Lasting Christmas Memories

I have found that the older I get, the more I enjoy Christmas. Nothing beats watching your kids' eyes sparkle, their faces full of joy and the smiles and laughs that accompany.

As a child I never understood how my parents could watch us open gifts while leaving theirs in a pile untouched. I would get so anxious and excited and yell to them, "Open it! Open it!" They enjoyed watching us open our gifts so much that their gifts at that point did not even matter.

Every Christmas has given me long-lasting memories. From the first night that I sat waiting patiently for Santa Claus to land on our rooftop, to the mornings that I woke up looking for evidence of Santa and his reindeer in the snow, the joys carry on, yet in a different way.

The traditions passed down from my family have been passed on to my children. Even though my schedule has kept us from getting everything done in one day, we still have a fun time decorating for the holidays and making our holiday wish lists. It is amazing how the times have changed in the past 35 years, noticeably when reviewing the wish lists. From a Xbox 360 to a LCD television and a cell phone, the lists are getting more and more unrealistic and expensive.

This year our tree stands a little crooked, bare and lacking gifts beneath. The tree was put up on a Sunday. The garland was placed around the tree the next day. The following day several special ornaments that were passed down in the family and/or given to me as a gift by my mother were placed on the tree. Each and every day something new is done to our tree.

The holidays are much more pleasing as I grow older and watch my children open their gifts on Christmas day. Usually they wear me down enough to allow them to open a gift before Christmas. It is fun to watch them tear and shred away at the paper to see its contents. Did mom wrap a box in a box in a box again this year to throw us off? I think I understand why grandparents spoil their grandchildren now . . .