On the eve...

Happy Christmas! It is the eve of Christmas and somewhat unfortunately, the end to my 20s. I'm trying not to think about that second one. I turn 30 tomorrow! I always love the holiday season as it is also my birthday season! When we were all in college, my mom would wait for us to come home to decorate the tree, and that was always a fun family bonding night. Then every year - from when we were really little - through college - my brother, sister and I would sit on the top of the steps waiting for my parents to get out their videocamera and watching our reaction as we made it down the stairs and to the tree. I always looked forward to this every year. I actually felt sad the first year I wasn't there on Christmas Day - and I was in college at this time! My parents treated us like little kids all the way until a few years ago. I think it is so fun to feel like a kid on Christmas! Each of us would have our own wrapping paper so we knew which gifts were ours. It was always fun opening gifts in our PJs and spending the morning together. Then it usually became nuts as we had to prepare the house for family to come over.

As it is now, we do crazy food on Christmas Eve with both families and do it again on Christmas night with both families and my mom's whole side of the family. We always celebrate my birthday the night of Christmas which is fun and distinguishes it from the holiday.

Fast forward to new traditions. We don't have any yet, but it will be fun to start our own family traditions going forward. I think what I would like is a low key thing on Xmas eve with just the 3 of us (3 = soon) and getting pizza and watching Christmas cartoons and enjoying each other's company. Xmas day I think it will be important for it to be just the 3 of us as we start our new family traditions and then join our parents/family for brunch and dinner. I am excited to play Santa and be up late wrapping presents for tiny kids!!

I am thankful for having loving family at Christmas and most especially for having love and being in love. This will be our last Christmas without kids, so I am going to cherish it!

I also got an early gift and won the 1/2 way prize for the HBBC challenge!! Thanks to Run to Finish!!!

I hope that everyone has a great Christmas Eve! I hope to start off my birthday/Christmas to run outside tomorrow! I was hoping to do that today but it was too icy!