Tri-Monthly Joy...

I decorated for Halloween last weekend. I know, I waited longer than usual. ;-) I love Halloween. I don't even really know why I love it so much. I just do. I'm guessing it has to do with the time of year. It's the first Holiday that kick starts all the other Holidays. It's this tri-monthly joy we only get during this time of the year. It's the weather changing and the leaves turning shades of red and yellow. (I believe in Texas this happens for like 2 weeks and then the leaves fall off the trees) It is being able to enjoy playing outside more and have fires going on inside. There is a certain chaos to the next three months that I actually really love. I think it may be the only time I really look forward to chaos. The only time I invite it in with open arms and say, "Bring it on".

Consider what happens in the next three months. I know you are very much aware of the obvious things we  all have to be excited about. Halloween and Thanksgiving and Christmas. But what does that mean. I think some of what to look forward to is different for everyone but a lot of it is the same.

We get to pretend to be anything we want to be. Anything at all. That is so magical to me. Something that a child talks about or watches on t.v. or meets in a book and pretends to be through out the year.  And now they get a chance to really play the part. And show the "world" how awesome they are at portraying that character. And then they get paid in sugar. Now tell me...What is better than that?

I will give you a close second. November. Not just Thanksgiving. November. All 30 days of it. The sunsets are prettier. The are is crisper.  Being outside and smelling the smoke from a neighbor burning a fire in their fireplace.  Family coming in town. Watching football games together. Wearing warm boots and jackets. Gathering around a table simultaneously and eating all of your favorite foods. Food that was made by someone that loves you, for you. Real mash potatoes. Green bean casseroles. Stuffing. Pumpkin Pie. Hot Chocolate. Everyone laughing together. Playing games together. All of our kids getting to enjoy each others company. And not one single present is involved. This is why I love Thanksgiving. Because it's more about family than any other holiday. It's about being together. That's it. Just being together. 

And then there is December. I use to hate how early stores would put Christmas trees up to advertise. I use to plea, Dear Lord just give Halloween a chance!! Reluctantly, no one ever really responded to my outcry. Thankfully, this year, I realized I don't mind it so much. Mostly because I make the most out of my Halloween whether Hobby Lobby has that pink tree up with blue Christmas lights adorning it or not. But also, because it's a reminder of what's to come. The best part about December for me is decorating our house for Christmas. I think it is because it was such a strong family tradition for my family growing up. My sister and I took turns every year putting the top on the tree. We hung up all the ornaments together. I always, always, always got to put out the little Santa and reindeer exhibit with the cotton ball snow. As my sister got older, she wasn't too happy about it. We hung our stockings the same every year. Stockings that were made by my mom. It was always Mom and Me on the right and Lisa and Dad on the left. We left the cookies and milk out for Santa. And I don't know why it never occurred to me how gross it was for Santa to drink warm milk. Seriously. Gross. My favorite was the village my parents had collected over the years. I had started to collect a village for myself and it turns out, I don't have the room. My kids love this part about Christmas too. We put on some Christmas music. I make hot chocolate for everyone before we get started, with marshmallows of course. You cannot have hot cocoa without the marshmallows.  And so the tradition continues. It's like wrapping a little bit of history with our own version of any new traditions we have created. It's a good balance of both. It makes me happy. Very happy.