a beautiful christmas

I'm not someone that has ever outgrown the wonder of Christmas.

It's always been one of my favourite times of year;

with the pretty decorations,

the yummy food,

the gifts,

the songs,

the time with family

and the smiling faces.

But nothing prepared me for the sheer joy of Christmas with my own children.

Seeing Christmas through the eyes of little people is just magical

and it just brings the wonder of it all to life in an unimaginably beautiful way.

And when those little people happen to be your own children

it just makes it even more beautiful.

This Christmas was beautiful.

The beautiful boy didn't completely understand it all

but he learned (and seriously overused) the word 'chri-mas'.

As well as saying 'sparkly', 'snowman', 'present', 'pretty lights' and 'wow' at regular intervals.

He completely fed off the excitement he could sense from us

and it was just so adorable.

When he opened his very first present

- a little teddy bear from his stocking -

he said "Wow, teddy bear hiding. Thank-you."

I genuinely think he would have been happy to stop there.

When he realised there were more presents to be had further down his 'sock' he couldn't believe it.

He mastered unwrapping his own presents

and there was something about the genuine way he said "Wow" and "Thank-you" to every present he opened

which made me absolutely melt with pride.

The beautiful girl had such a lovely day.

She giggled and smiled at the glove puppets and wooden books that came in her stocking.

She enjoyed wrinkling the sparkly wrapping paper in her fingers
and shaking her new musical instruments.

She looked adorable in her special Christmas outfit.

And she smiled repeatedly at her big brother squealing with excitement.

Watching them this year just makes me so excited for the Christmases to come.

Christmases where they are awake early, unable to sleep due to sheer excitement.

Christmases where they play together with their new toys.

Christmases where they leave out goodies for Father Christmas and his reindeer, full of hope and anticipation for the morning.

Children genuinely set the wonder of Christmas on fire.

As my husband and I travelled home from a day with the grandparents

with two sleeping children in the back of the car,

and with full bellies and full hearts;

we talked about how the day had been everything we thought it would be and more.

As parents we can approach the tree

and the unopened presents

knowing that whatever we find in the pretty paper,

that we already have everything we could ever want or need.

Our children are without doubt the very best gifts we have ever had from and with one another.

And they are a gift that just keeps giving,

especially when you get to enjoy events like Christmas with them.

So thank-you hubby,

for giving me what is without doubt the best gift ever,

our son and daughter.

Nothing fancy and expensive wrapped in pretty paper
could ever give me the joy, excitement and wonder

that those two little people do.