Guilty Confessions

Shhhh...Don't tell anyone...but...I'M LISTENING TO A CHRISTMAS CD THIS MORNING! I do like this new "Mannheim Steamroller Christmas Song..."


I'm going to listen to Josh Groban's new "Noel" next...I hope I can finish them before anyone comes over and catches me...

I absolutely love this time of year. I LOVE Halloween-not the creepy, scary, gross part of it, of course, but the fun part - little kids in princess and puppy dog costumes, parties at school, Trunk-or-Treat at the church, making stew in a pumpkin for dinner, handing out candy, all the excitement.


Tyler in his first Halloween costume, 2005. You can't get any cuter or any more fun than this!

And, even more than Halloween, I LOVE Thanksgiving! Family, food, fun, and relaxation with none of the stress of the other two holidays this season. I love cooking the food (one of the few times a year I can actually say that.) I love having whoever can be here with us(I think that's supposed to be "whomever," but WHOM speaks like that???) I love playing games after dinner and usually trying to take the family picture for Christmas cards. I especially love it if we have extended family here. That makes it really fun.


The Duncans were here for Thanksgiving last year and we enjoyed visiting with them all together for the last time before Elisabeth got married and Stephen left on his mission.

And, best of all. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Christmas, my favorite holiday of the year. I can't think of a thing I DON'T love about Christmas. Most of all I love celebrating the birth of my Savior and feeling the emphasis on His love in this season. I love reading the story of His birth, thinking about His life, contemplating His atonement, and pondering how I can better follow His example. I should do these things more all year, but I especially take the time at Christmas...

And, guilty confession #2, (shhh...don't tell anyone...) I don't even mind having Christmas items in the stores already! I love that part of Christmas too. I love having the house all decorated - putting out the Holiday Barbies, setting up the Christmas village, putting lights up outside, getting out the Christmas dishes, setting up the Nativity sets, buying and wrapping gifts, decorating the tree, making cookies, fashioning gingerbread houses, making and delivering treats for the neighbors, being Secret Santas and doing the "Twelve Days of Christmas," - all the fun stuff that also comes with the season. Can you tell? I just absolutely LOVE Christmas...


Last year, Christmas morning, early...

Guilty confession #3 - I have already started Christmas shopping...for the "little" girls and the babies...Still hoping to make a couple of presents for this year too...

So, although I am "confessing," I make no apologies. I LOVE this time of year. I'm glad to have a chance to sit back, count my blessings, and once again give thanks for how really, truly blessed I am.