Truly the best time of the year!

I love Christmas so much — it's my absolute favorite time of year by far. And it's true what they say... seeing it through my son's eyes makes it even more wonderful! I had no idea how much fun it would be, but as I watched him study the tree with big eyes full of wonder, I couldn't wait to pull out the Christmas village and the stockings and the greenery and the nutcrackers and the lights for the house... We have a lot of Christmas decorations, most of which have been given to us over the years. I'm so glad I saved them all, even when we didn't quite have room in our little apartments, because now it really adds to the magic of the season.

Ethan quickly added Clause (for Santa Clause) and reindeer to his vocabulary. He was enthralled by the tree with its lights and ornaments, and the Christmas village with the train and the horse and sleigh and the little animated people who are having a snowball fight. He just walks around the house looking at the decorations and oohing and ahhing. It hasn't gotten old and it's been almost a week!

 He also loved making a paper chain for his bedroom and taking ornaments off the tree (we put only shatterproof ornaments on the bottom half).

I'm probably going to keep presents hidden until Christmas morning, so he doesn't get into them, and then won't he be surprised to come out and find them all under the tree, waiting for him to unwrap! And his sister won't mind if he opens her share this year as well ;)

What I treasure most are the evenings spent sitting before a crackling fire, sipping hot chocolate, our stockings hung above the fireplace, the lights of the tree and the little village twinkling, and the four of us all cozy and safe and warm together.