Holiday Bucket List

I say it approximately one million times every year, but I absolutely love the holiday season.  I love the anticipation of it all.  Thanksgiving, with all the food and family, is a quiet time to just reflect on our many blessings and enjoy time with family.   And of course, I love everything about Christmas...the bustle of stores and the challenge of finding the perfect gifts; the Christmas music; the quiet glow of candles and brightly lit trees in nearly every house; and the peaceful magic of the Christmas Eve celebration at church.

I just can't get enough, and my love for the season has only grown since Addison and Mackenzie came along.  Last year was the most fun yet, watching them experience so many new things, and I can already tell this year is going to be even better.

To ensure we make the most of these few magical weeks, I am declaring a Holiday Bucket List for our family....all things to accomplished between now and the end of the year.

What I've got so far (including some very basic things because I like to cross items off a list!):

1. Serve Thanksgiving dinner for our community at church.
2. Stuff ourselves again on Thanksgiving night with Jeremy's family.
3. Analyze the mountain of Black Friday sale papers with family on Thanksgiving evening...then go to bed instead of going shopping.  : )
4. Watch Love, Actually with my sister (holiday tradition!).
5. Watch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and The Santa Clause with A & M...likely many times over.
6. Stay up far too late each night of Thanksgiving week, talking, cooking, eating, and watching movies with family (including Laura Jo, who will be home most of the week!).
7. See a movie in the theater (a rare treat) with my mom and sister...we have done this the past couple of years, so it's kind of becoming tradition for us.
8. Ride through our favorite neighborhoods to see Christmas lights.
9. Take a walk around our own neighborhood to check out all the lights and decorations... we kind of started this last night by walking down the street to see a neighbor's tree through the window!
10. Get a picture with Santa (if the girls don't flip out, that is).
11. Make these fun little trees with the girls.
12. Go to holiday lights at the Chattanooga Zoo (thanks to a good deal on Groupon).
13. Bake and decorate Christmas cookies with the girls.
14. Stay up late wrapping gifts and finalizing the Christmas-morning setup with Jeremy, who is thankfully off work on Christmas Eve this year!
15. Read the Christmas story together as a family on Christmas Eve...we have a great book I am looking forward to introducing to Addison & Mackenzie.
16. Host a holiday get-together for some of our close friends.
17. Attend the Christmas Eve candlelight service with our family.
18. And in general, enjoy every moment of watching our girls experience all that the season has to offer.

One of my favorite pictures from last year, largely because Addison spent so much time gazing up at the tree like that; as if she was just in awe of it.

 Your turn...What's on your holiday bucket list??  What am I forgetting?