Christmas Eve...

Today is Christmas, Yay for family fun and cheers!

I love this time of year, it makes me smile to watch my children's eyes light up with joy, to see family come together and bond with all walls down even if it is just for a day, gifts of from the past and rooms filled with love. That is what December 25th is for me.

However until yesterday I never knew how important December 24th was to me. Yesterday I had to work, I said I would work....so a co-worker could enjoy her holiday tradition of a German style Christmas. Little did I realize December 24th is just as important to me as December 25th.

My husbands family always had done Christmas on the 24th and since we are not in North Carolina to be with them, we chose to let the kids still open one present each on this day to still hold tradition so to speak. So yesterday morning I had not finished all the wrapping and I had to quickly wrap a gift so it could be given out to one of my girls, I wished to myself while wrapping that I had time to do all the gifts that were left....in totally were about 5, I also still had the shopping bug and wished that I could have bought a few more things.

I know most people do shopping early and each year I say to myself next year I will not be shopping on the eve of the 25th. That promise came true this year, and boy it hurt. It hurt to watch the kids open the first gift and me not be able to watch them play with them. It hurt to watch them do the final shop with out me. It hurt not to have time to fix a good breakfast or dinner as I have done so many years before.

I have learned from this..... I really need to watch what I say! I know I have the power to make things real.

Today we were up at 5:30am and I had a smile on my face knowing how painful it can be to not be there to share with your family. For this lesson I am thankful for working on one of the most important days of the year in my families little world. Cherish time....

And until next time....Happy Holidays!