That Christmas Feeling

It doesn't feel exactly like Christmas here today.  I can look out my window as I type and see the yellow pansies I planted in the baskets hanging over my front porch.  The sky is blue.  The grass is green - it could even use a mowing. 

Inside I've got Christmas trees the kids painted on the wall.  I have ornaments hanging from the ceiling by green thread.  I have our Christmas books displayed on the piano.  And I'm listening to The Messiah and a MoTab Christmas CD over and over on itunes.  It feels good.  But it still isn't quite Christmas.

Christmas came close the day before Thanksgiving.  It was an overcast, cold day and four girls from down the street came over to play.  Spontaneously we got out the Christamas decorations and blasted whatever Christmas music we could find on free internet radio.  Some kids made snowflakes, some ran around chasing each other, some danced to Christmas music, some paged through the Christmas books on our cozy, green lazy boy, and some played with our Little Peoples Nativity set.  There was lots of noise, lots of cries for my attention.  There was nutella and bread flying all over the kitchen.  It was very, very close to being Christmas.

Do you find that Christmas can be elusive?  I know enough to know that when Christmas does come it will be unplanned and maybe even unexpected.  I don't know if it will be looking at somebody's light display, listening to a particular Christmas song, watching one of my kids put quarters into the Salvation Army bucket, seeing my parents with my kids on the actual day, eating hotcakes Christmas morning, watching my kids do the nativity play the night before Christmas, drinking hot chocolate with my kids when/if it snows or putting the star on top of the Christmas tree.  What I do know is that when that feeling comes, it will be because I am feeling a moment of perfect love, love for those around me and love for my Savior.

Gosh, there is nothing quite like that Christmas feeling.