the magic

there's just no better way to describe christmas with a four- and six-year old in your house than magical.  i know these years are fleeting; sooner than i want, that magic will begin to wane and i'll have to use more common adjectives like special and memorable.  but for now, chris and i submerge ourselves in their delight and wonder, letting their enthusiasm transform us into giddy, awestruck, excited little kids too.

out of all the festivities surrounding the holiday, from the beginning of advent through epiphany, my absolute favorite time is christmas eve.  and i'm not even talking about the day of christmas eve, although it's filled with events like the children's pageant, and the church service that follows, and our extended family lunch, and the dinner that we host in our home that evening.  i'm talking about the eve of christmas eve, when it's finally dark outside, and the last guests have left and there are just the four of us.  liam and susanna's pajamas are on, their teeth are brushed, and the platter of carrots and cookies for santa and his reindeer is sitting on the table.  they're curled up on the sofa, flanking chris as he reads twas the night before christmas, just as my own father did to me and my siblings for decades and how i imagine millions of households also wind down their day.

i think that i am more consciously thankful at this moment than at any other time of year.  thanksgiving day, after a while, seems almost forced, as if we are being hit over the head with reminders to BE GRATEFUL OR ELSE.  but on christmas eve, as the night turns dark, everything gradually slows, and i become reflective.  the hectic, crazy, busy season, with its parties and shopping and cooking and school programs and the inevitable stress that results despite your best efforts otherwise, is over.  in its place is calm.  peace.  quiet.  and all that's left for us to do is simply wait.  i look towards the couch with my camera in hand, and i stare at the three most important people in my world, and i am humbled by our blessings.

and that's the kind of magic that means the most.