The day after Halloween is our FAVORITE day of the year because it's the day we kick off the Christmas season!!!!
Samantha and Kaya were awake before dawn putting away the Halloween decor and creating a "To Do" list with tasks for each of us to accomplish. Kirsten and Addy were second to rise but were not home because they had volunteered to go out to buy some necessities.
By the time Molly and I got up much had been checked off the To Do list and we had been assigned the task of getting the decoration boxes and the tree out of storage
"Wow that was heavy, I think we have too much decorations!" Molly huffed.
"No way!" I debated, "There is no such thing as too much when it comes to anything Christmas!!"
"I agree!" piped up Kaya.
"Me too," Samantha added. "However Molly is right, we do have A LOT so let's get to work!"
It was shortly after that when Miss Sleeping Beauty, Rebecca, came bounding into the living room, still in her pajamas no less!
"Hooray, you've already got out the boxes! Have you gotten out my Hanukkah stuff?... 
...Oh how I love my menorah and dreidel! Let's play dreidel! Where is it!!!??" Although she just woke up Rebecca was excitedly firing questions at us like a machine-gun!
That's when I interrupted, "Rebecca darling, we have been working all morning to get cleaned up and ready for the Holidays, while you have been snoozing away."
"I'm so sorry but if I'm going to be a famous actress someday I must get plenty of beauty sleep! What can I do to help now?"
Then Samantha chimed in, "Speaking of beauty sleep, how is that you wake up with such perfect curly hair every morning? You, my friend, are fabulous and beautiful no matter how much sleep you get! Now go get dressed. I have a list of chores for you to do..."
Then before Sam could list off the chores our rascally kittens created a distraction by climbing into the ornament box and....
...up into the tree! "No no Nudge, you are such a little pesky kitty and too cute for you're own good!!" Molly gently scolded as she pried the kitten out of the tree.
The diversion created just enough time for Rebecca to spot her beloved Hanukkah decorations in the box Kaya was unloading.
"MY MENORAHS!" She shouted.
"Oh this one is our antique menorah, it's been in our family for generations!"
"It's beautiful, Beckie. Would you like me to put it on the sideboard for you so you can go get dressed?" Kaya asked.
I must say the shiny menorah does look magnificent on the top shelf. We are so lucky to have Rebecca as a friend so that she can share her Hannukah traditions with us as well as our Christmas traditions.
Delaying her responsibilities Rebecca begged, "Can't we play just one round of dreidel, real quick!?"
However, that's right when Addy and Kirsten returned from running errands with quite a hefty bundle in their arms.
"We're home!" Addy called out.
"And I could use an extra hand, please!" said a small sweet voice from behind an arm load of packages.
We ran to the door to help Kirsten and Addy and that is when the real fun began!!
Once they had returned with all our ingredients for a magical Christmas we kicked it into high gear and before long the house was decked out and smelling of fresh baked goods!!
Kirsten is a wonderful baker so she made us a feast of cookies and cinnamon buns and cake and fresh bread!
Kirsten also baked gingerbread for Samantha's gingerbread houses.
Sam carefully added candies to her gingerbread house while the rest of us trimmed the tree.
We picked about four or five ornaments each to arrange on the tree.
"These little wooden ornaments are so cute," Addy commented.
"I love this patriotic snowman," said Molly.
"My favorite ornament is the Russian stacking doll," said Rebecca.
"I think these ceramic ornaments are neat, especially this red cardinal one," remarked Kaya.
I threw my hands up in the air and announced, "As for me, well I can't pick. I love them all... I just love EVERYTHING about Christmas!!!"
Do you have a special holiday decoration that you love?
The neat thing about holiday decorations is that when they come out of the box they trigger happy memories and fill you up with joy!
What decorations do you have that help you remember those happy times?
