of christmas spirit, and a moose

As I sit here writing this post,

 it is the early morning hours

here in Southern California. 

 The sun is finding its way up and over our lovely mountains

that surround our little valley.

The temperature here today will be 70 degrees.

But even with all of this lovely weather and beautiful

location that I live in,

there is something that I must admit.

I  admit I have been slow to "receive" the Christmas Spirit this year.

It could be that we won't be seeing our daughter, son-in-law

and baby granddaughter, Gianna, this Christmas.

It could be that I don't relish the idea of "taking down" all

of the Christmas decorations at the end of the month and

storing them all away.

I am sure it is some of both.

This past weekend I decided that I only would put up

"some" of my decor to make it look Christmas(y)...

Because, I still have two granddaughter's here who will want

to see Cookie & Papa's house readied for Santa!

We purchased our tree this past weekend and as we started to hang

each ornament on the tree,

(many handmade by my own children)

the memories of our children gifting these ornaments to us and

the excitement on each of their faces

as they watched us open their creations;

... my heart was warming.

The many years of their little hands hanging their prized creations on our

Christmas tree year after year...

Well, how could that NOT put the Christmas Spirit into my heart?



Our kids made these little snowmen one Christmas with
their Great Aunt.



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One of my decorations that I put up each year,

is this little big guy.

Our Christmas Moose.

He recently told me that he is pretty tired of only sitting on this ledge,

every Christmas season.

He says that he may have been inspired this year by all of the posts of this

little rascal...

I told him that he looks wonderful right -where- he- is,

as he sits at the entrance to our home,

and greets everyone as they come through our door.

I also said that I do not like some of the places that,

that naughty elf has been found

AND...

MOOSE??

MOOSE!!!!!