The Butlers' Quarters: Christmas 2009

I love Christmas! I wait all year for Christmas. I pretty much count down all year long, but that's something I've learned to keep to myself for fear of the Scrooges amongst us--I was literally hit in the arm at work when mentioning the three-month mark this past September. Grinchy, huh!? Anyway, since this was to be my first holiday season with a blog, I imagined myself writing festive posts about my love for all things yuletide and the delightful way that Rusty and I were celebrating and preparing. These posts were to fill the reader with such warmth and magic that they would bring back cherished childhood memories which had long been hibernating deep below the heavy daily responsibility that is being a grown up. Ah, disillusion! I quickly remembered that being a grown up can trump even Christmas sometimes. No, that's not true. But it can certainly trump writing about it on a sporadic blog. While December was filled with the usual treats and music and specials, it also brought along some stresses: changes at work, a new calling at church, and some illness. (And a fire across the street!) I wish this past year had offered me more time to revel in the season with fewer "real life" distractions, but I'm glad to be left with nice memories and happy pictures. One very good thing about Christmas, among so many, is that it always comes back. Eleven months, one week to go... ;)

Each Christmas since we were married, Rusty and I get a new ornament with the year on it. This S'mores Santa and reindeer is the collection's most recent addition.

We bought a gingerbread house kit to make together. It was fun and frustrating! I'm convinced that the people who decorated the example on the box were using more professional tools than those included. I like how our little house turned out, though. One day I came home and a few of the Spree candies out front were missing. Rusty said he felt a need to shovel the driveway a bit. :)