In those early years of having kids, Christmas was a time of sweet, coupled with sour, highlighted by Christ and offset by the stress test of gifts with the anxiety producing announcement/warning, “Some Assembly Required.”

I recall those Christmas Eve evenings where frenetic activity replaced the calm of a Christmas Eve service at church, a fancy family dinner (traditionally Bonefish), reading the Christmas story if excitement allowed. Maybe singing some Christmas Carols or playing a game and then watching more than helping Megan prepare our 3 little ones for bed amidst the uncontrollable expectation of Christmas. The special Santa plate would be brought out for its once a year appearance, Megan’s famous cutout cookies left with carrots left for those tired reindeer.

After all kids were in bed and numerous times of instructing “go back to your room, go back to bed, go to sleep,” with each directive becoming a little more forceful, we would release the gifts. “Some Assembly Required!” I would like to find the sociopath who provided that veiled message translated, ‘No Sleep Allowed!’ The doll house with 1,250,000 pieces; the easy-to-assemble play kitchen; the standalone Fisher Price basketball goal; the Barbie house; mini trampolines, chalkboards, Thomas the train sets, so much stuff. So many life treasures. The “life treasures” of course being those sweet moments of assembling what would be mostly forgotten as the years passed.

As I think back, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for Megan’s hard work and gentle guiding…of me. She would encourage as I assembled those tricycles and then bicycles as our littles grew so quickly. She would remind me to see the beauty in those precious moments too quickly gone by. I vividly remember her listening and humming along to Mariah Carey Christmas songs as we prepared for the ensuing chaos of Christmas morning. I remember her quietly assembling her beloved Nativity set and then walking our kids through the characters displayed, focusing primarily on Jesus.

We’re in a transition phase now where Christmas is still and will always be a beautiful event in our home. Boyfriends and girlfriends now enhance the days of the Season. Gifts move from play and fun to wear and style. Practicality seeps in where bright eyes and imagination used to rule. We have said every season with our kids has been amazingly awesome and this Season continues that tradition.

Today is a big day. Today is cutout cookie day, where Megan will once again assume the role of guide, example, encourager and corrector as some of us veer off the procedural paths of proper icing. The conversations will include memories of when Megan was a little girl and I was a little boy. We will hear stories of our kids grandpa Ed, who left this World for Heaven when their mom was only 13. We’ll reminisce of trips to Opryland Resort, a Christmas Disney Cruise, sled riding in Ohio, the Christmas we had 9 inches of snow in TN, when Rosie our morbidly obese Chiweenie (Chihuahua Dachshund mix) was left by Santa and on and on. Mostly, we’ll fill the air with love because Christ came down at Christmas.

I love to write about my childhood Christmas memories, but the truth is the sweetest times of my life and Christmas are occurring around me right now. Listening to the dreams of our kids and their future is so marvelous. Recognizing that the beauty, majesty, joy, hope and love that is Christmas has been properly conveyed and will continue to be celebrated long after we are gone is simply perfect. Joy, so much joy.

So we will celebrate today. Worship tomorrow evening. Gather as a family with a few additions for a meal at Bonefish. I will argue just to aggravate (a dad’s job) the lobbying of opening ‘only one’ gift on Christmas Eve. Then, after the single gift has been opened by each of us, I will marvel that 2025 years later, the seminal event in World history is still protected and celebrated by those who believe and those who simply receive.

Those who came before created in me a reverence and love of Christmas and its meaning. Don’t miss the true reason for this Season. Jesus, the Savior of the World. Jesus, God’s only beloved son, came to save a condemned World from ourselves. God in human form. Love came down at Christmas. Love is Christmas.

“And the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.’” Luke 2:10 (NIV)

Let’s get our cookie on…

Note: Kensley is conspicuously absent in these pictures from last year because her social calendar of sleepovers and sports events required her elsewhere.