Bay is so excited for Christmas.  She has been for about three months.  Gene was like that.  In a way he still is.  He LOVES Christmas!!  He has been known to shout "SANTA!!" Elf-style at random moments.  For the last three years we have scaled back in what we used to do (read "what we used to buy").  Now, we still buy them a crapload of stuff, but it's a little more practical. 

Mince Pies

Screw the blood sugars...  I have been planning to make Christmas Mince Pies for years... and I am doing it this year.  Of course, I can't put my hand on my cookbook so Mom's promised to have it ready for me the next time we talk.  She's been making it for YEARS and everything about it sums up Christmas for me.  The fruit prep, the nuts, the piles of ingredients waiting to be combined.  It's a very satisfying recipe because it really is combining ingredients and does not really venture towards actual baking....  Can't wait.

Christmas

I finally had a white Christmas. It's my first ever and it was just as beautiful as I'd always imagined. Not only was it snowing on Christmas morning, it was dumping snow... big gorgeous flakes... The boys woke up at 6:30 a.m. which was a huge improvement on last years 5:00 a.m. or the year beofore's record breaking 4:30. Neil finally fell asleep at 2:30 a.m. and only from sheer exhaustion... he was almost shaking with excitement. Plus, he and I heard Santa and Neil actually snuck a look and saw that he had come. Gene could not believe that he got an xbox 360. The things I love about Christmas have stayed the same through the years...

Christmas music... all types

Having a fire lit

Christmas movies

Christmas crafts

Snacks and sweets

Christmas shopping

Making lists