This is truly 'The most wonderful time of the year!’

The scents and sounds of the season fill our home but what really tells me Christmas is here is look on my little girls face. She is filled with excitement, wonder and joy. Her eyes sparkle every time she sees a Christmas tree or hears a holiday song. This year’s trip to see Santa is a memory that will forever be in my heart. We drove to Las Vegas early in the morning and arrived to the mall just as it was opening. By some miracle we were the first family in line to see Santa, the crew was setting up but Santa had not arrived yet. He was still feeding his reindeer. As we stood in line Lily took in all holiday sights surrounding Santa’s display. Many times she asked “what’s that?” as the crew set up the camera, cash box, and basket of Candy canes. She always has been quite nosey; she gets it from her Auntie Sarah. About five minutes had passed and the line of children and parents was growing. All of a sudden a big hand wearing crisp white glove lands on Lily’s shoulder, she gazed from his shiny black boots to his bright blue eyes then looks at me with a beaming smile and said “he is here!!!!!!!!!” Her eyes were as big a saucers as he says “you look pretty today” and then sat down in his big chair. Her smiled did not leave her face until I picked her up to set her on his lap……like a flash of lightning the 2 year old came out in her and she took off running to her dad. So after a magical moment we only ended up with a picture of Colin looking like a dear in head lights sitting on Santa’s lap. As a parent I had no expectations, so the experience was so much fun to see the my two year old daughter realizing the magic of Santa and being just a bit too scared at the same time.

We try and go to church every Sunday so it seems to me Lily understands the true meaning of Christmas as well as the details of Santa. My mom has a “Church” Christmas party with a live nativity including Sunday school kids playing Mary, Joseph and the wise men. She has a very realistic manger scene with a real donkey, sheep and a horse. A passage is read out of the bible and anyone who is attending the program is encouraged to sing ‘Away in a manger’ and ‘Silent Night’. Lily knows every word to ‘Away in a manger’ and was thrilled to be singing aloud at the end of the song she turns to me and pointed to the starry sky and says “ he’s up there mom” it brought tears to my eyes. She is truly a child of God. The program ended with a hayride and Christmas caroling. When everyone had gone home Lily pointed to the horse corrals where the Nativity scene had been and says “Hey where’s baby Jesus?”

I am so proud to announce my sister and Jeff have been blessed with a little miracle of their own. They are expecting their first child in July. I am over the moon about being an auntie but more than that I am thrilled my sister will get to experience the immense joy of being a parent!! Speaking of blessing Anthony and Jeff have recently been accepted into the Bullhead City Fire Academy. I am beaming with pride for my husband because he has worked so hard to be accepted. His long hours at the gym and nights of studying have paid off, he is great man!

Christmas is an important time to be thankful for the birth of Jesus, becasue of him our lives are filled with these joys. My husband and children are my blessings from above! May your holiday be as blessed as ours.