What Christmas means to me

Many years ago…….when I was a young girl, I always loved being out of school and the month of December, I remember the smells of mother making fudge, all the baking, the flocked white Christmas with blue christmas balls, My sister and I were spoiled, we got what we ask for, our parents I am sure did what they could to provide what we wanted, but most of all I remember my Aunt Verna and Uncle Herbert always coming over, every year they gave me a blue silk gown, this went on till after I married I loved silk gowns and blue was my favorite color, still is  Then we went to the State Capitol every Christmas eve, they displayed the Nativity out side then, and it was a major display, the steps to the Capitol seemed eternal to me, then the Solid Gold doors ( I thought ) were beautiful, I loved the donkey in the Nativity, guess form my loves for horses. As my life progressed, Christmas has always been a favorite time, Steve loves it but not like I do, he has changed over the years to love it more  I go into some kind of nurturing mode, I have my home smell like Christmas, which to me is a spice, cimnamion smell, I bake and make fudge, hummmmm wonder where I learned that I decorate, when the kids were small I usually had to wait before putting up the tree because all my ADHD children would go ape and you bout could not stand to be in our home, they would get so excited, bad part is I am ADD too and would get just as excited, still do I have special games out at Christmas, I use to rent a big screen TV for the time the children were out of school, it was a time for family to watch movies, play games and slow down and enjoy each other, years back when Steve was real sick it was Christmas time, we had no money, we did receive food stamps so we had lot of food, the children had their Christmas list and I knew there was no way for us to get the things they wanted, I cried thought of just writing hot checks;( but I ask the children to pray and we just trusted the Lord to provide what we needed, I remember Alex wanted a bike, he prayed and you know what???? God gave us what was on our list, this was when I began to realize what Christmas is about, its not about presents we get but in our giving to others at Christmas, that year God used people to buy our Christmas,provide our live tree, which was huge, my children saw God answer their prayers and it changed us all, I have so many times God has provided for us in so many ways, so do my children, so now, I do not go crazy on Christmas like I thought I use to have to do, I make it simple in the gifts, I normally do not even buy my children anything, but buy for Grand children, if I have money I spend it, if I don’t, I don’t, our focus is on family time, games, food, movies and loving on each other, have special time with each other, know what Christmas is about, without Jesus we would not even have love, He is our special gift and in that we can give our time, our talents to each other, that is what Christmas is about to me, I love it being cold, I love all the smells, the laughter, the food, the candies, baked good, parties, seeing friends, apple cider, Steve loves egg nog, Christmas carols, Christmas trees, Christmas lights, and yes Christmas blow ups in my yard I just love Christmas, hope we call focus that the most important thing is have people in your home, they do not come to see your home but you, take time to help someone in need, smile while your out shopping, if you can not find what your looking for then change, its not that important in the scheme of things So have your self a very merry Christmas day!! hugs