Deck the Halls!

I realize that it's only the end of September, but I have to say something. I am so ready for Christmas. It is my favorite holiday of the entire year. I love it! And I'm not even talking about all the cool gifts I get each year. I'm talking about just the holiday itself. One of many things that is so cool about Christmas is that it starts about a month ahead of time. This is how the holiday typically happens in my family. On Thanksgiving Day, we celebrate Thanksgiving (you know, pig out, watch football, etc.) and then either that evening or the next day we put up the Christmas tree and watch White Christmas. It's a tradition. Mom and Dad have gotten real trees the past few years so I don't think they do the Thanksgiving Day tree decorating anymore. Oh well.

When I was in the youth group at church, we had the "Hanging of the Green". A boy and a girl from the youth group would carry out a wreath (actually, I think he carried it and I held on to his arm) and hang it on the wall. Then we'd each have to tell some story about the greenery or something like that. It was really neat. I got to do it two years in a row. How cool am I? Our church doesn't do that anymore. I wonder why. Now we do candle lighting services. Just as cool but more dangerous. I'll admit it. I'm a klutz. You probably don't want me holding a candle for long periods of time.

Anyway, after that, it's just an entire month of baking, caroling, getting ready for the church Christmas musical, hanging greenery on everything, driving around looking at Christmas lights, convincing children that if they're not good, Santa won't bring them any presents for Christmas. I cannot believe how much parents lie to their children! Okay, so aunts and uncles get brought in on it too, but that's just because it's fun to mess with the little darlings. I love being around my niece at Christmas. If ever a child would make me want to have children more than I already do, it's my niece at Christmas time (not that she doesn't do a pretty good job the rest of the year). She loves singing and looking at Christmas lights and decorating the house and playing out in the snow...you know, all the cool stuff. And she's just a happy kid in general. She and my little cousin Ashton are both so much fun to be around when they're happy. When they laugh, you just can't help but join in...but I digress.

My favorite part of Christmas, though is being able to sing about and talk about Jesus without so many people turning their noses up at you. Granted, we should do this throughout the year and carry on no matter what others do or say, but it just doesn't happen and that's sad. I realize that to some people it is just a commercial holiday and a time to give gifts, but it's so much more than that to me and a good portion of the people I know and love. One of my most favorite parts of Christmas is when most of the family (if not all) gets together at G-ma and G-dad's house to eat, fellowship and open presents. G-ma gets us all sat down in the living room (which is quite a feat considering the number of us and the size of the living room) and reads the story of Jesus' birth. The story in and of itself is precious to me, but what makes it that much more special is when G-ma starts to cry. I know that sounds callous, but an explanation is soon to follow. Stick with me. G-ma and G-dad love to have their family around them. G-ma is the heart of our family and loves each one of us in her own special way. Long story, short....G-ma rocks. Anyway, she gets so worked up to have so many of her family around her that her heart just overflows and she starts to cry. We tease her, of course, because that's our job as her grandchildren, but we all know how important we are to her and we love her all the more for it. So, rarely does a Christmas go by that we don't nudge each other when G-ma starts to tear up.

I know this is getting long, but I can't help it. My whole point of this story is that I want to start Christmas right now. Who says we can't celebrate for almost three months? We don't have to have presents until Christmas day, but it should be okay to sing Christmas carols now. Just don't play them on the radio because even I think they overdo that. I want to put up my Christmas tree without being made fun of. Well, that and I feel that's pushing it just a touch. I want to Fa La La La La the day away and make people smile while doing so (no, not that oh-yeah-she's-lost-it smile). Oh, and one more thing.....I want a white Christmas in Oklahoma. Is that too much to ask? I think not.