Christmas Morning

Christmas morning just isn't the same when you do not have kids around. That is why it is so much fun to be with my sister Jodi's family during Christmas. The kids' excitement is definitely contagious.

The great thing about Pat is he has never lost the kid-like excitement for Christmas. He told me that is is all about quantity not quality. With this in mind I did my best to pick up on the little hints he gave a few months prior to Christmas. During those months he talked about wanting binocular (for who knows what), head phones, a batman shirt, shoes and not so subtlety—a micro suede blanket. Me on the other hand am all about quality or quantity, which is why Pat gave me a sewing machine! So excited, hopefully I will be able to make some really cool stuff this next year.

Every year my siblings and I go in on a gift for my parents. While in California for the "Storm Women Weekend" I was rummaging through my parent's garage. I came across a box of old photos, some of which I had never seen before. I found some old wedding photos and started thinking of how I had never seen a wedding album of my parents.

So for their Christmas gift we decided to make them a Wedding Album along with including pictures and letters from my siblings and their families. The book was titled "All because two people fell in love..." so each of my siblings wrote a paragraph or two about all the blessings they have received because my parents got married.

The book turned out beautifully and made my mom cry (not very hard to do).

The highlight of Christmas for my two nephews, Luke and Dylan, was their new motor scooters from my parents. My sister, Jodi, said she could have easily just gotten them the scooter and nothing else and they would have been happy.

My favorite part about Christmas is giving gifts. I don't think there is anything more exciting and uplifting than being able to make another person happy through giving them a gift that is thoughtful and is just for them. My New Years resolution this year is going to keep this Christmas spirit alive all year long.