist turkey, flavorful dressing, creamy green bean casserole and warm fluffy rolls then topped it all off with pumpkin and pecan pie. My Thanksgiving was wonderful. I spent the holiday at Jarret’s sister’s (Mackenzie) down near Houston. It was a filled trip of going’s, doings, and seeing. I’d never been to that part of Texas and was thankful to go.

This year in the barndominum I have a small pre-lit tree and a few decorations that I was able get out of storage that didn’t require me moving everything. I decorated before I left for Thanksgiving. Normally this would be something I’d do the day after Thanksgiving, but since I was out of town I needed to be proactive and plan it in advance. This tradition of putting up the tree and decorating for Christmas after Thanksgiving is not only my families’ tradition, but many families’ tradition. Decorating for Christmas can be therapeutic for me. Something about twinkling lights and bright red ribbon puts me in a Zen place. I am totally that kid with visions of sugar-plums dancing in my head. I look forward to doing it every year and I enjoy helping others with theirs.

As I got older I’d decorate my Granddaddy and Grandma Miller’s house for them. My Granddaddy had this bird ornament. I’ll try and explain this the best I can hoping my memory serves right, but it looked like a silver ball ornament and had a red Cardinal on it or a red feather? I am certain it made a bird noise. If I am not mistaken I think Shana has this now.  Shana and I (when we can) help my Mom pull out and decorate her tree. It’s the same ornaments every year and yet the excitement I have each year when I pull them out of their box and think on each story they carry is unwavering. The ornaments on my tree, my Moms tree and my Sisters tree are all different. Some folks theme their tree with a certain color or only certain ornaments that are all the same and those are beautiful trees, but we three have the tradition of buying ornaments to remind us of a moment in life. This year when I pulled out my easy to reach ornaments I was reminded about a trip to Key West because the starfish wearing sunglasses and holding a surfboard marked that trip I took with my Aunts. My Grandma Miller collected Hallmark ornaments and after she passed my Mom kept those ornaments so the memories of decorating my Grandma’s trees are still present when I put or see those ornaments on my Mom’s tree.

My favorite and most prized ornaments are my Miss. Piggy and Kermit the Frog ornaments. My Grandma Miller had the pair. I am not sure how I got Miss Piggy, but I got her and Shana got Kermit. I remember asking Shana if I could have Kermit too because in my mind Kermit and Miss. Piggy belong together. She never gave him to me and then somehow my Mom had or got a Kermit and now I have them together forever! I have included a picture below from a few years ago of them on my tree where they are living happily ever after.

The few gifts that I have purchased so far are wrapped and sitting under/next to my little tree. They were lovingly decorated and the wrapping was picked out special this year like every year. BabieCakes has taken a liking to the bows. I’ve had to swat her swatting paw away from them a few times and have come home to bows on the floor. She now has a bow for all her own. #spoiledcat. Although the ones on my wrapped gifts are certainly more fun than hers, I’m sure.

Decorating cookies is another tradition we have. We bake sugar cookies shaped in trees, stars, bells, gingerbread men and snowmen. We always seem to have so many cookies to decorate, but we get it done every year and they are delicious. During the height of our BackStreet Boys obsession we decorated gingerbread men to look like BSB. I don’t’ have a pic readily handy, but no lie they were awesome. We should have submitted them for a contest. A few years ago I wanted to decorate some of them as dwarfs from The Hobbit, but Shana wouldn’t let me use up that many gingerbread men (sad face here). Along with our cookies we make Ritz peanut butter sandwiches and haystacks. Every now and again popcorn balls, fudge or puppy chow makes its way into the mix.

Recently I’ve started to collect Santa’s. I gravitate toward the jolly man and not because he brings the goods, but because it’s Santa (my reaction is similar to Buddy the Elf from ELF)! I started my collection two maybe three years ago. I have my eye on one at Hobby Lobby and although I told myself “let’s take it easy on buying Christmas décor this year” since my space is limited, however what’s been decided is “what would a little ‘ole Santa hurt, he’s not going to take up that much space!?” My next trip to Hobby Lobby that Santa will be mine!

I even go so far as decorating my feet for Christmas. I have some really wonderful Christmas socks that officially broke free from my sock drawer today. From cats in glasses with Christmas wreaths around their necks to snowman, reindeer, Santa (duh), and bright red candy canes! They are fun, festive and although they don’t match all the time I am happy to have them covering my toes!

Decorating is not what Christmas is about and I know that. However, it certainly doesn’t hurt and if it fills the heart and spirit of those around me, then by all means! So if you you feel the urge to light your house up like Christmas Vacation, more power to you! I'll come help hold the ladder steady. 

-Very Merry Christmas Season to you!

Kermit and Miss. Piggy