Christmas conteplations

As I sit at home, on this the first snow day of the year, my mind is filled with thoughts and wonder about this time of year.  I think I will give you a list of things that I love/don't love about the holidays.

1. I love spending time with my family.  Immediate & extended.

2. I don't love worrying about the road conditions, or which one of my kids may throw up at any given moment.

3. I love giving gifts.

4. I don't love spending money.  It does however help me relate to Mary & Joseph. They were poor, & by Dec.23, we are too.

5. I love working on the Christmas puzzle.

6. I don't love wondering which of my kids will mess it up & make us have to start over again.

7. I love the Starbucks Christmas blend, & that Joy can get me a deal!

8. I love having the traditional Christmas treats.

9. I don't love making them.  This year I broke my finger so that people would pity my gimpy-ness and make treats for me.  (just kidding totally not true.)

10. I love having my kids home for over a week!

11. I love/don't love that we will likely not be at home for any of that time.

12. I love that we have neighbors (guthries) who have put up Christmas lights this year, even if we are the only ones who really see them very well. (now that the cedar trees are gone)

13. I don't love that my selfish side said that lights on the tree were enough.  The kids would love outside lights.

14. I love that we drive by neighbors house often to see the lights, & the kids ooh&ahh each time.

15. I love that the loves see to be outweighing the don't loves.

16. I love Christmas music.  

17. I love my special Christmas coffee cup.

18. I love our Christmas tree this year.  I talked Ben into a Fir tree!

19. I love that Ben has a Santa's workshop going this year.  

20. I love that we get to celebrate Jonah's Birthday in the midst of all the craziness.

21. I love that we get to see my brother Tim & his beautiful family.

22. I love my special ornaments.  Especially the ones Dad gave to me.

23. I love receiving Christmas cards

24. I love the December calendar page.

25. I love having a white (not icy) Christmas.

26. I love remembering my childhood Christmases. 

27. I love our Christmas stockings.

28. I love Ben.  (sorry... had to sneak that one in the list of my loves.  Go ahead, swallow the bit of barf in your throat)

29. I love that I have colored lights on my tree.  Everyone else has white lights.

30. I love that Fiona accepted Jesus in her heart this week.  This Christmas will be her first as a child of the King.

31. I love having clementines.  A Christmas staple for me.

32. I love seeing the looks on my kids faces on Christmas morning.

33. I love that this year seems to be so fun for Lillian!  She is full of wonder!

34. I love that we read all kinds of Christmas books.  I ordered The Gift of the Magi this year.

35. I love that Ben's Mom has something like 19 Christmas trees this year!

36. I love that Ben's family has a $5 limit, & that we all (15 adults, 17 kids) will go to Wal-Mart together, draw names, each adult will take 1 or 2 kids, and we will go on a hunt for the perfect $5 gift for our person!  This is so fun!!

37. I love helping my kids realize the true meaning of Christmas.  We like keeping it real, in a world that fights us all the way.

38. I love it when people look at us like crazy people for setting our spending limit at $30 per kid.  Pick up your jaw.  Less is best in this house.

39. I don't love that Ben & I usually don't get each other a gift.

40. I love Christmas movies.

I think I will end here.  Enjoy the season.  Don't get stressed out. Remember why we celebrate.