Even Though I'm Early, It's Still Beginning To Look A Lot Like...

...shopaholics dragging overly tired kids around malls in search of that most holy grail - the latest in "must haves" for the perfect commercialized Christmas. Oh what fun!

Ah, but Christmas is what you make it, isn't it? And sure it is. If you don't buy into the hype that bigger (and more expensive) is better, then you really can have a wonderful Christmas. Just remember the real meaning behind Christmas, and that it isn't the material things that mean the most, but the simple joys that do. After all, can you honestly say you remember every present you've ever received? I can't. But I do remember the little things. The mouth-watering smells of holiday baking. The hot chocolate. The bright colors. The beauty of the lights. The music. The laughter. The jokes, pranks, and dancing in the kitchen with my two sisters. The fear that Santa might see us if we happened to get up in the middle of the night. Or worse, the fear he'd miss our house altogether. I mean, my sisters and I were a handful.

So here's to Christmas. May it be filled with simple pleasures that make wonderful and lasting memories.






And an old favorite...