Coming Home For Christmas

I've been getting Stillestead ready for Claire and Jane.
Putting clean sheets on their beds, with fresh towels and bathroom supplies.
I've "come home" for Christmas a few times with my little family

years ago.

My mom would make the house magical.  

The house smelled good, our rooms were set up with plenty of blankets, 

cozy Christmas lights, and cute Christmas decor to make it cozy and warm.

  Those are memories I will never ever forget.

And I want my girls to feel like I did all those years ago.

I want them to remember coming home for Christmas.

I made snowflakes for the mantel while Kitty watched me

occasionally scratching my leg for attention.

There are a few Christmas movies I HAVE to watch every year.

Such as:

Muppets Christmas

It's A Wonderful Life

Holiday Inn

White Christmas

Last Christmas

Mickey's A Christmas Carol

And, of course, the Nutcracker Ballet.

Tonight, I begged Gigs to watch The Nutcracker with me.

I promised him I'd tickle his back the whole time if he would.

So he did, and so I did.

He worked on his train a little, then fell asleep on my lap.

Next year, he'll be on his mission.

That makes me so sad to think about.