Thanksgiving is almost here!

The much anticipated Thanksgiving tree is sparkling away in my living room!  I won't say it's complete as I have a few more ideas to add.  I would love to reprint some old family photographs in sepia tones and nestle them into the branches.  Maybe some raffia?  Either way, I am absolutely enjoying my Thanksgiving tree!  The quilt you see underneath it was made by my great grandmother and the writing in the white border is her "signature."
The holidays will have a different budget this year so we're trying something I saw on the Internet.  Everyone will receive four gifts, no more and no less.  One each of the following:  something I want, something I need, something to wear, something to read.  We have established a total budget for all four items and everyone will make a list of ideas.  Santa will, naturally, still fill our stockings with fun odds and ends.
Our holiday finances are a result of a great blessing; the change in my job.  I rarely work five days a week any longer and consider this such an amazing fact that I still can't believe it's true.  The ladies of the family have scheduled a Monday cookie baking day during which we shall bake our brains out and watch Christmas movies like White Christmas and Holiday in and The Bishop's Wife.  We'll have brunch together and all plan on wearing yoga pants so that we can test our products.
I'm scheduling myself off the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, have Thanksgiving off and I'm not working the Friday after either!  This is the first time in ten years I'll have those days off.  And don't even get me started on the week between Christmas and New Years!  Okay, get me started, I'm taking that off too!  So you understand why there's not quite so many dollars at our fingertips.  And why I don't mind one bit.
We'll have Thanksgiving dinner at my parent's house.  A few days later, we're all gathering there again to deck their halls and trim their tree.  Oh, and there's a Motown Review Christmas show at my sister's church on the calendar.  Christmas Eve with Mexican food here for daboyz and us and Christmas dinner with everyone at our house.
Yup!  I'm definitely excited about the celebrations that are about to begin.  All of them, honoring the Christ Child who came to die on my behalf and rose to breathe eternal life into my soul.  What better way to express the joy of Jesus than to embrace every moment that we can!