Christmas In July

It is currently July, and the middle of the summer.  The time of year for pool parties, sitting on the porch, popcycles, killing mosquitos and flies, catching fireflies and listening to people shooting off their left over fireworks.  Back to school is just around the corner, and the stores are starting to put up some displays for fall.  The Hallmark channel usually plays a lot of their made for tv Christmas movies to celebrate Christmas in July, and it always gets me in the holiday mood.

Christmas is my favorite  holiday!  I love  it all.  Christmas shopping early on Black Friday.  I love, love wrapping presents - I even offer to wrap my friend's presents.  Christmas music - I listen to it all year long.  Christmas movies - oh yeah.  All year.  I love to read the story of Christmas in the Bible every night with my daughter - verse by verse.  I love Christmas decorations at our church, stores and our house.  I love hot chocolate and candy canes and making paper chains - all of it.  So I decided one time a year is not enough to experience it all.  I love to celebrate Christmas in July by remembering..

One memory is from when my daughter Tatum was about 7, and a big Hannah Montana fan.  She and I went into Dillard's to Christmas shop at opening time on a Saturday morning.  We couldn't help but see the glaring stage set up in the middle of the store covered with Hannah Montana merchandise.  It was a big promotional advertising a giveaway basket FULL of H.M stuff.  In order to enter, you had to get on the stage (which was about 3 feet tall) and sing a Hannah song into the microphone, while a store employee took your picture.  Then they entered your picture into a box and pulled one lucky face out to win.  Well...of course we had to do it!  Tatum was About-To-Die for that giveaway basket.  So she got up there and did her thing.  But she reallyreallyreally wanted it, so guess who else had to get up there?  It was very embarrassing.  I am very short, but was actually too tall for this silly stage, and forget having to sing.  My only solace was that with it being right at opening time - no one would witness my spectacle.  So I belted out my song and got my picture taken on the tiny stage - then looked straight at 3 - seriously - 3 people there that I knew.  At least they applauded for me!

I absolutely love black friday shopping.  My family all gets up really early - take our dog Finn out in complete darkness - then we head out.  To the stores!!  This last year we hit up Target then breakfast at Steak and Shake as the sun was coming up.  Next it was off to Kohl's.  The newspaper ads showed that Kohl's was selling a gigantic suitcase for $20!  My mom and I stalked that store, trolling all around to find the suitcase.  When we couldn't find one I asked an employee who broke my heart by telling me they were all sold out.  But wait a minute!  My mom found one some poor sap had tried to hide.  Amateur.  I carried that bad boy all over that store for a long time, and through a long line.  Never stopping to complain about the weight, my aching neck and shoulders, it was worth it!  $20.00!  When it came my turn at the checkout counter I unloaded it from my shoulders and slid it across the counter.  Well apparently it was too heavy for the cashier, who wasted no time popping out the handle and WHEELS the suitcase featured.  That would of been nice to know about!!

I also have had some Christmas triumphs.  Your talking to the winner of an Ugly Christmas Sweater contest, thank you very much.  The ugly christmas sweater contest was put on by my friends in the Red Hat Society-an  amazing group of women.  I believe it was the Christmas year before last that we show up for our Christmas party, with lots of food, and super fun Christmas games our hostess always puts together.  (My favorite is guess the hot celebrity male body).  Well someone was hinting that we had some more entertainment coming later on.  I didn't know if this was true or not, and if so, what it could be.  Christmas carolers maybe?  Nope - she said that it was men and they were coming to put on a private show just for us.   What does that bring to your mind?  Cause I automatically pictured male strippers.  And I didn't know how I felt about that.  Then the group of men showed up at the house, and one look at their out of shape bodies and I knew exactly how I felt about it.  Thank goodness they ended up only being a doo wop quartet, and they put on a really good show - once I realized everything was staying on I was able to relax and enjoy it a lot more.

Speaking of Christmas carolers.  One year I went grocery shopping in my favorite grocery store on a busy Saturday morning.  It was so festive, with the decorations and free samples everywhere.  Everyone was happy and smiling.  The store had sprung for a group to stroll around the store singing beautiful old Christmas songs.  Everyone in the store seemed to enjoy the music - I did.  My husband Bret has a good friend who works in that store and works in the dairy department.  I rounded the corner to say hi to him as I enjoy doing every Saturday.  I said, "Hi - don't you love this music and the representation of the Christmas spirit!"

He said, " %&*^ no, I don't like these singers.  I'm trying to do my job and how am I supposed to do that with those %$#@ singers coming and getting in my way.  Whole thing's giving me a headache."  I left him and parked my cart in the next aisle over.  Seriously considering whether or not to slip the singers a 20 if they would go sing exclusively in the dairy department for 5 minutes.

I love to decorate our home with beautiful Christmas decorations.  For my job, I run an in home daycare, so our house is always filled with the delightful sounds of children.  The children like to put their own special flare on my Christmas decorations.  One of my prized possessions is my beautiful nativity scene.  I like to put it by our front door for everyone to see.  The kids decided it was feeling a little empty.  So they added a little flair....I guess the wisemen's head looked cold, and they looked a little hungry for a piece of pizza.

Of course there are lots of Christmas mishaps like accidentally putting the wrong name tags on your kid's Christmas presents.  And having the big boy open the little girl's present on accident.  And then really believing  that we bought that girly toy for him.   Or working backstage at our church's Christmas play and getting stuck in between 2 teenagers flirting.  Just kill me.  Or slaving in your kitchen to make and decorate Christmas cookies, only to hand them to your children to deliver - and then watching the children drop every single container on the ground.

But the mishaps just make good memories.  "Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn't come from a store."   Because for me...you just can't buy these kind of memories.

Joy

That Will Be There For All People,

Today In The Town Of David

A Savior

Has Been Born To You, He Is

Christ The Lord

Luke 2:10

P.S  We didn't win the Hannah Montana basket.