When G and I started dating way back when, I was going through a phase in life where the holidays didn't really strike a chord with me. Fortunately over the years I have been drawn out of that holiday funk. As long as we have been married, we have been hit and miss on Christmas decorating, though. When we lived in CO, it seemed that we were always going to OK and MO. Our feeling was why mess with it-or something to that effect. Since moving to MO, we have been battting 100%. That's right 2 for 2 years that the Christmas Tree is up in time for the holidays.

Last year we pondered what the Christmas of '05 would be like. We were in the adoption process, and figured we would be "with child". Today we have soaked it in. It started innocently enough...gradually bringing some boxes up while G was at Costco, and ended up with hauling up the tree, ornaments, and accessories. When G got home, she put on the Amy Grant Christmas CD and we took pictures and shot some film. These days I love Christmas. My Holiday cheer really starts with pulling out the ornaments that Mom and Dad gave me over the years. Mom is pretty good at putting the particular year each ornament was given. One I like is the Oriental Lady ornament she gave in 1986. First of all that is one strange ornament. Second of all, who knew? I think she was kin to Nostradomous or something. Looking at the ornament/year, and pondering the past holidays is one thing I look forward to doing when unpacking all that stuff.

I was one proud Daddy, so I called both Mom and Dad to so they could hear Benny making his funny rasberry sounds. When they started talking to him over the phone, his eyes lit up. I think they will like him. He now knows their voices. I hope they can come up to meet Benny soon. Yeah. I think my days of being ambivilent about Christmas are over.

The picture with Santa was taken with Paul. He is Karla's cute little boy. Karla is G's friend from Dallas, and they spent the weekend with us. Here husband has one of the best Italian joints in the free world. Pizza Getti. Check it out if you live around the Metroplex.