78 Days And Counting

Yep. 78 days till Christmas. Now, don't stress out. I'm reminding you 78 days ahead of time so we have plenty of time to prepare! This year I'm planning to start early and do a little each day, and focus on what I love (because I LOVE so much about Christmas!) and refuse to get caught up in the stress. I refuse to do that this year. I don't think that's what the true spirit of Christmas is all about, so I REFUSE!!!!

What are my favorite parts of Christmas? Traditions, thoughtful gifts, reminiscing about Christmas past, putting ornaments on the Christmas tree, generosity, and seeing family and spending time with friends. What are my least favorite things about Christmas? Commercialism, fattening dinners, packed schedules and mile-long to-do lists. My plan is to fit more of my favorite parts of Christmas in this year, and crowd out my least favorite - if I'm deliberate about it, I'll bet I can do it!

I'm not totally a Pollyanna about this year - I know it will take work - after all, this will be the first Christmas without my dad...but I'm going to make this year WITH my mom and all my family count. I'm going to make it really special. I'm going to take every opportunity to enjoy every little bit of the holiday season, because the holidays bring out the friendly and generous side in most of us. I love that! And I have so many around me that I love. How blessed I am!

For those of you reading this blog, who want to meet somebody new by exchanging a $20 ornament with a fellow blogger, click on the Christmas Ornament exchange button in the upper right hand corner of my blog (http://www.sammysblogmoms.blogspot.com/ - not http://www.strengthamongmomsministry.com/ blog) - it's sponsored by Valerie, of "It's a Wonderful Life" blog. It sounds like fun! I'm going to give it a try, and maybe make a new friend in the process! I'd love for you to join me!

Now, about those Christmas preparations...if Christmas is 78 days away, that means there's only 77 days left for gift shopping...hmmmm...I better check my Sunday paper for those sale ads...