Let the Merriment Begin!

Now that the holidays have come and gone, I've had a chance to sit back and reflect on them and I can't seem to wipe this goofy smile off of my face! Why, you might ask? For some reason the holidays seemed to hold a little bit more magic this year and were a bit merrier than normal. Is merrier a word? Heck if I know, but if it isn't I just made it one!

I think one of the main reasons the holidays were so great was Evan's reaction and involvement with them. He was more cognizant of what was going on and loved every moment, experience, and wonder that came with them. We would go out driving looking at Christmas lights at least once a week and he would point at the lights and say "more!" There is a house a couple streets down from me that really goes all out with Christmas lights and even puts them to music. We went by there at least 4 times so he could watch the lights dance to music and I would watch him and his eyes light up. In fact, I got more enjoyment watching him enjoy the lights then watching them myself. He would bounce up and down in his seat and try to sing along to the Christmas songs and it warmed my heart.
And speaking of Christmas songs, he LOVED them! One of the rules I have at Christmas time is that whenever I'm doing anything Christmassy (again another word I'm sure I made up) I put on Christmas carols to get everyone in the Christmas spirit. Putting up the tree, making sugar cookies, wrapping presents, sending out Christmas cards whatever it may be Christmas carols have to be on. Evan would dance around the living room and sing in his own gibberish language and I just loved it! I even started putting on Christmas music at night just to see him do this.
When Christmas morning finally rolled around and he got up, the way his eyes lit up when he saw the presents under the tree was fantastic! And he was actually into opening gifts this year. Although he didn't quite get the concept that after you open one present you have more to open. He wanted to play with the gift he just opened so we had to bribe him with the newly opened gift to get him to open another.
I guess what it comes down to is I got to be a kid again myself and see Christmas through a child's eyes for the first time. I loved that view and that peek into childhood again. I also loved seeing Evan so happy which in turn made me happy.
And as New Year's came around it made me stop and thank the man upstairs for all that he has blessed me with this past year and number one on that list was my family, followed by friends. We were lucky to celebrate New Year's with our closest friends and couldn't help getting a warm feeling inside that I've only read about in books.
I can't wait to see what 2012 brings and I'm thankful for what 2011 left me with. Love, merriment, and contentment!

Evan and I getting ready to go into the ICE exhibit at the Gaylord. Another Christmas tradition we started years ago, that was even better this year with Evan.

You can see in this pic that we bribed him to open the soccer ball with his drawing board

Evan's first Christmas gift he wanted to open