It's not Christmas until...

Derek says his mom always said that it's not Christmas until somebody cries. I love that.

And yes, I can promise you at some point over the next few days (probably Christmas Eve after a few glasses of wine while listening to John Lennon's "So This is Christmas") I will get a little teary-eyed. I always do. It just overwhelms me to think that another year has passed. It's hard to think of the people who aren't with us anymore and how quickly life just passes you by.

Okay, enough of the sadness... let's talk about other things that can fill in "It's not Christmas until ______."

#1. It's not Christmas until I hear Elvis and Willie Nelson sing Christmas carols on my Granny's old record player. By far, one of my FAVORITE Christmas traditions...

#2. It's not Christmas until Derek and I drive home Christmas Eve night from Hattiesburg and get comfy in our pajamas in front of the fire and relax until we ring in Christmas Day at midnight with a stiff cocktail. (This is usually when the tears come along with the John Lennon song, by the way.)

#3. It's not Christmas until we walk over on Christmas morning to have coffee with our neighbors (still in our PJs, too). We've done this since Baby Brady was four months old. It's become a nice little tradition. I think when one of us moves we'll just have to drive over to keep the tradition alive.

#4. It's not Christmas until at some point the real reason for the season hits you and you feel very humbled at the miracle that happened so many years ago.

#5. It's not Christmas until all the presents are gone, the tree and garland look wilted and you realize, once again, that another year has passed.

So, Merry Christmas Eve Eve Eve and enjoy ALL the things you love about this holiday and cherish every memory. Make new ones. Remember old ones. It's not Christmas until you fill in your own blanks.