Partridge in a Pear Tree

Happy Christmas Eve, my bloggy friends! I wasn't really sure what to write about for today, so I'm just going with a random list of some of my favorite parts about Christmas. In no particular order, here are some of my favorite things about Christmastime and this holiday season...

Christmas Carols. I actually really love all kinds of Christmas music, and have tons of CD's full of Christmas music. I start listening to my Christmas music in November, and will carry it over into the new year for about a week or two. And I seriously just never get tired of it. No matter how many stores play it over and over again, or how many times I repeat N'Sync Christmas in my car - it seriously never gets old. From hymns, to carols, to the new, "modern" stuff - I like it all! I just love Christmas music :) And "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is always a fun , especially repeating "and a partridge in a pear tree," over and over and over again!

Candle light Christmas Eve service at my church, Christmas 2010

Christmas Lights. They're just so pretty :) From the earliest I can remember, my Mama would load my sister and I up in the car, and we would drive around town looking for the neighborhoods with the most lights. We would listen to Christmas music (of course), and maybe get some hot chocolate, and just have so much fun laughing and singing and driving around town. We still do this every year, and I will definitely make it a tradition with my own family and children in the future!

Jeff's mama's tree, Christmas 2011.

Christmas Movies. Yes, even the cheesy ones. Actually, I guess I should say, especially the cheesy ones. Sign me up for a marathon of Lifetime Christmas movies or Hallmark Christmas movies! I'd cuddle up in some comfy PJ pants, some warm slippers and a blanket with a cup of hot tea or cocoa, and I could stay there for hours on end! Then of course there's plenty of  non-cheesy ones too: Elf, White Christmas, Christmas with the Kranks, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and a family favorite/tradition is Emet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas. So cute :)

Family Time. My family always loves getting to spend time together. But there's just something special about family time during the Christmas holidays. Sure, we still have our little issues and attitudes occasionally, but for the most part, everything goes great and smooth and we always have such a nice time together. We laugh so much and just have so much fun. Oh, and we eat a lot of super yummy food too :) Also, my sister and I tend to have photo shoots where we make super attractive faces... These are from Christmas 2010.

Celebrating Jesus. This is obviously the most important part of the Christmas season, and unfortunately it's the part that's most quickly and easily forgotten. Do you guys realize that Jesus was born in a smelly, crowded stable, probably surrounded by a ton of stinky donkeys and goats and other nasty farm animals? Not the most prestigious way to enter this world. But He did that for us. For you and for me. He was born into this world so that he could one day die for us on a cross, and save us of our sins! Try to remember that the reason we celebrate Christmas is not only to give and receive gifts (although it's fun, I'm not trying to pretend like I don't like presents...), but Christmas is most importantly about Celebrating Jesus!

So in all the fun and the busyness and everything that surrounds the next few days, remember Him. And as cheesy as it is, remember that Jesus truly is the reason for the season! Merry Christmas!