Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

I used to LOVE Christmas.

Now that I'm a Mom, I like Christmas, but I must say, some of the magic wears off when you are the one putting it on!  

I love music.  If I don't say so myself, I have an amazing knack for memorizing lyrics to songs.  I started playing the violin at three, switched to viola in elementary school and played through high school.  Music is in my genes.  My mother played the oboe, my dad was in a rock -n- roll band, my sister played the cello for a couple of years and you should here my brother play the trumpet.  It's pretty amazing.  I love a catchy melody and a good "key change".  I enjoy a good Christmas song, so in no particular order here are a few of my faves!

1.  Mariah Carey -  "All I Want for Christmas is You"  I used to always sing this one when Greg was in Iraq ~ "I don't want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need......"

2.  Mariah Carey - "Jesus, oh What a Wonderful Child"  Say what you will about Mariah Carey, but that girl can SING!  Darby and Erika, do you remember singing this in choir at Southeast?  I'm not sure we ever actually performed it but I do remember singing!

3.  Michael English - "Mary Did You Know"  I love songs that really put you in the place of Mary or Joseph.  Can you imagine how it must have felt?  How scared and lonely they must have been?  My two favorite lines from this song are "did you know....this child that you delivered, will soon deliver you" and "did you know that your baby has walked where angels trod, and when you kiss your little baby you've kissed the face of God"

4.  4Him - "A Strange Way to Save the World" This one's from Joseph's perspective.  

5.  Jennifer Knapp - "Sing Mary Sing"  I don't know if this is technically a Christmas song but I love it!!  I love the thought of Mary lullabying Jesus, just like I sing to my boys.

6.  Steven Curtis Chapman - "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"  Just a beautiful song.

7.  Amy Grant - "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"  Growing up, we listened to a lot of Amy Grant.  I always loved her entire Christmas album.  It is a must have for holiday cheer.  

8.  Silent Night - By anyone...  Have you ever seen Band of Brothers?  Well I have, I LOVE that series.  I especially love that on Christmas Eve the shooting stopped and they lyrics of Silent Night drifted up from where the soldiers lay ready and waiting for fighting to resume.  On the two Christmas when Greg was deployed (I'm sorry this has been an ongoing theme lately, it's on my mind) we would sing this song to a candle lit chapel and I would imagine that movie, and hope that the Iraqis would give our troops a Silent Night.

9.  Dean Martin - "Baby it's Cold Outside"  In 1995, Greg and I both worked at American Eagle.  We didn't know each other, he worked in Bowling Green and I worked at the one in Louisville.  I got a great Christmas CD from my days of working there.  This song is on there.  Greg and I can't put up a tree without this CD playing!  I love to hear the old classic voices!

10.  Eartha Kitt with Henri Rene - "Santa Baby"  We never did Santa growing up, my parents felt it took away from the true meaning of Christmas.  We haven't done Santa either.  My boys have sworn on their lives to not tell other children, I'd hate to ruin someone else's holiday.  This song is just fun and just feels like Bing Crosby, White Christmas and my grandparents all wrapped up in one!

 

Enjoy!  Check out itunes for any you haven't heard!!