Things to Treasure this Season

Christmas is nearly upon us! It does not seem that it should already be December, but the calendar does not lie - no matter how much I wish it would!
Every year as the cold begins to settle in, I find myself wishing I were in the South Pacific somewhere watching a beautiful sunrise rather than this dreary, rainy time of year here in Georgia! However, I'm NOT there, so I have made up my mind that I will make the best of this season regardless. It's not that I don't like Christmas or even cold weather, it's just that having 5 little boys cooped up in the house more than usual generally does not have great results! We are so conditioned to being outside a good part of each day that winter is always an adjustment for me and the boys.
Each year, I really do try to look for the good in each season and something to enjoy while it lasts. So, I am reminding myself today that there are special things to do during this time of year. I thought others might benefit from a friendly reminder as well:
*Candles burning and making the house smell delicious.
*More time to cuddle up and read a good book together as a family.
*We can sleep later and still get everything done because we are not being drawn outdoors as much.
*Cookies baking and the warmth of hot chocolate and rich coffee...yummy!
*Celebrations with family & friends.
*A great time to watch a good movie...we rarely watch t.v. in our house, but on some cold, dreary days an inspiring movie is great!
*Time for handicrafts and projects - again, not being outdoors as much gives us a little more time to do something we have been putting off.

I am sure there are many other things that families do in the winter to pass the time in a memorable way, and if you have other ideas, I would love to hear them. But for now, that is just a few of the things that I try to take advantage of and use to bring joy and blessing into our home during the cold winter months.