Twas the night....

Well today is my Friday, yippi! I have tomorrow and Friday off so it will be a much needed long weekend. I'm packing up when I get off work, heading to my parents house and then we're headed to Iowa for Christmas. We don't leave until 10pm tonight, so we'll get there in the wee hours in the morning tomorrow. I honestly don't think Christmas would feel like Christmas to me if it didn't involve some late night traveling in one of our many family SUV's from the ugly turqouise box van we used to have to the nice new Expedition, it makes for a cozy drive. Hopefully the roads aren't too bad, as there's a big winter storm a brewin!

We just finished a big pot luck at work, and I'm stuffed. Just the beginning of a very filling weekend (I think I gain at least 10 1lbs every year)! I brought some homemade Christmas sugar cookies with frosting....my favorite this time of year!

I was thinking about Christmas on my drive into work this morning and how it's just one of those times where everything seems right in the world. Even though we hear of an economic depression and bad things going on all around us, for just a day or two everyone seems to have a smile on their faces, even if for a fleeting moment. The image of family and friends and all sorts of goodies, games, fire places, santa, hot cocoa, what's there not to smile about.

I thought I'd share one little tid bit from my childhood. Somewhere along the way, it became tradition to read "twas the night before Christmas" every Christmas Eve before we went to bed. We have this blue hard covered book that we read every year. Although it's all tattered and banged up now, and we pretty much can recite it by heart, it will still get read. Being the oldest child, I took on the adventure to read it every Christmas Eve, my brother sister and I would all pile into my bed, snuggle up and read it. It may have been the smallest of things, but it just puts a smile on my face when I think of it. I hope that one day, my children will be able to have memories like this.

I hope you all have a very safe and blessed Christmas!

"I am not alone at all, I thought. I was never alone at all. And that, of course, is the message of Christmas. We are never alone. Not when the night is darkest, the wind coldest, the world seemingly most indifferent. For this is still the time God chooses." - Taylor Caldwell