I finally finished filling the stockings and putting the gifts beneath the tree. Hubby is on shift today/tonight. In our house, this is what a typical Christmas Eve looks like. He’s worked more Christmas Eve’s than not. This is not a boo hoo situation, this is life, this is our life, this is our fire family life. Would I rather him be home with us? Of course. But I’d also rather him work Christmas Eve over Christmas Day. As in our typical tradition, the boys and I along with my mother in law went to church for the annual Christmas Eve Carol Sing, which was beautiful and then came home and made some appetizers for dinner and watched Christmas movies. I know a lot of people gather with extended family and friends on Christmas Eve, but this is the tradition that we created and I love the quietness and simplicity of it all. It’s been a busy month/week/day. And to think that in just 5 minutes it will be Christmas is awesome. This is the day, the culmination of what we have all been getting ready for. In all of the wrapping and unwrapping, the gathering, the eating, the festivities, let us not forget why Christmas is awesome and why we celebrate. We celebrate Christmas because it is the birthday of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. He is the reason. The word that became flesh that made his dwelling among us. The baby born in a manger, wrapped in swaddling cloths and placed in a trough as his very first cradle. Jesus didn’t come to be king of the rich, powerful, and mighty. He came humbly into this world to rescue us from our sin. For you and for me. All you need to do is ask him to be your savior, choose to follow him all the days of your life, obey his word, and He is yours. He is why we celebrate Christmas. So as we gather tomorrow, take a moment and remember Jesus, what He has done and how he has changed/shaped your life. And thank Him for coming down from Heaven to take on flesh for you and for me. Merry Christmas.