Does anyone else smell roasting chestnuts?

Ah, only seven days until Christmas. This calls for a list!

The Top Ten Best Things About the Christmas Season

10. Stockings - Stockings in some ways are better than the actual presents under the tree. Mom always has a beautiful presentation on Christmas morning and the stockings are always the first thing I go for. They're filled with fun little trinkets and doodads. Do you see how infectious the Christmas spirit is? I'm using the words trinkets and doodads.

9. Seeing family you haven't seen all year - Most of you think this should probably be closer to the bottom, and I guess it should, but my family is crazy. Not to say that I don't enjoy them, because I dearly love them. But my dad and uncle always get their panties in a twist and my cousin always gets upset by my aunt, and well, just family stuff. But when we get all together, we have a great time.

8. Buying presents - It's fun to shop in the first place, but shopping for gifts is usually pretty fun. I always have a really hard time shopping for Dad, and Austin usually takes me a while to figure out, but otherwise, it's an easy thing to do that gets me in the Christmas mood. And that's what it's all about, right?

7. Getting presents - I'm not going to lie. I like receiving just a little bit better than giving. But just barely. But opening presents is only fun when those around you are doing the same and experiencing the same feelings.

6. Christmas movies - I love movies, and some of my favorites are of the Christmas variety, like "The Santa Clause," or, "A Christmas Story." (If you haven't seen it, catch it on TNT all Christmas Eve and Christmas Day--it's a must.) Watching one of these light movies with the same morals of family and Christmasness is one of the absolute best ways to get into the Christmas season, especially when they start in November!

5. Holiday specials - A prime example of this one is "A Charlie Brown Christmas." It's incredibly fun to see the characters you watch every week (for those of you who watch as much TV as I do) go through the holiday season. This year, my favorite has definitely been The Office's, "A Benihana Christmas." It was one of the funniest episodes of the season, but also emphasized the holiday season in a hilarious way. Catch it if you can.

4. Christmas music - The one thing that my brain truly triggers as being the Christmas season is the Choir Christmas concert every year. Hearing the traditional carols/precessionals/pieces that I've known for approximately eleven years is comforting to say the least and is one of my favorite Christmas events of all time. (see also #3) Being a part of it isn't too bad, either. I also love how every store releases a limited edition Christmas album, though I never buy them (that's Sarah's job). It's fun to hear modern day musicians break out of their everyday mold and get into the spirit with everyone else.

3. Traditions - One minor tradition my family has is that we can only open up on present on Christmas Eve and have to save the rest for the next morning. This is usually the last thing we do before going to bed and after watching some sort of holiday movie. Though it's hard for me to resist opening more, I'm always thankful for this because Christmas morning is well worth the wait. My family doesn't have many traditions in general, but every year on Christmas Eve, for as long as I can remember, my brother, sister, and I all sleep in the same room. It's one I hope to continue for as long as I can and encourage my children (if I have any) to carry on. We each have already made plans for what we'll do the first time one of us can't be there. A Christmas without this tradition wouldn't be one at all to me.

2. The Spirit - Shoppers on Black Friday whine about the insanity of women clamoring for the last Tickle Me Elmo, but when it comes down to it, people generally behave better on Christmas. It's the one time of year, that people slow down and take a break from their jobs, however short it may be, to appreciate those around them and be thankful for what they have (because everyone knows that Thanksgiving isn't really a cool holiday and saves all of their thanking for Christmas). People give to charity and volunteer at shelters when they necessarily wouldn't have otherwise. In short (you wish), Christmas brings out the best in all of us.

1. Christmas morning - Everything on this list just builds up to the one moment everyone waits for--Christmas morning. At our old house, the three of us kids would always wake up the rest of the household, then wait anxiously in the kitchen for them to amble in and settle in the living room. Once this was done, we would race in and take in everything. No matter what is recieved, it's the feelings that count. My dad, the twenty-first century's Ebenezer Scrooge, even gets excited about it. I love watching my family open my gifts to them, not to mention seeing what Santa brings.

Oh, crap. I left him off of this list. The real Santa now lives in Iowa, though. So, I guess it's okay. Ah, the products of not being able to sleep are amazing, aren't they?

Anyway, I hope this post has helped to enlighten the few of you who will read it as to why I love Christmas and to get into the Christmas spirit.