Dear diary...

Today I feel like writing just to write, so we'll see what pops to my mind!

It's December.  And the fact that Christmas is indeed coming, is slowly sinking in...
And I'm getting excited about it too!
Watching the kid's excitement rubs off on me.
I remember the Christmases I spent as a singel girl, living quite far away from my parents, meaning I didn't make it home for Christmas every year.  Christmas was nice and fun, but I had a hard time getting the "feeling" that you have as a child.
Wanting to see the familiar decorations, listening to Christmas songs, singing along.
Baking, wrapping gifts, writing little riddles that we'd add to the gifts.
My younger brother and I had a riot with this, and when we hit our mid/late teens, things would get out of control.  We'd be laughing hysterically at our really stupid "riddles", that pretty much said straight out what was in the package!  We'd wrap my dads socks separately (so if he was getting a 5 pack of socks, he'd actually have 10 gifts to open)
Yes, we were nerdy, and man was it fun at the time!
As we handed out the gifts on Christmas eve, it seemed like our dad got the most gifts!
We also made joke gifts at times, and that tradition our oldest girls have continued.

A few years ago one of our girls had wrapped a sticker with great care.
I'm taking layers and layers of wrapping paper, with roughly a whole roll of tape keeping it all together...
When you finally got to the sticker, it said:
"You did it!"
I've been making joke gifts for the kids as well, and one time I wrapped packaging bubbles for one of the girls (our petlover). There were about 15-20 of them, and they were in a long "string", about 6 by 4 inches in size.  I drew googly eyes on them and gave them all names... She had wanted a pet for Christmas, and now she had a whole "farm"!
She kept them for a few years.  :)

Last night Hubby and I went grocery shopping and took the time to go out for a quick coffee as well.
Coming home there were candles burning, and the remains of "pulla" (cinnamon rolls) and "glögg" (Swedish "apple cider") were to be found on the table.  The kids had been practicing Christmas hymns in time for St Lucia! 
Christmas is so much more fun when you have kids to celebrate it with.
And it's NOT for the gifts sake.
They see the magic in all the little things.

When I was single, and even during our first few years of marriage (before our oldest kids were old enough to understand what was going on), Christmas seemed more "mechanical", although I enjoyed buying gifts for others, eating good food and all that, that pure joy was missing.
Now it's definitely here.
To watch the kids eyes when they see mysteriously shaped packages wrapped up, waiting to be opened...
To feel your belly close to bursting from all the good food and treats...
To squish the whole family on the couch and sing Christmas songs till our throats are sore...
To read the gospel of Christmas together as a family (even if it felt SOOO long when I was a kid!)...
To look around me and see all of our kids gathered around us. (always brings tears of joy to my eyes)
It makes me so happy for their sake that they have each other.  That they get to grow up together in this crazy bunch.  Big families are a lot of work, but during holidays "The more" is definitely merrier!
To feel that great thankfulness coming from deep inside you...
It's magical and wonderful and beautiful.

I'm excited.  And I think I have to figure out a joke gift or two...