A Merry Christmas indeed...

Here's to another wonderful Christmas. 

              A Christmas filled with new warm pajamas and robes,

 the joy of opening sweet handmade gifts,

 and much wished for "pack packs,"

 lots of time with well loved cousins,

 and grandmas and grandpas,

 sisters,

 and controlled chaos,

 cuddling and relaxing,

 reading,

and valiant attempts at group pictures. 

Yes, it was a good Christmas. And now that the much anticipated presents have been opened, the torn wrapping paper has been picked up, the meals have been prepared and eaten and cleaned up, the pictures have been taken, the laughing and the talking has quieted, and the families have packed up their cars with all the new gifts and the overstimulated children and driven home, now that the 25th has passed again, I can't help but feel melancholy. Of course the joy of Christ's birth doesn't pass with the lighting of the last Advent candle, and the joy of family time doesn't expire with the end of Christmas, but at no other time during the year do you find as much joy packing a whole crowd of related people into one home to enjoy each other's presence and to give well thought out gifts, to bask in the peace that was birthed in crude stable so many years ago. 

This is a treasured time indeed. 

Thankfully the aforementioned overstimulated children make popping the Christmas bubble a bit easier. Nothing says the magic is over like grumpy post-Christmas preschoolers. 

And there is also more Christmas ahead. Round two starts tomorrow with Kevin's family. Who has time for melancholy when there is laundry and packing to be done and the anticipation of more family time?