Christmas In The Air

Christmas took over my life for the past few days.

So much Christmas music.

So much cookie making.

So much Christmas Elf-ing.

Making stockings with our names on them, picking up the annual kielbasa (Polish sausage) from the butcher, and wrapping presents. My favorite part was picking up my cousin from the airport as a surprise for the girls. They didn't know he was coming home for Christmas (the first time he's been home since May).

And Christmas Eve was worth the year of waiting.

It's my favorite night of the year because my entire Dad's side of the family gets together. It's the one holiday all of my cousins are guaranteed to be together. And every year we have somebody dress up as Santa, a tradition we've had since before I can even remember. Nowadays it's usually a dear friend of my older cousin's. This year was the best. He was hilarious, and my youngest cousin LOVED it. She's the real reason that we do it; the rest of us have finally come to grips with the fact that Santa's not real. We watched a video of Christmas 1994 (discovering your brother rocking a mullet and obnoxious fist pumps: priceless). We ate, we laughed, we shared stories, and it was wonderful.

Now I'm watching A Christmas Story on TBS...the first half. I caught the second half first. That is just how I usually end up watching it every year. In pajamas...even if it's after noon.

Merry Christmas, everyone. I hope it's wonderful. I hope it's restful. I hope it's joyful. And I hope you make memories you'll look back on later and laugh about. I hope God's blessings wrap around you today.