Let the countdown begin!

I feel like December sneaked up on me this year! One minute I'm realizing it's only 9 days til December... and the next minute I realize it's 9 days into December! (almost anyway...)

My sister has started a countdown with my niece at their house. They are using the paper chain method...where each chain link is numbered with the days til Christmas and each day they take one off and see how many days are left. Yesterday when I was there, there were only 18 days til Christmas, which means now there are 17! I can't believe Christmas is so close! :)

I love Christmas. It has to be my favorite holiday of the year. When I was younger, a lot of it was because of the presents. As I got older, it still had something to do with presents, but I was more excited to give presents rather than receive them. Also, as I got older, the family started splitting up, going their own directions. This year is the first year that all of the kids are out of the house. We are all coming back to my parents' house for Christmas this year. It's a weird thought. But that is one of the reasons I love Christmas. I love being able to be with my family again. Now that we are all in our own places, it's so hard to get together. Even Kaleb and I hardly see each other and we live together. I love the camaraderie that my siblings and I have. I love how our family grows with each year. I love being able to simply sit in my parents' living room and watch the lights blink on the Christmas tree. I love watching Kaleb hit the mistletoe every time he walks by simply because he is so tall, and watching my mom run over to him to give him a kiss. I love simply watching my family members interact with each other. I love realizing over and over again how truly blessed I am. And I love remembering the true Reason for the Season: how my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, humbled Himself to my level to save me from God's wrath because He loves me that much.

How I pray that I will remember this every day, not just Christmas Day; every month, not just December; and every year, not just when my family is able to get together to celebrate. 17 days til Christmas...