It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It's my favorite time of the year again. The snow is back, the heat is long gone, and school is almost over. Christmas is right around the corner, and that means that our house is once again decked out with nutcrackers, stockings, pine cones, and ornaments. The tree is up and the pile of presents underneath grows every day. The air is filled with the smell of incense and freshly baked cookies. Everything from Handel's Messiah to Harry Connick Jr. plays in the background. Maybe it's the German blood in me, but I don't think there's anything quite so good as Christmas traditions.