Countdown to Christmas...

This year I am finally excited for Christmas. I feel like every year I get a little crazy towards the end and it makes me lose the excitement of the day. I think it helps that Patrick is beyond excited for Christmas to come. Allyson isn't much for showing a lot of excitement. Even when the best gift ever is under the tree, she will just smirk. I look forward to screams and jumping up and down...and I can absolutely see Patrick giving us that this year. (As long as Santa comes through with that yellow dump truck and pillow pet)

Patrick's extreme excitement is more helpful then he realizes, too. I always get weepy around this time. Watching certain shows...making certain foods...special ornaments and Christmas tree skirts. The memories they bring back are bittersweet. We know that Grandma Alice and YeYe are with us all the time. But God we wish they were here.

We can't wait for Christmas Eve dinner (the menu is in the planning stages..I'm getting hungry just thinking about it). Ron always outdoes himself, so I can't wait!

I think Ron and I will be the ones who can't sleep that night. Hopefully this year the kids will wake up on their own. I hate having to wake them both up to open presents. They are supposed to be waking us at at 4am!

This year I decided to go back to my childhood and join my family for Christmas breakfast (in my pajamas of course). It will be a lot of traveling (Me driving to Matawan at 8am by myself...then back to PA...then off to Manalapan) but worth it. We tried to start our own Christmas Breakfast tradition, but I just need my Dad's breakfast this year.

I think another thing about this year that is getting me more weepy and sentimental then usual is that my baby is turning 13. THIRTEEN! I just can't believe it. But I am so thankful that she is such a wonderful and loving person. She has certainly tested my patience over the years and I'm sure will test me more as she gets older, but this year she has just blossomed into a young lady. And a great one at that! I hope we can make her big day extra special this year.

So the countdown is on...17 days to go!