"It's beginning to look alot like Christmas"

Yup, it is around here - the tree is up with it's pretty white lights, the Christmas music plays constantly, the rest of the house has decorations all over, the lights are on outside, the advent box has little goodies for the grandchildren when they come over inside each door and they can take one for each day of Dec., the Christmas letter is still in my head but eventually will make it onto the paper and out in the mail, the baking will have to start as well one of these days. We have Norwegian Christmas traditions like lefse, koomla, ham and risegrot on Christmas Eve for our meal, very rich but oh so good, plus the Christmas Eve Service at the church which we all just love, then it is home to a fire in the fireplace, candles lit, singing of carols (we so miss Grandpa Archibald's reading of the Christmas story) and the opening of most of the gifts and usually we open one at a time, from youngest to oldest (it takes forever but how fun) This year it will be quiet as the kids are at their in-laws (we will celebrate either before or after and of course Sue and family and Nanc and Wayne will stay in Fergus) so we are hoping Gramma will feel well enough to come over and perhaps stay overnight. Christmas morning we have the opening of the stockings first thing and when our kids were younger, I would have a treasure hunt for their one last big gift, then breakfast (Norwegian style) in the living-room, again in front of the fireplace eating manderin oranges, Norwegian pancakes (Nanc would usually be the pancake maker) and fried koomla (what could be better!!!!), and we would relax. Christmas dinner is around 4:00 so it is not so rushed. And I never know who might sit at our Christmas table, it just is wonderful to share our Christmas meal with family and friends. I love this season.....and on that note, I just want to wish you all a very Happy and blessed Christmas.