A Few of my Favorite Christmas Things

Here are a few of my favorite things-Christmas style:

• The wonder and blessings of the Christmas story.
• Nativity scenes that have a removable Jesus. I don't have one, but my mom does. We would place Jesus in the manger on Christmas morning before my brother woke up. It was if Mary really did have Jesus overnight.
• My Willow Tree nativity set-No, it doesn't have a removable Jesus, but it makes me really happy. Nathan thinks it's weird that they don't have faces, but I think it's just beautiful.
• White Christmas lights mixed in with evergreens and pretty ribbon
• Decorated houses at night, done tastefully
• Driving around with the kids in the car to see those decorated houses!
• Christmas cookies-WHY do we make some cookies at Christmas only? I would like them at other times of the year but it seems somehow wrong to me to make snickerdoodles in July! (Although, if they happen to be around in July, I have NO problem eating them.)
• Anticipation of watching people open just the right gift-You know, the one you searched high and low for, waited for 45 minutes in line to get. That one.
• Christmas music-Mary did You Know is all time favorite. I can't imagine being Mary! First, a visit from an angel would be amazing enough, but then to find out I was pregnant with God's child, WOW! Then having such a special child, well, I guess I can't wrap my mind around it. I guess I can't imagine being Joseph either. Hmmmm...
• Hallelujah Chorus sung at church on Christmas Eve-I cry EVERY SINGLE time!
• Watching the children choose just the right gift for their siblings-then watching them watch their siblings open that gift! Yes, we do open gifts one at a time in our house so that you can see who gets what.
• Themed Christmas trees
• Christmas outfits-all matching of course! The ones the kids wear only for the Christmas picture and maybe to Christmas church service.
• New p.j.s on Christmas Eve-That's the one gift my kids open on Christmas Eve
• Getting Christmas letters-with pictures-from those you only hear from once a year. Hey, why don't we talk more often?
• Small wrapped boxes with sparkly things inside!
• Crawling into bed next to my hubby late Christmas Eve knowing that in just a few hours there will be children bouncing on our bed screaming, "It's Christmas and there are presents under the tree!!!"
• Loving that the kids want to wait for Grammy and Grandpa Dud to make it over before presents are opened. They sit around and guess what is in the wrapped packages while they wait. They are really amazingly patient!

Ok, some are shallow-I know that, sometimes I am shallow!-but don't you feel like you know me just a little bit better? What about you? What are some of your favorites?