Christmas

I think I have to officially admit it...my.favorite.holiday. I like to pretend that all holidays are as much fun but I think Christmas has to be #1. Maybe fun is the wrong word. This holiday holds so many traditions and feelings that it is impossible to beat. It is the one time of year that has never changed and I can always look forward to.

This year we are headed to the midwest for 8 days!! Ah, frequent flyer blackouts. Truthfully though, it will be pretty nice to be back in St. Louis without every waking moment planned out. Scott is even planning on taking a ride up the arch (I took one too many field trips here and will be skipping the ride!). We will miss our little Lola like CRAZY! Luckily her cousin Michelle is going to be here to give her all the snuggling she needs. But, I will get to spend some quality time with the other dog in my life...Belle. I got Belle when I was a junior in high school and proceeded to leave her with my parents when I left for school. I don't think I get to stake claim to her as "mine" any more, but she is a pretty great little white fluff.

Back to why I love Christmas.

1. Our house. My mom should win an award for decorating. She does an incredible job every year of transforming the house into Christmas perfection. Pretty much everything comes down and the Christmas stuff goes up. I can't imagine a Christmas without it. (I'll post pictures when we get there)
2. The smells. The smell of a real Christmas tree you just can't beat. But if you need to, Yankee Candle Company's Christmas Wreath is a great backup. We traded in the real tree for a fake a long time ago in St. Louis but somehow my mom manages to make the house smell perfectly festive!
3. The music. I am why radio stations start playing Christmas music before Thanksgiving. It is the best! How can you be in a bad mood when you turn on the radio and Jingle Bells is playing? It just brings a smile. For the record, my favorite Christmas album is Nat King Cole. Just buy it.
4. Family. I don't get back to St. Louis for all the family functions that I used to and it is wonderful to get to spend so much time with my parents and my extended family. Christmas Eve is spent with the Smith family (mom's side) and Christmas day is with the Koon's (dad's side). It has been this way for as long as I can remember and I can't imagine someone changing this routine on me. I might need therapy!
5. Everything else disappears. There is something about Christmas that makes the "real" world just disappear. Bills, groceries, work and any kind of responsibility just disappears for a bit. It is like having a blizzard and being snowed in with all of the people you love.

Ok, clearly I could go on forever but it is just the feeling that the holidays bring that I love and look forward to every year. This year life has been too hectic since Thanksgiving to get our house decorated :(. I regret it but at least I don't have to take it all down...right?

Note on thing I didn't say I love...shopping. Apparently I was born without the shopping gene. In this instance I am talking about the fighting for parking spots and waiting in lines that wrap around stores but to be honest I am not a fan in general! I am online retailers dream...click and ship...so much better!

I will be blogging from St. Louis so stay tuned. Sorry for the lack of exciting news but I promise the holidays will bring lots of fun!