So, Christmas Is Over?...Maybe Not!

Gunney as a puppy playing in the snow.

WELCOME TO JANUARY!!! Aka the most non-Christmas month of the year. Christmas is over, the decorations are put away, and winter has sunk in...quite possibly to stay for the duration of time, at least it feels like it. This winter especially seems to be going into a deep freeze.

The snow was almost as deep as he is tall! There's a lot more this year.

January is a lot like Monday to the Mon-Fri working people. You wish you could skip it to get on to the rest of the week, or the year in this case. Nothing is happening and for most of us in North America, you won't go outside unless you have to for fear of freezing to death. OK, a little overboard, but it's cold. And very uncomfortable. Unless you're a furry Pomeranian who was built for the snow.

If someone has a no-fail way to keep the Christmas spirit going throughout January, I would love to hear it. The Christmas carols are no longer played, which is a sure way to get into the spirit of things. The tree is gone. And the gift giving is over. How else can we keep in the spirit of Christmas, without Christmas stuff???

One way for me, is the pictures. I'm not talking about those embarrassing pictures that you wish to burn that your family will one day use against you as blackmail (you know which one!). I'm talking about the memories, the cherished pictures that showed what Christmas was all about, the things that you forget from year to year and from Christmas to Christmas.

 This is one of those memories. Christmas 2009, the Christmas after Melanie got Toby. The poor dog is afraid of his shadow! But he looked so cute with those jingle bells on. He wouldn't move an inch while they were on him. Needless to say, they didn't stay on long.

 Then, there's me and my daddy on Christmas morning of 2009. This is one of my favorite pictures with him. It's so festive! This was the year that Christmas "Threw Up" and "Blew Up" in Mom and Dad's house! It was the year we graduated from college and put all of our Christmas decor up...my poor mother! There wasn't room to put up one more thing! Needless to say, it was awesome!

 

And the last memory from Christmas Past I'd like to share, is how Toby got his "House". From the very first time he saw it and stepped in, Toby was in love. In '09 Tasha made Toby his own house. It is utterly adorable, and crafted with love. That is one of the most memorable gifts from that Christmas, and Toby says, "Thank you, Aunt Tasha!"

Christmas pictures and their memories sure do have a way of bringing back the Christmas spirit. They make the feelings you felt come alive again, and though January may seem drab, boring, and many times like it takes forever, trying to keep that same spirit in your life can make all the difference.

Merry Christmas!!!