A step up

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in our house. We purchased the perfect tree from a Christmas tree lot a week ago and spent an hour putting lights and ornaments up to decorate it. Mya was lucky enough to put the star on top. She has since figured out how to plug in the lights and plugs them in whenever she wants "Crismon lights." Our neighbor and Tim put lights up outside yesterday. Even though 11 lights had burned out from last year, Tim concocted a way to put up the strands without having to buy replacement bulbs. It looks great...now, if it would only snow again.

Our finished product

Mya enjoyed...well, enjoyed might not be the best word but tolerated Santa a lot more this year. This was last year.

And this was this year when he walked in. She liked him as long as he was far enough away.

And this was basically her face the entire time she sat on his lap. See, tolerated is a much better word for that face. At least she didn't scream like last year. We hadn't taught her much about Santa up until that night, but now she knows to look for him everywhere. And she does. She loves the chubby, old man.

On a personal note, this Christmas season has really made me think about things. I can't seem to really think about anything but Christmas. Not the gifts...because there won't be many. Not Santa...because I am too old to really believe in him even though I secretly do. Not the parties...because I think I am already funeral potatoed out. Not the treats...because the last thing a pregnant person really wants during Christmas is more temptations. But the real meaning of Christmas. The glow that secretly comes out in all of us as we take in the holiday season. I have so many thoughts. I will share them shortly. It may not always seem that I take a lot of time in what I write, but I do. I spend hours, days on occasion thinking of what I really think and feel. But until I really share what I think, have the merriest of Christmas seasons.