what christmas is all about

the christmas countdown:
15 days!

can you believe we only have two and a half weeks until christmas? i sure can't. time has gone by so quickly.

i went christmas shopping this morning for my hubby. i scrounged every penny, nickel, dime, and quarter i could find, headed over to the wal-mart and dumped them all in the coin counter. $8.31 later i was in business. the kids "helped" me find something for him. i just love shopping for my loved ones, trying to figure out what it is they would really like and imagining their reactions on christmas morning.

yesterday packages started arriving filled with gifts i have ordered for my family. i get so excited, so giddy when i see those packages and get to open them up! it's a gift for me, too, getting to wrap them. right now there isn't a single thing for myself under the tree, and only four things for my stocking, but you know what? i really don't care. when i think about my babies opening their presents, when i think about santa visiting little buddy, and when i think about the few things i was able to get hubby, it's enough christmas for me. christmas truly is about giving, and now that i'm older, that i have a family of my own, i really understand that. i scrimp and save every penny that i can to give my loved ones christmas. and hubby works so hard and sacrifices so much for the same thing.

christmas is about giving--and about the one who gave the ultimate gift. last night one of my very favorite christmas shows was on tv. charlie brown's christmas. i just love charlie brown and the peanuts characters, but i especially love their christmas special. every time i watch it i get tears when linus gives his speech, about what christmas is really about. christmas is about Christ, about his birth, his life, his sacrifice for us.

so merry christmas, charlie brown, and to all of you. here is linus' speech for your enjoyment: