I love the happiness and joy of the Christmas season. Our home feels so much warmer with the kids playing nicely with each other, a wassail scented candle burning, and lights twinkling from our tree. The kids come home from school singing Christmas songs and excited to count down the final days until Santa arrives. It's such a wonderful time of year. And today it actually snowed! I think there's about six inches outside, which is quite a lot of snow for Kansas City. If you come by this afternoon, you just may find me and the kiddos building our first snowman since moving to the midwest!
I'm in a very sentimental mood today. Do any of you feel like that around this time of year? I think of Christmases past . . . getting my first Chatty Patty doll and my first Cabbage Patch doll - both of which I cried because I was just so excited!
I remember the year my parents wrapped a HUGE package for both my brother and I and put it next to the tree. We made so many guesses about what it could be. But my secret, dearest wish was that it would be a great big doll house to play with my Barbies in. Christmas morning, my brother and I ripped that box open first. We were just so excited! You cannot even imagine my disappointment when I didn't find my Barbie house, but instead a big color TV. I still have the picture of me with my arms folded and a big scowl on my face. Of course, my brother was jumping for joy in the background.
One of my favorite Christmas memories comes from watching my own kids. Every year, we hide our gifts so the kids can't snoop. Then we wait until they are all conked out in their beds Christmas Eve before putting them under the tree. Of course, Dad has guard duty and sleeps on the couch just to be sure we don't get any early morning snoopers (cause that's exactly what I did! Hee hee!). My favorite memory is from when my two oldest were quite young. In fact, I think I was pregnant with our third and still had morning sickness. I sat on the couch watching my son and daughter walk down the hall towards the living room. When they reached the entry way, their expressions went from sleepy excitment to awed wonder as they saw all the pretty packages under the tree. And how reverent they were as we kneeled before the tree and prayed to thank Heavenly Father for our Savior's birth and all the blessings our family had received that year.
This year, I am grateful for Christmases past and present. I hope you each take a moment to remember special past Christmas moments from your life as well and just enjoy the feeling of peaceful gratitude that seeps into your soul. Merry Christmas!
