Take Time to Notice {December 1 and 2}

A lot of my Facebook friends posted daily gratitudes during the month of November, with Thanksgiving as their focus for being grateful. 

Now that Thanksgiving is over and the holiday season is in full swing, it is easy to get overwhelmed with what needs to be done, where we need to go, shopping, baking, parties, Christmas cards, getting the house ready for guests, and so on, and so on...

I am making it a point to notice things each day during December that bring a smile to my face and let me catch my breath during this magical but exhausting season. And I want to write again...

December 1…My Christmas tree is a collection of memories: ornaments the kids made when they were little, ornaments hubs and I bought when we were first married, ornaments handed down form parents, and some new sparkly ornaments that celebrate the present. The tree topper is a mitten that my dad wore as a little boy during the brutal Chicago winters. And hanging from the thumb is a Cincinnati Bengals helmet. Dad was a Bengals fan and I’m sure he is smiling at the successful season they’re having. The Cleveland Browns are also represented for my loyal Browns fans, and maybe someday that Christmas miracle (or any miracle) will happen and they will have a decent team! Here’s to a month of twinkling lights and happy memories ~

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December 2...This, my friends, is how Dayton, Ohio does Christmas! Last night was the inaugural lighting of this 200 foot tree made up of 20,000 lights. It is the largest tree of lights in Ohio! While it was breathtaking to be up close at Carillon Park, it was also fun to drive around town view the tree from different vantage points. Merry Christmas!