our christmas decorations.

My mom has a serious knack for decorating, and her Christmas displays are among my favorite. Every year when I come home at winter break, I'm excited to see what she's done to make our house magical. She never disappoints.

Christmas is one of my favorite holidays because everything becomes really magical and special. The week before Christmas is one of the best of the year -- people bustling around to complete last minute shopping lists, riding around in the car to look at Christmas lights, I love every last bit of it!

(Croquet is our Christmas game of choice. We play at our family gathering every year. I'm still not good at it, but it's fun to play anyway!)