Soaking Up the Smallness

The Whos in Whoville couldn't have put it any better.  For the last week, I've been staring at that sweet picture of Sylvia and Charlie every day.  I love it for so many reasons!  First of all, it shows the pure and honest joy that only a child can know.  Do you remember the last time holding your cousin's hand made you that happy?  Or the last time a parking lot was so much fun?  Secondly, it captures both of them at an age where anything is possible.  They know what Santa looks like, but they haven't become obsessed with gifts.  The thing that makes them most happy is people spending time with them, and isn't that what Christmas is all about?

The biggest reason I love this picture is because it represents every possible reason why we decided to move here.  It's not about the free babysitting, or the good jobs.  It's about raising our kids around our family.  It's about having hands to hold during the holidays and throughout the year, whether things are going well or getting tough.  It's about the joy these people bring to our lives every day.  I look at this picture and I know in my heart that we made the right choice.

Tonight, for the first time in twelve years, I get to sleep in my own bed on Christmas Eve.  And tomorrow, my family will wake up in our own house on Christmas morning.  I would give back every gift from Santa, every birthday present, and every night of free babysitting to feel this way.  We left "our Bethlehem" in July - the place where we brought our first baby into the world - and we've finally come home. 

Now, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of the most joyous baby who changed the world, there's nothing left for us to do but watch our babies grow and give thanks daily that we have so many hands to hold.

Merry Christmas!