But the prettiest sight to see is the holly

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Ev'rywhere you go;
Take a look in the five and ten glistening once again
With candy canes and silver lanes aglow.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Toys in ev'ry store
But the prettiest sight to see is the holly that will be
On your own front door..............................

These words have been replaying in my mind all day.

Although Thanksgiving was just a few days ago we have our tree.

This year we took Carter and Mason on their first real train ride.

The Tony Mabry & Glendon Mabry Families

When my hubs was younger his parents took him out to Battleground for a Christmas train ride. I've never heard of this before and I'm just amazed by it now). We took a 45 min ride in Yalcolt passing by a train station then going through a tunnel. I think I was just as amazed with it as my 3 year old was. We sat outside in the open caboose, and talked, saw the biggest cow; who's hip alone stood 6 feet tall, the boys saw Santa and Mason got a little stuffed reindeer and Carter got a monster truck Hot Wheel, but best of all I got use a trait that I learned in high school and over the years I have loved to be able to use in many occasion. The man who owned that cow was one of the train volunteers and when I stopped and listened I heard a sound that I heard oh so well. He was laughing with a muffed laugh. He was deaf. This truly made my day because that is the language I took in high school. I have admired the deaf from when I was a very young girl. I would sit in church and watch the mother in the front row sign to her daughter. It has become a part of me over all the years and I'm passing it on to my boys so that they might one day enjoy signing with the deaf. Today he learned a new sign, nice to meet you. I don't think there is anything else that could have topped this Christmas Tree Train Ride.  I might just have to make it a tradition for my family.

Carter helping Daddy with the tree

This is our sixth Christmas together, but with a growing family we are still creating tradition for our family

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The first Christmas my hubs and I didn't really celebrate it together. Our relationship was 3 days over a month new to us so we didn't feel like it was really time to celebrate it together even though we did hang out that evening. Our second we just moved into our first place together with one little baby baby in the tummy. It felt very special to have the secret between us knowing that is was just the start of our family and so many more to come with a growing family. Our third Carter (our oldest) was just a baby only 4 months old. (see 5 year mark) It was divine having our son that year as well it was the Christmas that my husband proposed with the ring and all. Next morning the plans that I had start before being pregnant went into full motion. Fourth Christmas together was Carter's second and was just after we got married. I couldn't believe that we were married and have a family, it still amazes me. The fifth Christmas we just bought our house, I was 36 weeks pregnant with our second son, Mason, and I was very overwhelmed with everything. Christmas was still wonderful and full of memories. We will see what the sixth has to hold for us.  

So far we have not really set any tradition but this year I'm trying to work on that. The train sounds like a perfect addition, as well as I have been gathering blankets for the homeless and we will be taking them to a shelter so that Carter can donate them. I want him to start understanding what it means to give to those in need at a very young age as I did. I believe my experience as truly made me a better person through my life and opened my heart to charity work that will never go away.

Mason's First Santa visit and Carter's Second