Stockings Are Hung - Journal Your Christmas 2012

For years my stocking was hung on the mantle at my parent's house.  IT was understood that no matter what, our Christmas mornings would be spent with them.  I had apartments along the way, but none of them had a proper mantle for hanging a stocking.  I think I had one Christmas where I confiscated my stocking and had my own Christmas morning.  The Bug was one year old and we had a little house that had a little mantle.  I carefully hung the stocking that had been made for me as a "birth"day present...and created stockings for The Bug and the Bug's daddy.  I covered the mantle with garland and lights...even some ornaments...because we did not have a tree.  I was an odd, but very grown up feeling to wake up in my own home and watch The Bug pull all her little treasures from her stocking, and then put the stocking on her head.  That feeling and family unit only lasted the one Christmas...and then it was back to dear old Mom and Dad's.  

After that is was several years before I had the opportunity to hang my stocking in my own home.  The Bug and I moved out of my parent's house, but it still made sense to have Christmas morning with them.  My house had no mantle...my brother and his fiance had a place to sleep at the parentals home...so The Bug and I waited patiently for a time when we would have our own place to hang our stockings with care.  During the time we stayed with my parents my mom made a stocking for The Bug.  It was very similar to the style of my Mom and Dad's stockings.  So her original Eeyore stocking made its way to storage.  I missed that stocking the first couple of Christmases it was out of use.  It was one of the Bug's first Christmas presents...I think I even bought it before she was born.  It was time for change and that way my stocking could match my brother's and The Bug could match my Mom and Dad.  

Finally about three years ago we moved to Fort Worth.  We moved into a house complete with fireplace and mantle.  My mom was happy to hand over our stockings and again I took great pride in hanging them over our fireplace.  Our first year in this house I realized without my parents to fill my stocking...and without a husband to do the honors...I would totally have to fill it myself.  My mom offered an idea that Christmas I was on my own..."Sweetie why don't you just tell Robin Santa doesn't fill a grown up's stocking."  To that I replied..."Mom...The Bug has watched you and PawPaw empty your stockings...lovingly filled by Santa.  Now all of a sudden her Mom doesn't deserve the same treatment?"  I left the comfort of my home on Christmas Eve and found little trinkets to fill my stocking.  I must say...it was kind of fun picking out my own stocking gifts.  After that first year I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and my Mom moved into my house.  Yipee someone to fill my stocking...i guess I did miss the surprise of what might be in there.  So no matter what...even if I have to go back to filling my own stocking at some point...stockings are a must in my house on Christmas morning!

To the Moon and Back!
Sarah

My aunt gives me one of these every christmas!
Each one sits on the fireplace edge.

The mantle above the stockings

MiMi made this one out of felt...
it matches Mimi and PawPaw's stockings.
I love the little angel...it reminds me of the Bug

My stocking!  Patchwork goodness with my name lovingly embroidered at the top.
Of course the pup's stocking hangs by mine.
If I am being totally honest...
Rosie's stocking has been empty for a couple of
Christmases...bad puppy mommy!

This is part of the forest below the stockings.
On the yearsBooBoo and his family stay in
Lumberton I put my ceramic trees here.
When the babies come to visit...
the hearth forest is strictly soft trees

No reason to include this...it is across the room from the stockings!
But I mean...who doesn't love Charlie Brown Christmas?

Time to Get Cozy - Journal Your Christmas 2012

I'm not sure how I feel about this title.  I mean I live in Texas...we don't usually get cozy until around February.  We are currently having temps in the mid 70s.  That type of weather doesn't really inspire me to hunker down with my favorite cocoa...or make me want to heat up the oven so we can make our traditional sugar cookies.  It also makes me think about getting "cozy" with that special someone.  I know gross...whatever....that's just what I thought.  After reading the prompt I remembered the perfect way I get cozy in a sub tropical climate...the holiday movie.
Thee Bug and I have several films that scream Christmas.  For a long time we would watch Annabelle with my aunt.  It is a movie about a calf and the special relationship she has with a boy who refuses to speak.  I don't want to give anything away but for an animated film it is a tearjerker.  As the Bug got older her taste in holiday films changed.  Now we have a couple of go to pictures.  We usually choose at least one movie to see over Thanksgiving break.  I remember heading out to Sundance theater after our huge Thanksgiving meal.  The whole family would go...I think we saw "The Santa Clause"...maybe "Liar Liar"..."Elf" there are so many.  Now I continue that tradition with my girl.  We went to see "Tangled" a couple of years ago and this year we took in "Rise of the Gaurdians."  I thought the sandman was adorable.   
Now we also curl up and watch movies at home over the holidays.  The Bug is out of school we have at least a couple of days that we get cool weather and we can stay in our pajamas cuddle up on the couch and watch something great.  "Elf" makes the home cut every year.  We can both quote most of it from memory.  Liar Liar is another favorite.  I have talked about watching the specials the show up every year on television.  Rudolph, Frosty, Charlie Brown....I may be more into these now that the Bug...but I know she will come back around to these...I did.  
So this is how we manage to get cozy in 70  degree weather.  We crank up the AC put on our flannel PJs and watch something great on DVD!  What do you do to get cozy for the Holidays?  Do you have a go to holiday movie? tradition?
To the moon and back,
Sarah