Unpredictable bliss

I don't know about everyone else in the south, but I'm loving the cold weather.  Nothing annoys me more than Christmas shopping and hearing songs about it being cold outside and winter wonderlands while the southern weather is more fit for the rainforest.  


So, with the awesome Christmas weather and the festive TV shows I started thinking about holiday traditions and the things we do every year in preparation for Christmas.  


There are always those certain movies that get me in the Christmas spirit.


Since I was a little girl, my favorite Christmas movie(s) has been Home Alone and Home Alone 2.  My whole family would sit with me every year and endure watching them both.  I loved that time!

The other night, after Emmy was asleep, Caleb watched Home Alone 2 with me.  I love him :)

Speaking of my husband, his all time favorite Christmas movie, which we will be watching probably numerous times is...

"You'll shoot your eye out!"

Then, the Jim Carrey version of The Grinch came out and my brother and I had a blast laughing together  while watching it, so that became a must see every year.

Also, for the past few years I've had a CD of assorted Christmas music ranging from Hanson to Martina McBride in my CD player while shopping and wrapping presents.  Emmalyn has already gotten a pretty good dose of it this year.  

Other traditions include driving to see Christmas lights, decorating the tree together, making and decorating cookies, The Lights Before Christmas (at Riverbanks Zoo), and heading to Lake Murray Baptist Church to see This Man Called Jesus (because I mean He is the reason we have the Christmas season in the first place!), reading the Christmas story right from the source with family before opening a single present!

So this year, the only thing missing is snow on the ground.  But I'm loving the chilled air and reliving all of the traditions that make this the most wonderful time of year.  And this year I'm even more excited to share all of this with Emmalyn and hopefully start some new traditions with her.  

I know it's easy to concentrate on the traditions and not the real reason we have them though.  I hope that with all of these traditions my child(ren) realize from their father and me that its not about the things we do but the person we are celebrating.  

And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:10-11

What traditions do you and your family have that put you in the Christmas spirit?