Christmas Magic

It is December 23rd and I can hear Owen jumping away in his bouncer, Mitch playing a football video game & Garrett goofing around at the dinner table struggling to finish his PB&J for lunch.

Today is the first day of my Christmas break and I am savoring every lazy minute. Baby O & I battled the crowds at Target & Costco this morning and now I'm looking forward to baking with Garrett, wrapping with Mitch, an attempt at free motion quilting & even some alone time when I go out for a pedicure. Life is good.

I'm learning that even though life is crazy, life is chaotic, life is exhausting, life is stressful if I be still long enough to look around life is always good.

Last weekend Mitch was hunting & I mustered up the courage to take the boys to see Santa by myself. The minute we stepped in the mall & there was a line 20 deep to get a bottled water for Garrett at the cookie place I was ready to bolt.

We had just come from a Christmas party and Garrett was whining for the water, Owen was on the verge of done & I was slipping into fight or flight. I may have mentioned to Garrett that maybe we needed to try another day when he burst into tears in the middle of the mall & I was shot disapproving looks from all around. Desperate to make him stop I told him OK we would go see Santa & I put all my strength into pushing the two times too long stroller through the sea of people.

We parked ourselves in line and in the cover of the sit & stand stroller I fed Owen to help him make it through our long wait. In those quiet moments I was able to be still & see past the long wait, the tired kids, the frantic people surrounding us & a worn out me. I was able to see the magic.

We all calmed down & had an impromptu photo shoot taking advantage of the twinkling lights. Garrett is obsessed with making crazy faces. I think I love the outtakes the most because they show exactly where he is at right now. Life is good.

Then the big guy, Mr. Claus himself, came back from feeding the reindeer. Garrett was full of wonder. The last few years it has been a look of apprehension met with fear. But this year was so different. This year he is all about the big guy. He has weekly conversations with Snitch, our elf on the shelf, and has been counting down the days till Christmas with such anticipation.

He watched Santa with such a stillness, such a quiet that is not like him at all. He believes. He asks me frequently if there is Christmas magic. Looking at this, how is there any doubt?

With both boys in good spirit we made it to the front of the line. Santa commented on how efficiently Garrett told him what he wanted for Christmas. His list this year included a Captain Cody costume, Storm Trooper blaster & the Playmobil school. He didn't forget his brother & asked Santa to give Owen the home with a mailbox.

Look at that smirk, look at those toes these two have completely captured my heart. Life is good.

My wish for you this holiday season is to take some time to be still amid the bustle. Take some time to look around and see the magic. To see your life is good.

Tonight we celebrate that the simple fact that "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 That my friends is the real Christmas magic. Have a wonderful holiday season and Merry Christmas.

lovemon