My Thoughts This Christmas Eve --- It's All About Family

This is my first time in eleven years not being home for Christmas.  I'm sad I am missing our annual pizza making contest, going out to the movies on Christmas Day and playing games until late every night.  I love our Christmas traditions and hopefully will be home next year.

I am grateful that I do get to spend Christmas with my family here in Texas and I love being around my niece and nephews.  There is always a little extra magic on Christmas when there are kids there.  Tonight we drank hot chocolate and ate cinnamon muffins with yummy icing. We watched a few shows on t.v.  The kids are off to bed and I am sitting here reflecting on what Christmas means to me.

This year I have felt such peace in my heart and my thoughts continually turning towards heaven.  I think about that little baby that was born thousands of years ago on a quiet night, in a little stable.  I would have loved to witness the young mother, Mary, holding her precious new baby in her arms and Joseph watching over them, knowing that he had the responsibility to love them and protect them and provide baby Jesus with a safe and loving home.  They had no idea that for thousands of years afterwards people throughout the world would look to them, that new little family, in the most humble of circumstances, yet in the presence of the Son of God, the Savior of the World.

The other day I was Skyping with my friend in India and she was showing me her brand new baby boy.  My heart melted as I saw that beautiful baby and I wanted so badly to reach through that computer screen and hold him close to me. He has been blessed with a mother and father that love him so much.  I thought about the baby Jesus and His sweet mother Mary and loving father Joseph and what an amazing family they were.

Their family began so long ago and because of that baby Jesus I get to be with my family forever.  As I replay memories in my mind of family traditions and Christmases of the past, one thing is for certain - Christmas is a time to celebrate family and to cherish the loved ones in our lives.  It is about hugging our children so close to us and focusing on the people in our lives rather than the things we have (or don't have).

I feel so incredibly blessed this Christmas Eve night. I have everything I need and there is nothing I really want, except perhaps to be surrounded by all of my family members.  That is not going to happen this year, but we did figure out how we could all come together over the holidays.  We put together a music video, our entire family is in it: my mom, my dad, my five brothers, my two sisters, my brother-in-law, my four sisters-in-law, my seven nephews and my four nieces.  They are all I want for Christmas...and for the rest of my life! Merry Christmas!