December 1 and DONE!!!!......

I truly think that this is the first time in my life that I have completed Christmas decorations by December 1st.  Granted I started mid-November, but I had a goal in mind.  I was determined to approach the season differently this year...without the hysteria of last minute anything.

Half the fun of the season is the anticipation.   Winnie the Pooh (one of my all time favorites) once said something like "One of the things I like most is eating honey, but it is the moment before you begin that is really the best".  Perfectly stated! Anticipation is everything!

I had help with Christmas prep this year!  That is not always the case.  I think it stems from the fact that I found two additional members to add to our penguin family and that just brought my husband to a place of total commitment!  Oh the joy of a yard full of inflatables....

My joy...unpacking and remembering.  I have had thoughts recently that it would be nice if the holiday decorations were disposable....once and done.  Each year there would be a sweep of Hobby Lobby and it would be all new.  Hence, no crawling up on the attic and bringing down box after box of the same old stuff.  But then I come across the carefully wrapped angel (bone china my mom always reminded me) that hung on my parents tree the year I was born.  Sixty six years ago and nary a chip...that did not come from Hobby Lobby.

There is the bear that hung on our tree the year Matt was born...a gift from my mom's neighbor...another irreplaceable treasure.

My precious first grandchild's first Christmas....a most special year to be sure!!!

And my beautiful Nativity, why would I want to replace this?
Disposable Christmas....not such a great idea after all.  It is those carefully wrapped treasures that we unpack each year.... the reminders, the sense of tradition, and the memories. They are what make this once each year event special.
It is taking time to remember that it is not only the ornaments and Santas that bring so much joy, but the thought that one small baby came and forever changed the world.

This year I am ready to enjoy in a more focused and content manner the anticipation of this most glorious day.  No my shopping is not done, but with the help of Amazon.com it will be!

And while the packages are be shipped I am going to live a little like Winnie the Poo....because it is in the awareness of what lies ahead that we find the most joy.

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart".
Helen Keller