The Christmas season is my absolute favourtie time of the year despite the cold weather. My heart is always so full around the Christmas season. I cannot wait to see my friends and family. To light up the Christmas lights.
The season starts for me the minute I can find eggnog. This year I received a text from a dear friend who informed me she found it and I raced to the store. START THE CAR! This year many times in my search for eggnog stores have been sold out. I think people are catching on to my delicious treat.
My family growing up made Christmas the most magical experience. The most exciting memory for me wasn’t getting presents or even the delicious food it was finding the perfect tree.
I grew up in a small town and our local car was became a Christmas tree lover’s dream. I would wander through the rows and rows of trees with my dad sipping hot chocolate and somehow he convinced me I did it every year I found the perfect tree. We hauled it home and decorated it with all our homemade school ornaments. We would sit around with Christmas music playing, the fireplace roaring, and string popcorn garlands. I wanted this tradition to live on through my son. I wanted him to love our real Christmas tree as much as I did. I wanted to have all his kid-made ornaments proudly displayed. I wanted him to feel the same love and Christmas magic I did.
This year started off a tad rough I bought all new outdoor lights as the squirrels chewed them up before I could get them down in the spring. This year I strung the Christmas light across the house with frozen fingers and tired legs from the ladder climb only to have the squirrels chew them up the very next day. I only got to light them up once and I didn’t even get a picture. Always have a backup plan. I took the lights off the roof and was able to rewire the strings to work. We light up the inside twice as bright. More lights on the tree than ever before.
When I moved out on my own my dad hauled out all the ornaments we made as kids and my brothers somehow survived but mine got eaten. My memories were eaten probably by squirrels. These little buggers are really messing with my positive Christmas vibes. I decided then to steal my brother’s prize cork horse ornament that’s survived some 35 years and looks new. It’s the first thing I hang at the top of the tree every year. It reminds me of all the years we had together decorating trees. I also send him a picture every year that I still have the prize ornament. I am that annoying little sister forever.
I buy a new ornament every year for my son and this year I think I found the ornament of all ornaments. I found a colour-changing hockey-themed singing Stomping Tom ball. I didn’t realize at the time it sang the whole song. I think I can now sing along to every word. I found my boyfriend a moose ornament. Every time he goes to Alaska he sees a moose. I went to Alaska with him never saw a single moose. I was so excited about their ornaments I forgot to get myself one. Good thing I have the cork horse.
My son knows the tradition first it starts with pouring eggnog, putting the fireplace channel on, cranking the Christmas music, covering the tree with lights, and then rushing to put the most ornaments on! I get teary-eyed every year with all the homemade ornaments and the ones that were given to us that hold such special memories. Every year we have the perfect family filled with love Christmas tree.
From our house to yours have a wonderful holiday season.