The question this Christmas season is not, did I do enough? did I spend enough? or do we have enough STUFF under the tree?
  The question that will make or break Christmas memories for your kids is this:
  Is there peace In our home?
Christmas has a way of taking already stretched to thin and totally over-stressed Americans, and pushing them over the edge. 

 When we first merged our families we also had to merge our Christmas traditions.
  For example the girls and I love the classic, “It’s A Wonderful Life” the ”fellas” think it is corny.
  We no longer make them watch it with us, they make fun of it and frankly, it steals the joy.
  We have come up with our own family traditions, and you can not believe how important it is to our kids.
  Every year putting the Angel on top of the tree ends up being brothers hiking little sisters on their shoulders, hysterical laughing and nearly taking the whole tree down in the process.
  Every year we beg
Gary
to put lights on the outside of the house, and every year he is “too busy” until Christmas Day and he no longer needs an excuse.
  The funny part is, we all know he has no intention of doing it, its just fun to torment him.
  Christmas Eve our house is jam packed with family and friends for our annual open house.
  Christmas day we open presents, go back to bed for a while and then have our annual Japanese Christmas dinner.
  New Years Eve I make prime rib and Crab legs, we feast, play family football, (because we are simply to wild for board games) watch the ball drop, and then pray as a family.
  The focus of our Christmas is OUR family, our time together, reminiscing about the past year, planning for the future one, and loving each other

Christmas, 1974

     My parents did an amazing job giving me Christmas memories, and considering that they themselves were orphans, they did an outstanding job.
  I remember how beautiful my mother made the house look, and how wonderful my dad made it feel.
  She would decorate and cook and bake, filling the house with lights and amazing smells, he would make a real fire and play Nat King Cole and fill the house with warmth and music.
  Every Christmas Eve we would take a pajama ride.
  My sisters and I would wear our pajamas, mom made hot coco and we would drive all through our little town and look at the lights.
  To this day I have never had Hot chocolate that tasted that good.
  I have many wonderful memories of Christmas with my family, but honestly I can only remember about three gifts I received over all those years, and I do not have one of them today.

Our children will remember the Spirit of Christmas that we create, more than anything else.
  Create some traditions, no matter how small, and enjoy your blessings, time goes by so fast…