It wouldn't be Christmas...

There are so many things that symbolize Christmas (spiritual, humorous, fun, celebratory, etc.). This post looks at the lighter side of what celebrating Christmas means to me.

It wouldn't be Christmas if...

• I didn't start listening to Christmas music on November 1 (I get my iPod set up when the trick-or-treaters stop coming)
• We didn't watch the movies Elf, Muppet Christmas Carol, and The Christmas Story
• We didn't make cookies or gingerbread houses with kids, which means cleaning the house before they get there so everything looks nice and then cleaning the house after to remove the stickiness
• I wasn't wrapping and shipping presents to my brothers the week before Christmas
• We didn't experience at least one White Elephant gift exchange
• We didn't start decorating AT LEAST a week before Thanksgiving (that way when December arrives, we can enjoy the decor - or that's the story I'm sticking with)
• I wasn't begging on New Year's Eve to leave the decorations up until the weekend after
• We didn't attempt a Christmas photo with the dogs

Barkley, Cleo, and Mabel - 2002

Mabel, Gracie, and Hazel - 2011