Ginabean Loves Christmas...

You guys?

It's December 3. And do you know what that means?

THREE WEEKS UNTIL CHRISTMAS EVE!

I love Christmas SO MUCH! I love going home to spend time with my family. (I could actually stop my list right there, and my Christmas would be COMPLETE.)

We have some fun traditions (and maybe some silly ones?). When we were little kids, my brothers and I always got to unwrap a gift on Christmas Eve, and it would always be a new pair of jammies. (Now? We're all grown up...but the still-single children of my parents--namely, me and Brent--still get a Christmas Eve gift, but it's something more sensible. I'll leave it at that.)

Also, each Christmas morning, we'd wake up (no earlier than 6am), gather round my folks' bed, have a family prayer given by Mama (that always seemed to last SO LONG!), then go to the front room and find our stockings. Then Dad would give us our gifts one at a time so that we could watch everyone open each gift. Also, each year we get our own box of cereal. (Where was the year that we all opened our individual boxes, and we all got frosted mini wheats--except for Goose, who got Fruity Pebbles. Can you guess who helped Dad pick the cereal out that year?)

Ahhhhh! TRADITION!

Since we've all grown up, we've...adjusted some of the traditions at the O-household. Now we usually get together on Christmas Eve for dinner and a gift exchange and all that jazz. (Yep. I'm excited for Christmas Eve.)

Other stuff I enjoy about the Christmas season?

MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER Christmas albums. I grew up with Mannheim Steamroller and I own most of their Christmas albums, and their music just lifts my spirit. Every time I listen to them. Especially Silent Night and Greensleeves. Honestly: they're both so beautiful I  could cry...

Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL is spectacular. Aaron introduced me to the tradition of reading it every year. I usually read it shortly after Thanksgiving. This year will be my fifth year. I love the story and its message. (I haven't read it yet because I have to finish reading The Hobbit first.)

Speaking of A Christmas Carol...it ain't Christmas without watching THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL. I don't even care if you judge me that I think this is the best Christmas Carol movie I've ever seen; I think nothing can touch the Muppet version. Nothing. I watch it at least twice every Christmas season. (Seriously? What's better than combining the genius of Charles Dickens with the genius of Jim Henson? NOTHING!)

Also? For some reason, Muddy Buddies make me think of Christmas...

Aaaand also: SCARVES. I love scarves. Dressing in layers is my thang anyway, and I don't love feeling cold, so covering my neck is an idea I can get behind. (And I totally do.)

This is what Christmas looks like at our place:

O CHRISTMAS TREE, O CHRISTMAS TREE...

Lovely...

Oh, yes. I love scarf season.