THANK-ful for CHRIST-mas...

Now, normally, I'm the one you'll hear loudly complaining all the way through Wal-Mart about "why they have to get the Christmas stuff out sooooo early... can't they wait till we get Thanksgiving out of the way, first," et cetera ad nauseum. But this year, I've gotten in the Christmas mood a bit early. I got my shopping mostly out of the way last week, and that really boosted the Christmas quotient for me. It got me started thinking about the tree and decorations...and of course the music.

I had a hard time convincing myself it'd be okay to buck my own tradition of putting up the tree the weekend after Thanksgiving (most years--some years a bit later). I argued with myself a bit, and polled my kids for their opinions, trying to figure out what I should do. But the more I rolled around in my mind what Thanksgiving would be like with Christmas decorations already up, somehow, it just seemed right and good--in fact, better than good.

I can't imagine a better reminder of exactly WHAT we have, as Christians, to be THANKFUL for. We are thankful for not just our earthly blessings, but the very fact of Christ's birth and everything He came to earth to do for us. Really, Thanksgiving is such a fitting segue into the Christmas season, isn't it? Almost makes me wish I hadn't done all that complaining walking through Wal-Mart...it just might be that they had it right all along and they didn't even know it.

Oh yeah, the best part is...my kids are now officially big enough and capable enough that all I had to do was choose which Christmas music to put on and mix up the hot cocoa. They took care of hauling everything in from the shed and putting the tree together and decorating it! Love it!

NOW we are ready for giving some real THANKS!!!