These are a few of my favourite things...

1. Snowflakes gently falling making everything white

2. Sitting in front of the fireplace being mesmerized by the dancing flames – and sometimes even taking a little nap

3. Soft kleenex when the mucus monster attacks

4. Cutting down Christmas trees the day after Thanksgiving with the whole family

5. Slightly sappy, warm fuzzy, good feeling christmas movies (**Cough**hallmark channel)

6. Hot chocolate with a splash of carmel baileys

7. Zoey (our black lab) who is always happy to see people and has an endless supply of love and playfulness  #lifelessons

8. Hot showers in the morning (probably the only thing that can coax me out of bed on a cold morning)

9. Sitting in our living room to the glow of Christmas lights with all the house lights off

10. The little space heater under my desk that keeps me toasty warm

11. It’s okay to play music about Jesus everywhere!

12. We have affectionately named Brian’s mounted dear head “Fred”.  Fred is always in the Christmas spirit and wears a santa hat year round

13. Candy canes that come in lifesaver flavours

14. Our garage… I love not having to scrape frost or snow off my car before leaving for work

15. Christmas baking. Chocolate Chex Carmel Crunch in particular – that stuff in definitely naughty, not nice

16. Finding a spot where sunshine is pouring in through the window and soaking in the heat on a cold (or not so cold) day

17. Eggnog Chai Latte’s from Starbucks

18. How good the christmas tree smells the first day you set it up

19. Coming home and seeing our outside Christmas lights guiding the way home when it’s dark

20. Finding a good parking spot at the mall when everybody and their uncle seem to be Christmas shopping!

21. Mariah Carey singing “All I want for Christmas is you”...it just gets your happy face on and makes you want to sing along

22. We have 4 nativities set up in our house (I may have crazy glued my fingers trying to fix one the first day I set it up #notaproudmoment)

23. People continually quoting the movie Elf … “you sit on a thrown of lies!!!!!!”

24. All the little surprises you get in the mail; everything from cards and pictures to letters and packages on your doorstep

25. Knowing that all of “this”… people, presents, things is just a SMALL piece of life here on earth.  All of the hurts and joys will turn to eternal praise because a tiny baby come to live among us and die that we might live.