Christmas is around the corner, or at least I think it is ;)

Ok, I'm going to be transparent here for a few moments...
I have been thinking ALOT about Christmas lately.  I know, it is just the first week of October, and we have yet to go to the pumpkin patch, celebrate W's birthday, and partake in Thanksgiving...but I am already getting geared up and ready for Christmas. I love Christmas.

I've been contemplating, is it too early to just PUT UP the outdoor Christmas lights, but not yet turn them on? I personally always like to do that before it gets cold so that its not unenjoyable to be out there. However, this year I have a bunch of new garland and sparkly stuff to add (that I picked up at the end of season last year), so I could put the lights up I suppose, but, I would have to hold off on the garland things because they would be too visible during the day.

I'm plotting when I can put the trees up too. Yes, I said trees, as in plural.
If u are a longtime follower u know I put up many trees, and since last year I picked up 2 more (for like $8 a piece!) so I'll have even more to put up and enjoy this year. So I'm thinking when should I get started. Usually I like to put them up the weekend of Thanksgiving, but since I've got so many now, I think I need to get started even earlier, because my plan every year is to be completely ready and prepared for Christmas by December 1st. That means all decorations up, cards mailed, presents bought, wrapped, and under the trees. That way I get to thoroughly ENJOY the Christmas season. I sit back and relax and enjoy the celebration instead of getting caught up in the rush and congestion for those who do it in December (or even the week before-ugh! I actually did go to the mall last year for something unrelated to Christmas during that last week and it was so horrible I don't know why or how people can stand to do it-yuck! too many people, too much congestion, to crowded, no parking, the shelves are a mess and in disarray so u can't find what u want anyway.. I just don't like to put myself in those situations, I don't like big crowds to begin with so add to it the frustration level that usually ensues and its just not enjoyable. So anyway, yes, I like to get it all done early so I can sit back and enjoy the peace and beauty of the decorations and trees and twinkling lights. My favorite thing to do is sit in the dark when everyone goes to bed and just look at the lights on the tree and think about how blessed I am to have such a wonderful husband and healthy, great kids. I love my life, and I thank God every day for it, but especially in that peaceful, alone-time, at night, it is so enjoyable to just relax and be thankful. (Instead of being rushed for 'Christmas' and then not even really enjoying Christmas, and therefore missing the whole reason for the celebration anyway).

So back to my post, I am anxiously awaiting when it is "ok" for me to start decorating. I've already pulled down the box of cards and am going to start addressing envelopes. I'll write the letters later, but if I address the envelopes, stamp them, and put on the return address labels it saves time for later. Do u know that before I had kids, I used to do the envelope addressing in JULY!? Yes, July!  Now that I have kids I don't quite have as much discretionary time, so its around Oct/Nov when I get to it. :)

Well, there u have it, my post admitting I am ready to get started on Christmas. I even pulled out gifts from my 'gift closet" ( I buy all year (sales and such) and stuff them in this closet to save for parties, birthdays, Christmas, Easter, etc) and I realized that even though my plan was to 'cut back' this year on the girls' gifts, I already have stashed away more than they probably need, so essentially I am already done with my Christmas shopping!  :)  Now isn't that exciting!? Plus it helps that we don't really exchange gifts with any adults (even this year I think Dan's parents are finally going to pull the plug on this, so the two most difficult ones to buy for will no longer need to be bought), and Dan and I sort of stopped exchanging gifts over the last few years (unless something pops up that we want and we ask for it,) so I am pretty much done shopping-yippee!  I have to admit, in the shopping department, I have it alot easier than most, because we don't do huge extended family gift exchanges. We buy for our kids, our neices and nephews and that's about it. We did his parents and my mom, but I just feel that adults can buy what they want themselves when they want it, they don't need someone to buy it for them. Whereas kids wait all year for special occasions to get the gifts that they CAN'T buy themselves because they have no jobs or money. When I was growing up our extended family got together for Thanksgiving every year (not Christmas), so Christmas was just my parents, brother, and I, so I grew up just exchanging with my immediate family so that is pretty normal to me. I know a lot of people who do huge extended family exhanges find it hard to stop because they don't know how and they don't want to hurt people's feelings or appear unloving or cheap. So I guess its easier for me bc I never really started that so I don't really have to stop it. So anyway, that means I'm essentially done shopping for Christmas, and am now just waiting to figure out when it is 'acceptable' for me to start decorating :)