It's Perfect...

December is, quite possibly, my favorite month of the year. It could have something to do with the fact that it plays host, not only to Christmas, but also to my birthday. As a child, I sometimes resented the fact that all of my gifts came once a year (one the reasons I was so stuck on getting married in June); but as I have gotten older and wiser, I have actually come to appreciate the fact that I was born in a month when halls everywhere are bedecked. When twinkle lights cover front porches, and Christmas trees sparkle in windows, and "Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas" blares out over loud speakers at gas stations.

It's no secret... I love Christmas. Almost as much as I love pumpkins... which is why this is the perfect beverage for me.

And you might notice that the Chick-fil-A cow got a little ho ho ho decoration as well. After all, everyone needs a little Christmas cheer, even giant stuffed cows, right?

On Black Friday - the day when shoppers of America go nuts - I steer clear of the traffic and direct certain members of my extended family up the mountain to a local "Choose and Cut" Christmas tree farm. It's always a struggle to find the "perfect" tree. My parents tend to pick the one closest to the trail, while Peter enjoys blazing his own way, hunting perfection off the beaten path and popping out from among the trees to offer comments like, "Dr. Livingstone, I presume!"

After the tree is cut, and we take advantage of the free cider and hot chocolate at the little farm store, we drive back down the mountain, feeling festive with our tree-topped car. My parents will stand their tree up outside for several days, making us wonder why we go to the effort of cutting down a fresh tree rather than stopping at one of the plethora of tree lots between here and the farm, but in the end, they go because they like the experience. It's never been about the freshness of the tree, it's always been about making new memories. 

On the other hand, our tree is always up in the stand later that day. There are never enough lights, so we always make last minute trips to buy more. Ever since our first married Christmas, we've had red bubble lights on the tree, causing my dad to be a bit nostalgic when he comes to visit. We like them because they make our tree a little bit different from the rest... just like us. 

After the tree is up and we find room for every last ornament in the box (I'm a notorious collector on our travels and can tell you the story of each and every bobble on the tree), we pour a glass of pumpkin egg nog and sit back to enjoy our work. While there are times each year when I am overwhelmed by the number of boxes that have to be lugged up and down the basement stairs, I'm always happy with the end result. And every year, Peter makes the comment that it really is his favorite season. I have to agree. 

Welcome, December!

What's YOUR favorite holiday/season?