Christmas Countdown: A Few More

The snow is falling and my last work day before the holidays is winding down. I have a few gifts left to get, some wrapping to do and our bags to pack, but then I'll get to celebrate Christmas with some of the people I love best.

I've tried to share some of the things that make the Christmas season so special for me. I'll write about the most important one tomorrow, but there are a few more little things that put a smile on my face:

Christmas carols. Not the ones I listen to, but the ones I sang in Christmas concerts as a kid. My favorites: Away in a Manger, O Holy Night and Hark, the Herald Angels Sing. I think I could go to a Christmas Eve service and simply sing these and others the entire time, then walk away happy.

Christmas gifts. Like everyone else, I get excited to open gifties. But you all know how awesome it is to pick out the perfect gift and be able to watch someone open it. This year, I'm particularly anticipating giving my parents a DVD I made of their trip to the Grand Canyon. And of course, I can't wait for Mitch to open his gifts!

Wrapping gifts. I'm no Martha Stewart, but I love the look of all those brightly colored, beribboned packages underneath the tree. I choose my wrapping paper almost as carefully as I choose my Christmas cards (Hallmark, always) and curl enough ribbon to bury myself. When I was a kid, I used to make all the bows for my mom's gifts because, while my dad is good at the actual wrapping, he's not so keen on bow-making. We'd sit in the basement at a card table together, warning my mom repeatedly not to come down!

Family celebrations. Thanks to the gift of marriage, I have three different Christmases to celebrate each year: DeYoung, Eccles and McGrath. DeYoung Christmas is usually on a date other than Christmas, based on the schedules of Mitch and his siblings. It's a pretty laid-back affair, with tons of food and great reminiscing. Eccles Christmas is either on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, depending on the year. This is a formal affair: ties on the boys, heels on the girls, Christmas music playing softly inthe background, drinks always full, china on the table, coffee with dessert. My dad just has one sibling, so it's a quiet crowd compared to the McGraths, who number well over 30. Like good Catholics, my grandparents had six children; all but one have families; and there are even a few great-grandkids running around. We still dress up and eat off china, but the whole day is a bit rambunctious, especially when it comes time to open presents!

Santa. My mom told me there was no Santa when I was eight or so, because my dad told her I already knew. I burst into tears, because I still believed with all my little heart. Even after my brother figured it out, we still played the game. Mom and Dad would wait for us to go to bed, then put the presents under the tree and sometimes, in the middle of the night, I'd sneak out to see what Santa left. One year, my dad heard me and came out himself, claiming surprise at the pile of presents and snooping along with me. Even though I'm married, we've still managed to wake up at my parents' every Christmas - and we still do the same things: put on Christmas music, make coffee, get out a plate of Christmas cookies, open stockings and pass out all our presents. AND we still make my parents wait 'til we've gone to bed to stack gifts under the tree!

Christmas movies. Rupolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and The Grinch that Stole Christmas...need I say more?

Well, that about does it. Safe travels to all who are visiting family and friends this Christmas!