It's beginning to look (and smell) a lot like Christmas

Last year around this time I was not into the "Christmas Spirit" at all.  I had lost my last remaining grandparent who I felt the closet too.  Maybe it was because he was around the longest, but I was just out of it.  I did the bare minimum and pretended that I was happy and joyful. 

Well this year is the other end of the spectrum!  I got my Christmas tree last weekend with Jason and Bill and Holly came over and we all decorated it!  The tree makes me just happy!  Of course it has to be a live tree.  If I were to get a fake one, the smell would be missing.  That is probably one of my favorite parts of Christmas, the smell of a decorated tree. 

My other favorite part of Christmas is the baking!!!!!!  Man oh man, this year I am baking all sorts of goodies for everyone at work.  last year I did 4 types of fudges in multiples of 2 or 3 batches!  This year I am making a variety of my family favorites; Pumpkin bread (plain, raisin and chocolate chips), fudge (plain, rocky road, walnuts and chocolate with peanut butter), chocolate chip cookies with and without nuts, and finally oatmeal, with and without raisins!  Needless to say, my place is smelling incredible!!!!!  I don't want to leave, but it seems like I either bought too many ingredients or not enough (I HATE THAT!!!)  But I am finally on my last batch of oatmeal cookies, and then onto some simple cookies that I tested out last month at work and everyone loved them.  But then again, I might just stick to the stuff I have baked already.

The place is decorated with my nativity scene as well as my grandma's Christmas tree.  It is much more cozy and inviting than last year.