It is Officially the Holiday's at my House

I don't now about you all, but what marks the holiday season at my house is the first offical fire in the fireplace.  Today was the day for the first offical fire.  Yes, last night we did have a fire, but only a chimney cleaning log to prepare the chimney.  Today was the offical fire.  Sent my kids outside for the brush for the firestarter, and to load up the log bin.  I then placed the dried brush in the fireplace, and with one match the fire was lit.  No fancy firestarters here, just one piece of paper, plenty of small twigs, some larger twigs, and small logs, and a larger log.  A little flame, and like magic, poof, a roaring fire.  All my tree cutting this summer has left me with some nice cherry wood to burn.  I know that it is green, and not the best for a fire, but I do have some wood left over from last year, and the green stuff will just have to do until I can break down and buy a couple of cords of wood for the year.  It's just so amazing how much warmer the house is with the fire going.  The temp in the house is the same, but it just feels so much warmer.  I don't know about you, but driving down the road smelling wood burning stoves going just gets me in the holiday mood.  Something about the smell just reminds me of winter and the approaching holidays.  Need to have something to get me in the mood. 
It has been an extremely rough year.  First my dad dying, then a dear family friend dying, now that same friends dog is extremely ill and the vet is strongly encouraging euthenasia.  My girls are very upset at the thought, but understand that she is very old (14yr old), very sick, and is having a hard time breathing.  Hard lessons learned way too early in life for my kids.  Also, on Wednesday, my childhood home is going to settlement.  I am very torn over the thought.  Just so many memories in that stupid house.  The many holidays celebrated there, the family gatherings, the stacking of hundreds of cords of wood, learning how to raise chickens and rabbits, the yearly chicken/rabbit kill with the hours spent plucking/skinning and gutting those stupid chickens and rabbits.  I moved there when I was 6years old, and almost all of my childhood memories are from the house. 
Well, I better get off this computer, as there is so much left to do in the house -cleaning bathrooms, making fruitcakes and rum balls, putting up a ceiling, and as always.....LAUNDRY!!!  At least the later is now much easier, as my one daughter is now the laundry queen.  She is the only one who knows how to work the washer, and she enjoys doing it...I say, let her do it.