Yesterday we picked out our Arbol de Navidad and today during Elliot's play times I played Christmas music and I began to think how much I actually DO love Christmas. It's just that the things I hate about it (Losing my Mom, Shopping, Crowds, Gift Cards, etc.) seem to overshadow the good things about Christmas.

Here are some good things:

*The smell of our family room after we put up our Christmas Tree
*Christmas Music; fond memories of putting records on the record player while my Mom was cooking Christmas Eve dinner
*Baking holiday goodies - usually with my Aunt the week before Christmas, we're taking this year off, but will resume next year when Elliot will be able to sample some of the goodies
*Christmas Pajamas - every year for Christmas my Mom would buy me a pair of pajamas and since she passed away I have made a point to buy myself a special pair of pajamas each year
*Planning a surprise gift for Dale - we have an informal competition going (there seems to be one gift not under the tree that gets mysteriously found after we have each other thinking we are all done) and Dale almost always wins...but we'll see about this year!
*Planning our Christmas breakfast - Dale and I always make breakfast at home together Christmas morning...this year we are thinking of making donuts - yum!
*Receiving Christmas Cards - I get so excited to check the mail during December and for the first time I actually enjoyed making and sending them too!
*Thumbing through Grandmas Christmas card pile - I'm not good with guessing but I'd say she gets at least 50, some are from Switzerland and the cards are just a little different in size and very sweet looking. I love to poke fun at the ones that are over-the-top but also admire growing cousins, etc.
*Eating Grandmas special cookies (might try to bake them myself this year)


What I Ate Today:

~Cereal (HF & Organic Morning Lite, TJ's)
~Soy Mocha
~Cheese crackers
~Fat Free Eng Muffin with lite butter and PB (I think I have been converted and like the WW better)
~Soy Mocha
~More cheese crackers
~More cheese crackers
*I really didn't want morning to end today*
~Fiberful
~More cheese crackers (need something to snack on while cooking)
~Spiced Lamb Chops Sauteed Peppers and Onions with Garlic and Mint Couscous

Labels: Thinking