I have a million things I should be doing right now, but there are many reasons why this post is in order.
1.  I said I would post soon and that was a long time ago.  If I want to teach my kids to do what they say they are going to do then I must do the same.
2.  I want to post about Christmas and if I don't do it now, it will be after Christmas and a post about Christmas after Christmas just seems weird.
3.  My Momma told me to!
So, here goes.  Nothing profound or exciting today, my brain just won't function on that level.  I just love this time of the year and feel like reflecting on why I love it and so I will share that wealth of Christmas memories and tidbits with you all.  I wrote them all down so I wouldn't forget anything, now where are my notes.  I know they're here somewhere.  Oh crap!  I can't find my notes!  I'm nothing without my notes!  I thought for sure it was right here between my notes for "How to Change Your Husband" and "My Relationship with My Hair"!  Yes!  There they are-Praise Jesus!  Oh people, if you could just live inside my head for a day!  Now, deep breath in, let it out and here we go. . .
What I Love About Christmas

• Opening one present on Christmas Eve which is always special Christmas jammies.
• My mom used to have tins of homemade candy sitting around everywhere.  Usually some random items dipped in chocolate-YUM!  (So wish my metabolism could still handle that!)
• I remember one year my parents made homemade doughnuts-FABULOUS!  I have the coolest parents!
• Being so excited I couldn't sleep.
• Waking up to cookie crumbs and empty milk glasses-thanks for doing that Mom and Dad!
• Two words-Christmas lights!!!  I could ride around forever just looking at people's lights.
• Sneaking out to see what Santa brought and trying to play quietly so Mom and Dad wouldn't know I was up.  This usually resulted in everyone having to go ahead and get up hours before the sun came out.  (P.S. I think my brother still did this well into his 20's!)
• Coming home one night and looking up in the sky and seeing a red light.  I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was Rudolph!  That airplane pilot will never know how he made my Christmas that year.
• Of course, Christmas presents!  I had a few stand outs over the years.  Strawberry Shortcake figurines that smelled like strawberries, a pink bike, a globe with raised mountain ranges (NERDY!), my very own dictionary (NERDIER!), lipstick that looked like a red crayon (My brother got into it and destroyed it 2 minutes after I opened it-I'm still fuming!), the Snoopy Snowcone machine (which, incidently, I bought last summer for my own children), the year my Dad got my Mom a real engagment ring.  Now before you start doing the math, they had been married many years, she just never got a ring.  Anyways, that was and still is a precious memory.  I'll never forget the look on her face.
• The snow day my Mom woke us up with hot chocolate and the sounds of our Amy Grant Christmas tape.
• Big fat candy cane sticks.  Remember, the ones that looked like a big club.  That was dangerous on so many levels.
• Coming home from school to start Christmas break, which got even sweeter when it meant coming home from college for a long break at home, Momma's cooking and a washing machine that didn't cost money. 
• Best Christmas movie of all time-Christmas Vacation.  I don't care who you are, it is hilarious!
• Christmas morning with pineapple orange juice, sausage balls and monkey bread.  Now that I am looking at it in writing. it sounds very weird and disgusting but I promise it's the best.  Mom still brings it over to my house on Christmas morning. 
• Christmas Eve service with Brother Glenn.  I always think about when we would sing Silent Night and have to hold up our candles at certain parts.  I don't know why we did that and it always felt a little awkward, but man I miss it!
• The Christmas I was pregnant with our first child and Jimmy bought me my first pair of maternity jeans just so I could stuff my face and still stay dressed.
• Christmas shopping for my own children!  I never thought anything could be more fun than getting presents from Santa on Christmas morning but seeing my kids' faces is way more fun!
• Finally, and truly my most favorite thing about Christmas is that Jesus actually came.  I know most of you know that, but really try and take it in like it's the first time you ever heard it.  Scrunch up your face and squeeze your eyes shut if you have to.  He came!  Think of where you might be if He hadn't brought Himself down to our level.  Honestly, I don't think I would be here today.  The impact of His life-those two words-He came.  His love for each of us individually brought Him here to satisfy the holy wrath of God, to do what we could never do for ourselves, to make us even knowing who He is possible.  I can't wrap my mind around that kind of love nor can I say thank you enough.  But I will celebrate to the best of my ability and rejoice in the simple yet sweetly complex fact that He came! 

Merry Christmas everyone!