Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas one and all!!!

Christmas is such a magical time. What other time of year is there music JUST to get you in the mood for the season? What other time of year do you spend an entire day or evening completely redecorating your entire house, only to take it all down just a few weeks later? What other time of year can you use the season to cheat on your diet? What other time of year can you wear green and red together without getting eyebrows raised? What other time of year can you use Santa Claus to your benefit with your kids?!?!

"Do you want Santa to come see you?" we ask.
"Uh huh," she says, nodding her head.
"Well, then you need to do what Mommy and Daddy said and xxxx (insert behavior desired)."

Its wonderful!!! My daughter has never been more well behaved than the last couple of days!!! haha Too bad Carson doesn't quite get the whole idea yet...or even Rally for that matter...

We can't wait for tomorrow morning. All week we've been wrapping presents and getting things ready. Tonight we will finish putting together the "big" gift that we got for the kids (a train set) and we are anxious to see their reaction! I'm looking forward to seeing my parents and my sister and Jeff's Mom and just spend time with them.

But beyond all the gifts and food and lights and smells...I think that Christmas is my favorite time of the year simply because it is an entire holiday celebrating someones birthday - Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. It doesn't matter what gifts are under the tree and what food you serve...what matters is that we remember why we are doing it all. If Christ wasn't the reason we celebrate on Christmas morning...then what else would the holiday be? If you take the Christ child out of the celebration, then all you have is a dying tree sitting in your living room. It is the celebration of Jesus Christ's birth that gives the entire season such a magical spark to it. Even those that haven't come to Christ yet can feel the magic of the season. What pains me sometimes is that we use the Christmas season as an excuse to tell the people we love that we love them, to be nice to strangers, to be generous to those in need...instead of doing it year round. And I'm guilty of it too...I am not nearly as courteous to others or as forgiving throughout the year as I am at Christmas time. I wish that I could love on people throughout the year as I feel like I want to do during this season...and as much as I know I should...I'm glad that God has given us this time of year to reach out and try to be remember that His gift was the greatest gift of any in the history or the future of the world - Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas!!!