Holiday Madness

Yes, it's time for that crazy holiday schedule!  Are you ready?  I do have to say that this year - I AM!

What a difference it makes to be not working - to know that you have WEEKDAYS to do things instead of trying to cram everything into evenings and weekends!  To know that you can take that "extra" time to really enjoy doing the things you love during the holidays and not have to worry about skipping an event or rushing to get things done!  I am LOVING RETIREMENT!

In fact, I even decorated the house for Christmas this past week - I know, I know - it's EARLY!  But I love the Christmas season and since we're celebrating early with the family (2 sets of kids are going to Iowa for Christmas), I wanted to get into the spirit early!

I actually took 3 days to decorate the house - I spread it out!!  And it was SO MUCH FUN to take my time decorating and think about each item I set out as most of them have a "history".  Of course my travel tree is always a delight to decorate as 90% of my ornaments are from places we've traveled to! I also had the decorations from the business to find a place for - and that's always fun to change things up a little bit!

It was also a little sad as I decorated, knowing this would be the LAST year I decorated this house!  It just doesn't seem like we've lived here long enough to be moving again....................

I am SO EXCITED that we're celebrating Christmas at OUR house this year!!  That hasn't happened in many years since we always go to Denver to the "bigger" houses!!  The original plan was for the Savages and Keppys to come down the 2nd weekend of Dec. for the "Electric Safari" (Christmas lights at the zoo) and the Christmas production over at C. Crk.  But after looking at the calendar and schedules, we realized if we didn't celebrate Christmas that weekend, it would be mid-January before it would happen!  Jaime had that weekend off too so it was decided they would also come down and join us at the C. Crk production!

So Dec. 13th is our official date to celebrate Christmas!  That means I got in gear EARLY and already have all the grand kids presents and stocking stuffers bought!  And since it's snowing out today, it's a perfect day to start wrapping!

But Thanksgiving is first on the agenda!  And we'll be heading to Denver early Thanksgiving Day for dinner with everyone, shopping on Friday and a birthday party for Kenzie on Friday night!  Like I said, holiday madness at its finest!!  And I wouldn't have it any other way!!