Christmas is in the air!!!!

AHHH!!!! It's November 13 (Friday the thirteenth, actually) - and I heard Christmas MUSIC on the radio last night!! Oh what a glorious, glorious sound! (: I squealed like a little girl when my friend Ben called me to tell me to switch the station because it was on! My heart lit up! I ab-so-lute-ly LOVE Christmas. Everything about it...the lights, the smells, the music, family time (lots of it), everything red & green, carriage rides, all of the lights, Christmas trees, wrapping and giving gifts, and of course that it is my Savior's birthday (I am also a HUGE fan of birthdays).

I also love traditions...Mike and I have an annual Christmas Date. In years past we've done it alone and with other couples, but this being our first year married I've requested that it be just us. I'm not sure what we're doing or where we're going yet - but I can't wait! I grew up loving to wake up around 4:30 AM and then waking my sister up to peak at all of the goodies that Santa left for us -- even in my last few years at home I woke up in the middle of the night, however I had been threatened by both my brother & sister to not wake them up...so I had to force myself to go back to sleep until later in the morning (such party poopers!). [Mike is going to have his hands full keeping me asleep until after 4:30 AM... hahahahah!] From dating Mike so long we sort of have our Christmas schedule - but we've been able to split up as needed to make it where we needed to be -- this year we get to stick together (: I'm not quite sure where we'll be or when .. or who we'll end up celebrating with and at what times, but I know that it'll work out. I think it'll be neat to start our own sort of schedule -- making the rounds, but also making time for ourselves. We've already decided that Christmas morning is for us...and since it'll just be us - we're going to open gifts from "Santa" and then head to Simpsonville / Ft. Inn to see the fam!

I've already been begging Mike to take me to pick out a Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. I love decorating and I'm so excited to decorate our first house! a few things I'm really looking forward to: hanging our stockings (hand made by Meredith!), putting up lights, decorating our hypothetical tree, baking lots of goodies .. ahh - the list could go on forever! I just love it all! I think I'm also going to try my hand at making a few decorations for us this year!