The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

It truly is the most wonderful time of the year...despite Duran Duran cancelling on me!  I love the excitement in the air, the colors, the sounds, the decorations, and the traditions!  We have several, as I'm sure all of you do, and I love how every family does different things that kind of speak to them and who they are...very special!  Saturday evening, we took Annie out to eat & to the Nutcracker...as per OUR tradition with her since she was 3.  It's a time with just mama & daddy without baby brothers tagging along.  They had their own special evening, thanks to Maggie, our niece and lately our resident babysitter, as she took them to a Christmas parade in Boerne.  It was a win-win for everyone!  She promises to get pictures to me soon...my only stipulation of Jack and Sam going with her...I need to SEE the memories made!  

Our usual favorite spot to take Annie to, the Gunter Hotel, was not offering their usual holiday fare, so we ventured out to our vacation spot, the Hyatt Hill Country, and enjoyed their delicious food!  I think we all agreed, we have found a new place to go.  The Hyatt was decked out like no other...lights lining the streets and sidewalks, themed Christmas trees throughout the lobby, and an INCREDIBLE gingerbread creation that would probably take up our entire family room.  It was an added bonus to going there for sure!

The Nutcracker was beautiful and it was even better this year with the San Antonio Symphony accompanying the production.  You just can't beat live music!  Annie said she was ready to go again next year, so it looks like the night was a success!

We've had our tree up for a week now, and Wes and the kids helped get the house all decorated the weekend after Thanksgiving.  It's so fun to watch them as the first boxes come out of the attic and are opened.  All the memories surrounding these special mementos come flooding out and make me smile and my heart swell with love when I see them.  

Here is our finished result from this year...

Some of my favorites that I tend to forget about during the year but love so much when we pull them out...our faux leopard trimmed tree skirt!  An awesome find at Hobby Lobby a few years back.

Our Nativity in its special place of honor...

One of a kind precious, treasured keepsakes...I can't wait to add Sam's to the mix now that he's in preschool.

Our Mickey Mouse glass ball from our DisneyWorld vacation summer of 2004.

This Christmas crab from our Gulf Shores, Alabama vacation last year...

I always forget about these glass dice that Wes and I purchased on our Las Vegas getaway in 2003, but love them so much!

A beach buggy ornament from our trip to San Diego/Coronado Beach in 2006...

An ornament that we got ourselves to mark our first Christmas as a married couple...

We found this Christopher Radko "Braveheart" ornament the Christmas after 9-11, and it takes me back every time I unpack it as to how we all were so proud to be an American...

We bought these Hallmark Wizard of Oz ornaments the year after we dressed as all those characters for Halloween 3 years ago...such fun memories!

This Mickey Mouse Santa came home with us when we were on our honeymoon at Disney World 13 years ago the end of this month!!

We love our SPURS!!!  And have a Championship trophy ornament that we got at one of the games we went to, to remember how excited the city and ALL of us were to win big!

Wes likes Star Wars as much as the next guy, and isn't a huge crazy fanatic, but this ornament is a favorite of the kids because Darth Vader speaks every time you turn the tree on, because he is plugged into the lights...it's amazing he still works after all the times the kids have turned it off/on just to listen over the years...

Can you tell I'm a former Kindergarten teacher???  I love, love, love children's books and have a designated "seasonal" book basket in the family room.  At Christmas time, we have a hard time fitting them all in, but it sure makes reading fun at bedtime because we have soooo many to choose from!

This wooden sign is hung on our bench in the entryway because I just love the message...

Christmas dishes make eating any meal that much more fun, especially in the mornings at breakfast.  I got these years ago at Target...they are just a hard plastic, but have held up great!

Years ago we started collecting Department 56 Snow Village pieces, much like my parents and one of my aunt & uncles...we have 11 pieces that we put in various rooms of the house, including the kid's rooms, but this one has always been my favorite because of the nostalgic looking diner.

This house & decorated yard display are in our playroom...Wes says it reminds him of the Grizwald's and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation...

It's so wonderful when you have keepsakes that speak volumes without them saying a word.  I think that's what makes this time of year even better, when you can recall a memory just by opening a box or listening to a song.

What special decorations make your heart smile when you get them out every year???  

Wishing you a season of priceless memories with your family & friends...