Is it really already Christmas Eve? This is one of my favorite times of the year and the only thing I don't like is that it goes by way too fast. We had so much fun celebrating the season last weekend. Friday evening I spent time with my girls from work. Shelly hosted us at her lovely home in Caddo Mills and the 5 of us had a time playing spoons and other festive games Shelly had organized. We ate, and exchanges gifts and enjoyed each other out side of the office. Saturday we went to Tyler to do some more shopping and then to my Pa's side of the family Christmas dinner. Bree was such a ham at the party. She played with all the kids and thought she was as big as them. Although, they were all way older than her. Nona brought her a present to open and she was so good at opening it. She really has it down, now. She got a tea party set and loved it. Her and the other kiddos sat there playing tea party for the longest time. This was a very good time and then Kerry and I left Bree to spend the night with my Mom and went to Lannie and Amie Dugan's for a party with some of our friends. Sunday we relaxed and worked on wrapping the presents. I noticed at this time that at some point Bree decided to add some decorations to our family tree. She had hung her pink bracelet on our tree and left it there. I guess she wanted to add her touch to the tree. I thought it was very sweet and left it hanging there too. This week has been flying by. Bree is really into the presents and last night while I was wrapping some she pointed and said, "Mine, mine, mine". I explained that at Christmas we give gifts to those we love just as gift were brought and given when baby Jesus was born. We celebrate his birth by giving. I could tell this was all way over her head because she pointed again and like a broken record was saying, "Mine." We will continue to work on the meaning of Christmas, but I am thrilled she is big enough this year to open presents and really get excited about everything. I am so excited about Santa coming. I use to love this as a child and I love sharing it with Bree. Kerry and I layed awake in bed talking last night til like 1:30 am about it. I couldn't sleep I was so anxious. This morning I asked Bree, "Who is coming to see you tonight?" She replied so sweetly, "Santa Claus, he brings presents." I just love the excitement in her face and voice. And, yes I know there is a much more important meaning to what this special day is about and we teach Bree about that, too. But I also love the magic of Santa. And it is way more fun playing Santa and sharing it with our daughter than I ever knew it would be. As A child it was a tradition for Malena and I to fall asleep in the same bedroom together listening to 106.1(they play nonstop Christmas music on Christmas Eve). We had a deal that whoever woke up first would wake the other person and we would run into the living room together to see what Santa had left for us. I remember the glow of the presents under the Christmas tree and the magic of the unwrapped gifts Santa had left for us sparkling in the dark. Malena and I would usually wake up around 3 or 4 and our 'Santa" almost always came really early, so we would look at all our gifts and play with them for a while and then around 5:30 or so we would go wake Mom and show her what Santa left. Then around 7 or so Mema and Pa always came over to see what Santa had left for us and share this special time with us. This was so much fun and Malena and I enjoyed it so much that my Mom told us that as long as we believed, Santa would come to see us. So we "believed ", and even today Santa still comes to Mom's to see us. The magic of Christmas morning is something I can still feel in my heart and I can see the glow of our tree in the house we grew up in. I am so excited to share this magic with my daughter in our own home. I hope everyone has warm memories that feel your hearts at Christmas and share the magic of the season with those you love. Merry, Merry Christmas!!