It’s Christmas Eve and of course I’m not in bed yet…my goal was midnight. Close, but no cigar (does anyone know where that expression comes from??). We spent the majority of our day finishing the wrapping. The kiddos were decorating gingerbread on the main floor. My hubby was in the basement wrapping gifts and I was up in our bedroom wrapping. It’s kind-of crazy if you think about it, all of the hours that goes into wrapping gifts, only to be torn off and tossed away. I know that many appreciate the time and energy put into gift-wrapping, but somehow I don’t think the kids get it. Well, I think Tay is starting to see, but most kids are more excited to find out what’s inside rather than focusing on how it’s wrapped. So, why do we put so much time into the wrapping?? Maybe it’s for that very reason – to see the wonder and excitement in their eyes. I love to catch that sleepy first look on their faces when they walk into the living room and see that the stockings were filled and that Santa left all the gifts under (& around) the tree. It’s a beautiful sight. To see that sparkle in their eyes. You can tell they just want to jump right in, but they learn young to follow whatever traditions that have been passed down onto them. My girls are obviously old enough to know what is “normal” for us. And, even my little man now knows that we don’t just dive into the gifts, he knows to grab the stockings first. He’ll want to give me mine and Arizona his, before he sits down with his (little sweetie…). He will, of course, still be learning our traditions too. He watches us and learns from us, not just my husband and I, but his sisters and grandparents, his aunt and uncle and even his cousins. Our traditions also evolve to include him, the youngest of our small family.

But the one thing that doesn’t change over the ages, the one constant each and every year is the joy and wonder on their faces, in their eyes, in their smiles. They just feel happy and loved, they just know that they are adored – they just believe.  Period. They believe…

LOVE.SANTA.CHRISTMAS.JOY.MAGIC….BELIEVE 

To help with research and treatment for Trigeminal Neuralgia please go to http://www.tnnme.com (Trigeminal Neuralgia and Me) to sign a petition to have the World Health Organization (WHO) add Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN) to their “Health topic list.
“Hopefully one day I’ll get it right, or at least have fun, while about it I write!!”