The Season For Cheer

I haven't had a Christmas with my whole family since Jody and I got married. I've had Mom and Dad come, and I've had Ginny and Daniel come but we haven't all gathered together for a Christmas in years. I'll admit, I'm having a bit of a boo hoo that Daniel won't be sent home a bit early from Afghanistan so he can have Christmas with us but it'll be mighty close to a full family Christmas. Apparently Abby is so excited that we're coming that she has cleaned her room and purged it twice. Not only that but she's avidly creating little origami boxes and such for who knows what. Gin acts like it's a trial due to all of the bits and pieces that are always lying around but I know she loves Abby's active mind and nonstop ideas.
On our end, we're shopping and wrapping gifts already. We managed to get Marcy and Jerry their gifts and sent with them to Minnesota so it's one less package to agonize over. Whew, I've given myself a target of one more week to get Daniel and the Barry's packages off and two weeks to write my Christmas letter and get a family picture done. There, it's in writing so I have accountability.
Last night Marcy and I took Eden and Kait to The Nutcracker which was fantastic. We all put on our finest and dressed to the nines. We went to the Mackey in Boulder and it's old and beautiful. We sat in the third row of the balcony and the second row was empty, so the girls neither one had to look over a head. The cathedral ceiling of the auditorium was breathtaking and the girls absorbed every detail. Kait made it through about three sets before she told me that she thought there were going to be words and that she was sad there weren't any words. I don't know how I failed to describe the performance as a ballet but those are the little surprises of parenting. Eden was completely enthralled. She loved the music, the tricks of the stage and all of the amazing costumes. She knows the story of The Nutcracker well, so there were few surprises and many fulfilled visions for her. During the intermission we all shared a giant cookie and the girls drank hot cocoa in their beautiful Christmas dresses. It was one of those moments. I saw it in Marcy's face and I felt it in my heart. We were so glad we lived it. We were so glad we made the effort and made the memory and made the investment in the girls. Marcy got them each a trinket to remember our outing. After the second act started Kait again bemoaned that there were no words. I made up some words like I was a narrator but she was across Marcy so I didn't do it for very long. Pretty soon I could hear her just chattering away in quiet voice and leaned over. Marcy told me Kait was narrating it for herself. It's a fine jewel in my treasure chest of memories. We all had a wonderful time.
I told the girls that this year we are going to live up the Christmas season like never before. We're going to the tree lighting in town, we're making cookies and decorating ornaments with friends, they're singing in the Christmas production at Church and we're doing every other festive thing I can think of. What's the point of life if you don't live it?