The taste of Christmas

Max bought (with my money of course) the first egg nog of the season today. This is against my approval. I love egg nog but should not be drank before November 1. Really Thanksgiving bit I'll give you November 1.

As we discussed our love for egg nog with Ashlyn - she is not much of a fan - Max (as he was holding up his cup of egg nog said it best "If Christmas had a taste, this would be it." True son. True.

Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree

One of my favorite things at Christmas is ready Christmas books. I don't get the chance to read Christmas books with the boys too often any more but occasionally it does happen. Like tonight when Pierce was all snuggled into bed and said "will you read me a Christmas book?" I could not have answered "yes" any faster and he has no idea how that fills my heart. I thought we might read two but by the end of Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree, my 10 year old's eyes were hardly with me.

Christmas Tree Hunting

After our tree was all decorated and all the boys helped, Max commented that he thinks next year we should go back to going to a tree farm, picking out our own and cutting it down. "I love doing that," he said.

I'm in buddy. We stopped because the boys lost interest and one year we were very short on time. I should never have let it stop. So next year, strong boy, we're doing it and you're in charge! The journey, the memories, the selection, the work and the laughter are priceless. And sometimes the scrawniest trees, the one that looks like it will not be anything, is the one filled with most memories. My parents told the story again this year of our Charlie Brown Tree and the one that had to be tied up to stay up.

Here's to enjoying this season and the trek of finding the tree next year. 

Nashville Christmas

Congratulations, Nashville, Aunt Niese and Uncle Jerry, and the long driving day yesterday, you wore my kids out. All had the option to stay up later because we're celebrating Christmas this weekend. The big kid choose to go to bed, the little one fell asleep with the light on and the middle one turned his head from the football game.  Wow. This is not an easy task.

The boys and Niese the day with a trip to Dunkin' Donuts. Then it was off to the Percy Dam, a two mile hike, lunch at home, football in the yard, a visit to LP Field home of the Titans, walking downtown Nashville, seeing the Capital and the inspiring Tennessee timeline, seeing Ryman Auditorium - original home of Grand Ole Opry, Antique Archaeology affiliated with American Pickers on History Channel (one store in Nashville, the other in LeClaire, Iowa) and checking out the country music recording studios. We finished the day off playing Dirty Dice a four year Beckman family tradition and celebrating Graham's birthday - doing one each day since we don't see Deniese and Jerry near the kids' birthdays. I get why everyone is tired!

Beckmans at Antique Archaelology - Nashville, TN

More lies ahead tomorrow.