Merry, Merry Christmas!

I think I love Christmas Eve almost more than Christmas Day. On Christmas morning, everything is over, but on its Eve, the evening is an overabundance of anticipation. Especially if you have or have been around children.

I have a trio of 'em and let me tell you, their excitement is infectious. First, they wrapped the presents they chose for each other. I was thrilled to see their enthusiasm of this simple but important act of giving. Next came all the last minute preparations. One child furiously added tons of stuff to his Amazon wish list, another wrote a thought provoking letter to Santa with questions such as, "how do you deliver all the presents in one night?" while the littlest one plated a cookie spread with determined perfection.

Finally came bed time. This is, surprisingly, one of the easiest nights to get them to even want to go to bed. It may take them a few extra minutes to settle down, but they realize the faster they go to sleep, the faster tomorrow will come.

So now my little ones are all snug in their beds while visions of sugarplums dance in their heads (or visions of dirt bikes, Nintendo and Pillow Pets), and I'm soon off to greet Santa for our own Christmas magic.

No matter which holiday you celebrate this time of year, I hope all your dreams come true and that the lives of you and yours are filled with peace, love and joy.

~Ayla