The Merriest of Christmases

At our home, Christmas is so important to us.

For DH as a child, Christmas was a time of happiness - a small bright spot in what was otherwise a frankly normally rather miserable year.  He seldom talks about his childhood unless he's talking about Christmastime.  Hanging lights, putting up the tree, the whole thing was very important to him and has remained so as he grew into adulthood.

For me, childhood Christmases brought family and friends from near and far to celebrate.  Christmas was for joy and family time - being together, singing carols, and LOTS of traditions.

Merging our two Christmas worlds when we got married made life...umm....challenging. :)  I was concerned about adopting all my traditions and leaving out his.  It's taken us 7 years together, but we've finally ironed much of it out by this Christmas.  Often we have 3 trees (one for each of us), this year, DH and I combined our trees.  Normally there is a train of some kind underneath it - this year that was put aside for simplicity. 

I sit here on Christmas Eve afternoon feeling immensely blessed.  Under the tree is filled with presents as it glitters and shines with Hallmark-Lionel train ornaments and my collection from around the world.  I smell the cookies baking in the kitchen in a joint effort, primarily by DH and DS, somewhat from me when there are recipe questions.  There are probably enough there for an Army already but stopping them just feels silly.

The old claymation movies are on tv and the blankets I made for this year already gracing the couch.  Overall it's a happy, quiet peaceful Christmastime.

I wish the same for you and yours.  Not so much that you cannot take it all in, but just enough to make you smile and reminisce.  Thinking about the years past and the years to come but mostly basking in the glow of THIS Christmas season.

The merriest of Christmases from our family to yours.  However you choose to celebrate today, whatever you do, wherever you go - may His peace be with you.