Being present instead of buying presents: my hopes for a Christmas full of love

I love Christmas! Here it comes in all its cold-weather, twinkly lights, beautiful music glory! Our Christmas tree is all set up and I'm writing this under the glow of Christmas lights with a background of "White Christmas". I love everything about Christmas, the food, the traditions, and especially, the presents!!!

In years past, I have prided myself on having the MOST presents to hand out on Christmas morning, turning gift-giving, like most things I do, into a fun competition. My family happily plays along, allowing me to gloat with an "I WIN!" when I hand out the last little gift after rounds of turns of family gift-giving that lasts long into the afternoon.

This year, however, I've already celebrated Christmas with my family. We got to gather on Thanksgiving evening to exchange a few presents and read the Christmas story to my 17 month-old nephew who obediently repeated Jesus each time we said it and learned not only to open presents, but also to give them out and to appropriately thank the giver with a hug and a kiss when it was his turn to open one. For me, watching my family love on each other and putting up the Christmas tree together was better than any kind of gift-giving competition.

That's why, this year, my goal is not to give the most presents. In fact, besides the mostly home-made gifts we are giving out to our nieces and nephews, I doubt we'll be giving any extravagant gifts. I sent stocking stuffers home to Mexico with my little brother, and we'll probably do something fun with my in-laws on Christmas day, but for me the true challenge this holiday season is to BE PRESENT instead of GIVING lots of PRESENTS.

I'm so excited to go home (to Iowa) for Christmas and our anniversary! Spending time with our Iowa family is always special, but I know it will be especially precious if it means that I get to play in the snow with the little ones, bake cookies with my mother-in-law, and drink fancy tea around Grandma's kitchen table! Being so far away last year was sad. Of course, we sent gifts, but presents will never make up for the presence of the people we love! I'm so thankful for my 2 wonderful families, and for a chance to do presence with both of them this year. We are so blessed!