Some Post-Christmas Gratitude

I've had a cold for the past 4 or 5 days, so I haven't been doing anything productive.   Well, besides cooking, cleaning, and enjoying my family.  What I mean to say is that I haven't read any further in Psalms, and I've not been in the mood for posting, at least not until today.

So today my thoughts aren't in reference to any specific bible verses, but simply in gratitude.  The best Christmas I remember was the year I got my pony, Buddy.  We lived in a spacious, if run down, home on a couple acres of land in rural southern Oregon.  For the most part, I grew up poor.  But there was a period of time when my mom was married that we had some financial security, and both my sister and I got ponies.  There are very few perks to living in a backwards, rural town like the one I grew up in, but one of them is that land & large pets are relatively inexpensive.  So I got a pony, and it was pretty amazing.

This Christmas, however, trumps that one.  Why?  Because now I have a little girl.  She'll be three in February, and this is really the first year she gets it.  Last year she was just obsessed with the presents, but didn't understand anything other than that they were new, shiny, and obviously things she needed to play with (read-destroy).  But this year, she understood.  We got our Christmas tree, and she helped us decorate: she was exceptionally enthusiastic and broke a couple of balls in her glee.  Oh, well - they're replaceable.  She woke up nearly every morning with, "I'm so excited about Kwis-mas, mommy!"  and, "I wanna open my pwesents"

And she's so innocent & perfect!  Christmas is fun now because I know what my daughter loves, we have the means to put presents under the tree, and we can just relax and enjoy each other.  I'm so thankful that we can enjoy the holiday.  I'm so thankful that my daughter is happy & healthy.  The hubs & are both gainfully employed, we have a warm home.   Wecan give my little munchkin a wonderful Christmas, and for that, I am overwhelmingly grateful.