Merry Christmas!

Merry CHRISTmas everyone! It is such a beautiful day here in Maryland. Not too cold, but cold enough to feel like Christmas. It would have been nice to have another white Christmas like we did a few years ago, but that's OK. Sherry's grandpa is flying back from Florida today, so it's nice to have a good day so he can spend Christmas with his family without being delayed at the airport! I feel for all of the holiday travellers around the country still snowed in.

It was such a joy watching Ian and Aidan open up their gifts. Ian was excited, and Aidan is not quite there yet as far as understanding everything that's going on. Last night, though, was the best. Ian carefully laid out cookies and milk for Santa, carrots for the reindeer, and he even spread reindeer food (and about a pound of dog food) on the front lawn -- guaranteed to get Santa to our house first when he passed over Mount Airy! Ian even had mommy take down the fireplace screen for Santa and clean the fireplace so he wouldn't get so sooty! Thank goodness that we don't use the fireplace upstairs, or that would have been a chore!

I think the real joy, for me, though, was watching Ian put his coins in the Poor Box last night. He did understand what he was doing, and he told me, as he was putting the coins in, that he hoped that it would give some boy or girl something they wanted this year. In fact, he got into the spirit of it so much that he asked me to give him more money because he didn't feel that he put in enough! That is the best present ever, and I'm thankful that he wanted to do it. Throughout Mass, he kept playing with his money, making all kinds of racket. He was doing it, though, because he was really excited about being able to put the money in the Poor Box. I wanted to put it in before Mass, but there was so many people at church that we had to find a pew quickly when we got there.

Right now, Ian is engrossed in his LeapFrog learning game that Santa brought him. He played with his train for a little while, and then he went right to the LeapFrog. Aidan has been riding the horsey that grandmother and granddaddy got him a month or so ago that I just put together last night. I still forgot the batteries and had to add them this morning.

It's going to be a busy day. Mostly opening the packages which seem to be designed to not allow you to open them. Ian is calling now.... probably wants to get into another toy, so I am going to go now. I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and hope that your day is fun and full of family and laughter!

Mark