Merry Christmas in July!

I love any excuse to celebrate Christmas.  I could watch Christmas movies and listen to Christmas songs all year round.  And there was a time when I ate candy canes all year but I have sadly given up that habit to save my teeth (knock on wood, I'm still rocking no cavities at the ripe old age of 25).

So Christmas in July is a great mid-year celebration to remind me how much I love that holiday...

It might come as a surprise but my favorite Christmas in July celebrations are not the drunken festivities at Put-In-Bay or the impromptu Christmas celebrations the teens and I have thrown at the library but the summer we celebrated at Lakeside by staging the nativity.

It was probably 80 to 90 degrees and the children and youth of Lakeside were in full Christmas story regalia.  Annie, Meg and I were shepherds with beads of sweat dripping down our faces.  The weather must have been similar to that in Bethlehem on the first Christmas.

We walked through the streets of Lakeside and then held a live pageant in front of Hoover Auditorium.  It was a much different and more memorable experience than the routine children's pageants at church each year.  This was summer.  This was Lakeside.  This was special.

I think one of my favorite memories of my Grandma Grace comes from this Christmas in July as well.  Later on, my mom framed a picture of Meg from that day.  We all know how tan Meg gets.  Well, here is a very dark six- or seven- year old Meg in a shepherds outfit, headdress and all.  My Grandma took one look at the photo and loudly announced, "Look, it's Meg bin Laden."

If you look closely though, you can see Meg's blond wisps of hair peaking out from the sheet and her nose is covered in freckles.  She looks all American.  Ha ha!

In the future though, I'm going to make it a priority to celebrate Christmas in July.  Perhaps an Elfmas Party or Christmas movie marathon...  Whose with me?  Let's spread that Christmas cheer, singing loud for all to hear.

Merry Christmas in July!

(Pictures not from Christmas in July but they fit the bill.)