The Best Gifts of Christmas

Christmas to me is a lot more than just presents, cookies, Christmas trees, Christmas music and so on. To me Christmas is a lot of things that cannot be wrapped, measured or weighed. Instead of creating my thankful list today, I am going to create my list of what is really important to me at Christmas. Of course I am eternally grateful for everything on it.

1. time with family and friends
2. the smell of the season; cookies baking, the tree, holiday candles burning, etc.
3. the smiles on children, especially my own when the see a beautiful Christmas tree, when they 'purchase' or handmake a gift for their loved ones, when Frosty the Snowman is on TV, when they are sprinkling cut out cookies with tons of colored sugar, when they sing aloud the songs of the season.
4. hosting parties and laughing with the girls, drinking wine, trying on jewelry, smelling candles, playing games and eating way too many sweets.
5. handmaking Christmas cards
6. the kids running down the stairs to see what Santa brought
7. candle light service at church on Christmas Eve
8. memories of when I was a child at Christmas
9. hot chocolate with marshmallows and maybe even a little Baily's
10. Makenna talking about how it will soon be Jesus birthday and her excitement being Mary in her school play.
11. baking cookies with Makenna
12. my mom and She-She baking Christmas cookies every year with the kids.
13. giving my mom an early Christmas present every Christmas Eve.
14. all the holiday children's movies.
15. giving to charities, homeless shelters and anyone less fortunate than myself.
16. the excitement of the kids when they open their advent calendars every morning from my mom. They play a guessing game and try to guess what it is.
17. red nail polish on my toes
18. Christmas Books; The Grinch, The Polar Express, The Night Before Christmas and more.
19. nativities
20. Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith's Christmas CDs
21. sea shells hanging on the Christmas tree with a starfish on top.
22. handmade gifts
23. two red cardinals
24. going shopping with my dad
25. enjoying my dads birthday right before Christmas
26. grateful people
27. candy canes, which I do not eat...LOL!
28. Moose Munch which I will hopefully get this year in my stocking...LOL!
29. the trill of finding the perfect gift.
30. the thrill of finding a GREAT sale!
31. decorating the tree with the kids.
32. Makenna in her Christmas dress.....(dresses)
33. pictures of the kids and the family together.
34. decorating the house.
35. holiday traditions.
36. Chloe thinking the tree is hers.
37. stockings being hung.
38. Silent Night
39. candles
40. the birth of our Savior.
41. being blessed with the people I have in my life.
42. being truly grateful for all that I have.
43. signs from above.

There are so many more....but I am out of time. Dinner needs to be made, laundry needs to be switched over, presents should be wrapped, and PartyLite should be gone through. I am very excited about tomorrow night with our Christmas party at work. I am so thankful for everyone who has helped make this past year a wonderful year. Blessings to all.