*listening to Christmas music the Thanksgiving Day. Especially the Gipsy Kings Christmas album. Oh and having my ipod hookup in my car so I could listen to my own mix rather then the radios. (there are just too many songs I can't stand on the radio)
*John taking a day off work to put up Christmas lights. Years past its taken him
weeks trying to do it after work and in the freezing cold.
*John's work Christmas party. Don't know why, but I actually enjoy a
good work Christmas party.
*Eleanor's Christmas Dress. Loved it!
*Putting Eleanor in her snow suit and letting her play in the snow. She LOVES the cold weather.
*Having my parent's up for the first
part of the season.
*Getting a new Hall family photo.
*Going shopping for stocking stuffers wi
th my mom. She always does the BEST stockings. Thanks mom!
*Looking at lights every night. Hearing Eleanor say "Hi lights, Bye lights" and waiving to every house we passed. We did this nearly every night since Thanksgiving. Hearing Eleanor say the same thing to the lights she could see outside our windows.
*Putting Eleanor to bed each night and hearing her tell the Christmas tree, the lights and the little tree in her room "night night".
*Going to the temple lights with John, Eleanor, Sara, Dick, Abby and Rachel. Eleanor ONLY wanted Dick to hold her.
*Getting every one's Christmas cards. I LOVE seeing photos and reading up on everyone. I also enjoy sending out Christmas cards to all our friends and family.
*Christmas Eve at John's parents. Watching the grandkids exchange gifts. Watching Eleanor play with the big kids on the basket ball court. Making the traditional cranber
ry pudding (thanks Elizabeth). Having it snow 10 inches in less then 2 hours! Letting Eleanor open her pjs. Visiting grandma and grandpa Hatch. Looking at the lights at Salem pond.
*Christmas Eve at our house. Putting Eleanor to sleep then turning on a movie (deck the halls, about the lamest movie made) and putting together Eleanor's play kitchen. I think I was more excited for it then Eleanor was! Making sure the house was all clean for Christmas morning. Stuffing John and Eleanor's stockings. Not going to bed until 2am.
*Christmas Day!!!!!! I loved that Eleanor got up at 5am and was in such a happy mood! She played in her crib until John got the video camera ready. We had
her open her stocking first, which she wasn't really into. She wanted to open all the doors and drawers of her kitchen and figured out how to pull out the sink and use it as a stool. At first she wouldn't open any presents, I think it was from weeks of us telling her NO, but by the end she had it down pretty good. So good, that she thought the box of her crayons was wrapping paper and ripped right through it. She LOVED coloring on her dog coloring book. Watching John open his gifts and being happy with them. Opening my gifts and LOVING them all. Making our traditional Christmas breakfast casserole. Listen to Christmas
music and just hanging out with John and Eleanor. Talking to my p
arents on the phone. Grandpa and Grandma Martin stopping buy to see what Santa left. Going sledding with the Greenbergs and the Martins. Watching John take the first run and hitting a huge jump and hurting his tale bone. Trying to introduce Eleanor to sledding, she didn't quite like it. Having dinner with just our small family and starting a new Christmas dinner tradition of crab legs and homemade shrimp pesto.
*Going with the Baldwins to a condo up Ogden canyon. Playing the Wii and eating good food!
*Going to the Apple store with John and buying my new imac!!!
