Joy to the World...

I think I'm on a theme here...

It's gray and gloomy and cold today. This brings me to More about Christmas.

I've always put up decorations early. This isn't to say I put them up before Thanksgiving, because I think Thanksgiving has to have its due. However, my older son has an early December birthday and my goal is to get the decorations up in time for it. I always thought that, along with the snow, made my birthday special. I like to do the same for him. My older daughter has her birthday just two days after mine, so hers is already decorated by then, too.

I love the smell of the real trees, but can't handle the mess, the fire hazard, and frankly, the short time you can have them up. I do the fake trees, then light evergreen scented candles along with my other Christmas-y candles and you can barely tell. I was very lax last year as we had started packing for the move to the new house. Originally planned for a January/February move, we didn't get into the house until June. Anyone who has built tells me I was being overly optomistic when I was packing in November. At any rate, because so many things were packed I didn't even do a tree last year and we went to my older daughter's home. They'd just bought a house over the summer and were very excited to have the family come.

This year I'm so excited because not only is it Christmas, but we're in the new house! This means I have lots more room (more than one tree, perhaps?) and more ideas. I also have fireplaces which I haven't had before. My folks always had a fireplace, but until this house I've not had one since living at home. I do love fireplaces... this will be the first year the stockings will have a real place to hang!

I may have to break down this year and decorate early. As the kids get older and married, engaged, or have 'significant' others, I find I have to share them. I've heard a rumor that they may have Christmas obligations, but I think they may all be at my house for Thanksgiving. Maybe I'll have to break my normal rule and decorate even earlier...? Anybody have thoughts on that?