it's beginning to look a lot like...

CHRISTmas!! i can't wait. my favorite night of the year was the other night... decorating for Christmas. it was so fun to have the kids wake up to it! i love this whole season!!

my gimpy reindeer, held up by a vase! all these decs were bought at tj maxx with my mom last year, when we decorated my house together! such wonderful memories!

my hard won candlesticks from cracker barrel. i won them at a keeno night in san diego!

oh Christmas tree... i bought it 7 years ago... it was so fun decorating with decorations i bought 7 years ago, ones from david and my childhood, our kids ornaments, and ones we have bought together (honeymoon, in maine...)

the table. my cinnamon scented pinecones. i love walking into this house!!

AND.... nora's octopus cake for her thanksgiving day feast at school. they were supposed to bring their favorite thing, and nora had been begging to make this!! so, we did! she was "so excited, mommy"!! she cracked all four eggs... did i mention that already??

last night when nora went to bed, she asked if the Christmas tree would still be up in the morning! so sweet... i assured her it would be. we also started a new tradition thanks to cousin susan! we got an "elf on a shelf"!

Christmas... i love it! i love the reason for it. i love the smells, the foods, the decorations, the snow (ask me again in a month...), the lights, the love, the time with family. i love being decorated for it! (i do, however, hate it before thanksgiving!- except when i get to come home to my decs. i usually decorate right before so we come back to it... especially when my sissy comes to visit after thanksgiving!!! yeah for that! but Christmas music on the radio since halloween... no thanks!)

we are trying to decide if we are going to the macy's day parade this year. those are some of my favorite holiday memories growing up. the staking out of our "spot"- although they have changed the parade route, so our "spot" would have to change. being interviewed on tv about my experience, seeing ground zero after sept 11th, and dad getting his clothes back from the dry cleaners that had just reopened. (btw- my dad was working in one of the smaller wtc buildings in sept 2001, and thankfully wasn't there that week...) seeing shows in nyc, shopping, central park, pam and fred's, the friedrichs. so many fun memories with thanksgiving, ushering in Christmas! I LOVE IT! however, it's supposed to rain tomorrow... so that may mean no parade (if it were just me and david, we would go... the kids may not enjoy that as much!!!)

happy thanksgiving! i am thankful for the little things. that when i asked nora today why God made a rainbow, she said "because Jesus died on the cross for our sins". umm, no, but STILL a great answer! and for friends and new adventures! and that they are coming to fix our heater today!