Who else loves the spirit of Christmas??

[*babygirl*]

All this talk of Christmas has me so excited!!! It's not about the presents (giving or recieving them) but just everything?! The whole mood..... Shopping with every store sprouting green and red.
Putting up the Christmas tree and lights and eating the candy canes off the tree.
Reading 'the night before christmas' to the kids for the weeks before.
School holidays and all the time you spend together.
Planning Christmas eve dinner, Christmas lunch/dinner and making place settings for the people you love.
Trying to figure out where you are going to seat everyone and the 'kids table'
wrapping presents christmas eve knowing the kids will be beside themselves in the morning.
Hving everyone stay over Xmas eve and sitting up late telling stories from the year gone and planning the year to come.
Waking up at 5am and all running out to the tree. Opening presents and taking photos of everyone so happy!!
Making breakfast and playing board games all before 7am!

I love love love the energy in my family at Christmas, I love the sense of excitement the children bring, the good food an wishes and gifts we share and the leftovers that see you through days!! I grew up as one of six children and my parents were very well off but it's not the gift giving I remember it's the smiles and the sense of family and love and enjoyment that I hold so fondly in my memories!!! As we've gotten older we are bringing partners and children into the mix Christmas is just getting bigger and bigger!!! And I love having more people to share it with!!!!

Who else lives Christmas and what's your favourite part/tradition???

[Boobycino]

I'm a Christmas-a-holic

Best things about Christmas would be carols and Christmas decorations!!!!!!

I LOVE covering my home in decorations, playing my well loved Christmas CDs and singing along loud and proud.

I did this even before I had Jasper. Actually this is the first year he'll probably really appreciate the lights and music.

I also LOVE giving gifts.

If I could either only receive gifts or give gifts at Christmas for the rest of my life I'd rather give them :yes: 100 %

I love Christmas movies! I love the Santa clause, I love all the movies about believing in the magic of Christmas.

I love eating till I 'splode, then eating some more :D

I love everything. :goodvibes:

19 days till I put up decorations!!! (1st of December)

[Vericarra]

Going to sleep exhausted at the end of the day :sleeping: But wishing you could wake up to christmas again in the morning :fingerscrossed: :laughing:

[*babygirl*]

Yay!!! Vericarra I do normally as we go to my aunties for boxing day and have a seafood BBQ feast an swim and open more gifts!!! I love my aunty!! She is my most favourte person in the world!! She is the most selfless caring lovable person I've ever met and I think about her gift ALL YEAR!!

Sleepless beauty!! I love the Christmas cd's too!! Little drummer boy is my fav!!! An the decorations are so so much fun I don't know if I can wait till the first!!!!! I'm heading to myer this week to buy my yearly addition to the Xmas bauble collection :)

I was like this too but I went from being a kid to having a baby lol so I never went without the excuse lol!

[lotheryn]

I love love love Xmas! It is my favourite time of the year. And not because of the presents (I love giving presents... and Xmas is the best excuse ever)

My main reason for LOVING Xmas, is family - when I was growing up it was the only time that my WHOLE family got together - all 21 cousins by the end of the Close Clan Breeding - and seeing my grandparents, and going to the beach as a big gaggle of kids. GREAT! Now I love it even more - because I have 3-4 xmases in total! My Mum & her family, My dad and his, My partners family and just the two of us! All spread out over about 2 months!

BUT (and this is most exciting) hopefully I can start planning my own family xmas for next year! So it can all start again!

Unfortunately, my DP is a bit of a humbug - doesn't like Xmas much!

[Vericarra]

ooooooooo! can't wait to do the baby thing for xmas, stockings, pressies, little cute outfits :D but not till next year :devil6:
Have you done some of your shopping Babygirl?

Holy mistletoe Lotheryn!!! 3-4 xmas' is EPIC

[Thermolicious]

I do! So sad reading this thread knowing we will be away from family! But you have all inspired me to make it special anyway :smiliedance: Hubby is on R&R this year so we will make the most of it :yes:

[waterlily]

I LOVE Christmas!! I love putting all the decorations up and hearing the Chrissy songs playing while I'm shopping and seeing all the lovely Christmas colours :bee:

Because DD will destroy the tree we are going to put it up Christmas eve when she is asleep, then have her wake up to a beautifully decorated tree filled with pressies.

I brought some big reindeers for DD and DH to decorate to liven the place up because we won't have a tree :(

DHs family don't have Christmas for religious reasons, so DH had his first christmas with me because I'm Christmas CRAZY :laughing: now he loves it!!

We will be having a seafood BBQ Chrissy day at Mums then a traditional feast with my Aunty boxing day!!!

Let the count down begin!!!!

[Beck13]

I love it too and even more since having kids. This year I'm super excited as ds1 is almost 4 so is quite into it and I'm really looking forward to all the christmas crafts we can do. I've been scoping the net looking for ideas for the past week! All pressies for family will be home made - what can you really buy for nana and poppa? They just love to receive gifts made by the kids. This year we are doing a canvas with the kids handprints on, a photo of the two of them and a beautiful little poem expecially for grandparents. We are also making heaps of christmas decorations to decorate the house and tree. I also love christmas cooking!! Love to made chocolates and biscuits and put together little baskets for friends. You've got me all excited now!!

*babygirl* - I love the little drummer boy too! That brought back memories - my dad absolutely hates it so we used to play it over and over as kids!

Must go now and pull out the christmas cd's!!

[lotheryn]

Yeah! I know... We can usually stretch out, but for a few years we had three in one day (total of 12 hours driving) because that was the only time peeps were available... And because DP and I both work right up to Xmas eve and start again on boxing day (retail and health industries - need I say more)!

We wake up boxing day morning thanking goodness that we only have work to go to! And not another Xmas dinner/lunch/breakfast!

[*babygirl*]

Vericarra I have it all done except for my secret santa and the shopping for baked gifts, puddings and such I'll make them the week before Xmas.... Now it's just buying craft things to do to decorate the tree :) love it!!!! Everyones traditions sound so awesome! Keep them coming!!

[Vericarra]

Wow that's going to be a squeeze for you with having to work Lotheryn>.<
Perhaps you will have to all get together and do a huge family lunch again when you have more time... just incase you miss out on anything this year :yes:

hmm baked goods... i've been guilty of tucking in to the cake and fruit mince pies a bit early this year *hides* but they put them on the shelves so i have to have them!!! right?!
Oh check this out;
http://www.suite101.com/content/cookie-mix-in-a-jar-easy-holiday-gift-to-make-a78988
It's a really cute idea for one of those 'last minute' but thoughtful gifts.

[tootiredtosleep]

I'm really looking forward to spending time with all my family and just relaxing. I am having a few weeks off work (apart from one weekend mid Dec which will pay for our Xmas). Last year I missed a few Xmas parties because of work, but this time I won't be.

I can't wait to put up our tree, lights and decorations. Last year I bought a Christmas stamp and lots of stickers and scrapbook paper and we made paper chains. DD1 loved them and we have meters and meters of them and plan to make more this year. We will make shortbread again too.

My families best present this year will be a new niece/cousin/grand-daughter. My sis is due 18th Dec and I can't wait!

[JJZK]

Christmas is my most favourite time of the year. It is all about family for me. Like one PP said, it was the one time of the year almost all of the family would gather at my Grandparents place. Some of my cousins (I think there are 37 of us) we only ever saw at Christmas. We ate good food, got lots of cuddles and kisses and played to our heart's content. Nan, Mum and my Aunties made sure there was awesome food for everyone. Dad and my Uncles made sure everyone got a hit at cricket (out on the road). And Par... He was my magic at Christmas. He just loved us...

Now most of the 37 are grown up and having their own families. It is sad that we don't all get together now, but hopefully they are all making their own family Christmas traditions.

Sadly this is the first Christmas without my Par. My Nanna is finding it very hard to get excited but I am going to do everything I can to make this Christmas special for her. She has 3 new Great Grandkids to celebrate with, and I know my Par will be there in spirit...

[Pinkzy]

Christmas is my favourite time of the year. I love getting together with my family and DH's family and celebrating together. I especially love all the yummy food and this year I can have a drink too as I'm not pregnant anymore :D

I'm not looking forward to Xmas shopping...but I *am* looking forward to wrapping all the presents, decorating the tree and finding a special decoration for my DS as this is his 1st Christmas :)

[*babygirl*]

It's hard celebrating without the loved ones, we've only lost one person on my dads side, my grandfather, and he enjoyed watching all of us and it's our second year without him this year :(

I only have 3 cousins and that's on BOTH sides with two aunties and three uncles!!!! But my 5 siblings and 1 I think make the perfect amount :) I love Christmas with my dads side (this year... We alternate with mums side as my younger siblings have 50/50 care between mum and dad) as we are all so close... Mums side is good too but that side of the family is more low key and isn't as excitable lol!

I went shopping in myer this afternoon to buy my new 2010 decoration and I left with THREE lol! They were so beautiful I couldn't resist!! Can't wait to put th tree up... Thinking it might go up before decemeber lol!

[Boobycino]

Oh and I seriously need to learn how to make Yorkshire pudding ;)

[KelandGrant09]

I love, love, love Christmas :smiliedance:. Love putting the tree up and decorating. Love the family lunch. The excitement of christmas. I love going to the shops and seeing all the christmas stuff. I'm like a big kid when I go to the shops :laughing:. Christmas eve I'm going to Taree to see DS. I love seeing his face when he sees the presents I take him. Then home to watch carols by candlelight with DP. Christmas day brekkie and presents with DP and my brother, then off to see DP's mum, then off to my sister's for presents and lunch with the family. And I get to play with my 2 gorgeous nephews and watch their gorgeous little faces when they open their presents :D. I can't wait to put the tree up. I really want to put it up now, but I'll be a good girl and wait til 1st december :laughing:. Oh, I get to have 2 christmases, we're having a party on the 11th for friends :smiliedance:. Being going crazy buying all the stuff for the party. Can't wait :D