Christmas in July

So, most of you who know me know my addiction to Christmas. And it's not even the presents that excite me. I love to decorate for Christmas. It's probably my favorite thing I do all year. First of all, I can't take all the blame for the over decorating as my husband is coming close to the equivalent of Clark Griswold. More lights every year, and most of them have to flash and a few of them play music. It's crazy. So what fun would it be if the outside was all decked out and the inside was just sparse. That would not be fun. So, yes, I go all out. There is not a flat surface in my house, horizontal or vertical, that does not get decorated in some way. It looks like Santa threw up in my house.

For the past several years I have had two trees. This year I will be adding two more. Which brings me to the real reason for this post. This weekend is the Hallmark Ornament Premier Weekend. I couldn't be more excited if it were my birthday or well, Christmas. I will be at my local Hallmark store bright and early on Saturday morning. Waiting impatiently for the doors to open so I can start stocking up on all those lovely little ornaments. I am a member of the Hallmark Ornament Club and there will be special deals and ornaments for club members only. Writing this I really do feel like a nerd, but I don't care. It's really my one vice, so don't spoil my fun. Actually I blame this addiction (and it is and addiction, I may need and intervention!) on my brother-in-law. Years ago, when my children were young he started an ornament series for each one of them. Then, when he decided he wasn't able to continue doing it, I picked up where he left off. When the series were done.....I didn't stop. I just kept starting more series and even starting ones for myself. So now I have so many ornaments that I need 4 trees to be able to display them all. I really think it is a sickness. I think I have Hallmarkitis.

One good thing, my children will have enough ornaments to decorate a tree whenever they have one of their own. I even made sure they had two Baby's First Christmas ornaments so they could have one and I could keep one. Every year when I take out the boxes and unwrap the ornaments (and yes, they are all still in their original boxes) I relive the memories of those years when the kids were little and Christmas still had some magic to it. So I guess this is my way of trying to keep the magic going. That, and I just love them! So there you have it....my dirty little secret...my addiction to Hallmark ornaments. I think I better check with my health insurance provider to see if they cover Hallmarkectomies, because I am certain that I will be needing one very soon......

Merry Christmas to Everyone!