I'm Thankful and Going To the Bright Side!

Salvation Army bells started ringing the day after Halloween around here. Christmas candy was being put out next to the Halloween stuff - before Halloween. There is a whole holiday in the middle, people! Have we forgotten about Thanksgiving??? I mean, are we in that much of a hurry to get to Christmas that we can't stop to be thankful!? I love Thanksgiving! It's my mom's holiday. Back in the day we would have the grandmas, all of my aunts, uncles and cousins from both sides of the family over at our house for the whole day! Ahhhh, I remember it well...Aimee and I would be setting one of the 6 tables we had set up, while watching the Thanksgiving Day parade, keeping track of the floaty balloons going by and waiting for our favorites. My mom would be making food all morning long. She had already stocked the fridge and freezer with all of our traditional favorites. Ham and Turkey of course. Butter with mashed potatoes! :) Pickles and olives. Peppermint ice cream. Those creamy pastel mints with the white sprinkles on the bottom. Our Thanksgiving traditions have changed a bit since but we still get together with the whole Riddering clan! And we have some things that have become new traditions. I'm a very nostalgic person so change is not fun for me. But a lot is changing with the coming holidays. And guess what? I've learned to embrace the changes as part of the fun!

So, after saying all of that...I am usually the person who despises, well maybe not despises let's just say, doesn't like, Christmas music and decorations before Thanksgiving. (Sorry Kate!)

But not this year! I don't know what it is. It's definitely not the weather. Bright and sunny today. Cold though. But I am excited this year! I will wait to put up my tree and lights and decorations but I can't seem to help but listen to the Christmas music. We listened to it at "cards" the other night and that was it. It was like something clicked in me. I actually had it playing this morning while I was doing my dishes. It made for such a nice chore. Christmas is coming! I'm excited for the shopping, the wrapping, the cooking and cleaning - All Of It! Can't wait!!!

Now, if we could just have some snow...yeah, that would be good!