It's beginning to look a lot like CHRISTMAS!!

SO, just in case any of you don't know I LOVE Christmas! I am a 'christmas-a-holic' if you will. My Christmas season starts (officially) on Thanksgiving day, at the end of the Macy's thanksgiving day parade....When Santa Claus passes by. This is something that has been a family tradition since I was a little girl. However....I must admit...that I cheat. I know, everyone complains that all the stores get jumpy, setting up christmas displays and merchandise almost as soon as halloween is over. But me,  I LOVE it! I walk into wal-mart or target a day or two after halloween, bypass the halloween candy in the clearance bins, and beeline to the christmas section (always the garden center of wal-mart, and the seasonal aisles at target...just in case you were wondering)  I walk slowly up and down the aisles of sparkly glass ornaments, nativity scenes, christmas villages, and cinnamon scented pinecones. I close my eyes and take a deep breath in, like a junkie with a fresh ziplock bag full of crack...Christmas Crack!
It's even worse when I go to the craft store and see things like...

a little angel ornament that resembles my baby girl. Compelling me to take a picture with my phone to send to my husband, hoping he has the same "awwww!" moment I did (he doesn't, but pretends to anyways, because he loves me!)

This one is the ornament...

THIS one is my baby....Uncanny Right?!?!

And of course all the seasonal food items that pop up at the grocery store. Especially, Egg Nog!

And THIS is the best kind EVER!

...anyways, like I said I LOVE Christmas, and the whole holiday season that surrounds it I love decorating my christmas tree...

Eclectic, with glowy white lights and shiny ornaments
AS IT SHOULD BE!

....And my Parent's Christmas tree...

I haven't lived at home in 6 1/2 years and still it is MY  job to
 bedazzle their house for the holidays (good thing I LOVE it!)

And for the past several years we have made sure to participate in the "Journey Through Bethlehem" which is a multi-faith ministry that re-creates Bethlehem city at the time of Christ's birth, complete with everyone in full costume and character! Kind of like the renaissance festival, but more....biblical-ish.

Taxes, Amiright?! Ugh Ceasar Augustus,
I didn't vote for him!

Also, cutest little shepherd baby ever?
 I think YES!

The whole christmas season just makes me downright giddy. It was ALMOST embarrassing when I became an adult and still acted like Buddy the Elf whenever I saw a house with a REALLY good light display. or a pretty Christmas tree. Or heard a Christmas song...any christmas song...

People would give me weird looks and I JUST didn't care! (I mean I did, but not enough to stop doing it)  Then I discovered something, a 'secret' if you will. If you have kids, you can be as CRAZY about christmas as you want to be and everyone just assumes you are doing it for your KIDS!!! Seriously! having kids is like a free ticket to go nuts during the holidays, and the BEST part is that as much as I loved Christmas before, it REALLY is better because it is all NEW for them! I have my own arsenal of Christmas movies that I grew up on. I only watch them during the designated "Holiday Season" so as not to sully their 'special-ness', and since Andrew is now old enough to appreciate them, we watch them A LOT! And I am loving it! Especially when he goes walking around the house quoting such things as,"No MONEY! No TICKET!" and "You're a mean one...Mr. Grinch!" 

 I think the big test of my children's "Christmas saturation" is when we meet up with Jolly old St Nick, at the ward Christmas party and BOTH my kids sit on his lap like its not even a big deal!

Andy looks right at home!

Aubrey is all like, "Nice list? Psh! I INVENTED the nice list!"

Pictures like THIS, with MY babies sitting all perfect and cute with Santa Claus...make me squeal just a little....

So pardon me a little, if you will, dear blog-readers, because in MY world, Christmas-time, is CORINNE time! If you have ever wanted to see me absurdly, giddily and quite frankly, alarmingly happy, come find me during the holidays. And if you are in need of any kind of a pick-me-up, we can just pop in, "a Christmas Story" seriously, if you aren't at least SMILING at the end of that one...you have no soul!

 Merry Christmas everyone!