This Year's Top Ten

 Lisa's Top Ten for Twenty Ten
 1. Amy Grant blasting on my car stereo, singing at the top of my lungs.
 2. Taking the time to wrap at least ONE present with fabric bows, decorated with holly or an adorable little  Christmas ornament. ( vs throwing the gift in a bag!)
 3. Taste testing as I bake or dip pretzels in chocolate. Rumor has it there are no calories if you eat standing   up or while baking.
 4. Tying a big red bow on anything that doesn't move, including the dog.
 5. Watching Christmas movies for an entire afternoon.
 6. Christmas caroling to shut ins. I love you Mom!
 7. Receiving handwritten Christmas notes in cards.
 8. Christmas Eve service, when the entire church lights candles and sings Silent Night.
 9. Sneaking around filling stockings before climbing into bed at midnight.
10.The peace I find Christmas eve, followed by the joy and excitement of Christmas morning with my family.

My favorite activities tend to change from year to year, but change is inevitable, especially when kids grow too big for stories in your lap!  I hope to reinvent some old traditions, perhaps with a new fangled twist, to evoke memories of past holidays and the joy we had in just being together as a family.  For instance, when my children were little, we would bundle then in PJs and blankets in the back seat of the car to go out for our annual light show.  Sticking mostly to quiet country roads, we would crawl at a snails pace, shouting "Look!" to each other as we came upon homes lit in Christmas splendor.  A thermos of hot cocoa, with marshmallows of course, was shared as we took in the sights and lights.  I am sure there was also grumbling and fighting in the back seat, but isn't it funny how our selective memory can edit out those not so perfect moments?
The kids are no longer in fuzzy, footed sleepers or dragging a stuffed puppy with them into the car, but we are going to give this memorable ride another whirl this year when we are all together again.  I am thinking it is time for one of the "kids" to drive, though,to give old Mum a chance to see what she's been missing all these years.
After the ornaments are returned to their boxes and strings of lights are wound into balls that will never untangle the next year, it is the time spent with family that we will always remember best. Those memories shine brightest in our hearts.
A warm country hug to all,
Lisa <3