christmas joy, oh boy.

it all started with the dumb lights that wouldn't work after we already put them on the tree. we took them off and they worked, we put them back on and they wouldn't work again. after a few hours over the next few days of trying to find out what was wrong, we finally settled for them all working except every 4th one. but that was it... the trivial lights that didn't work began the christmas funk. normally, christmas decorating is top of my list the day after thanksgiving, but since we had other plans we didn't get to it for almost a week after and after the christmas tree lighting debacle of '09, the rest of the decorating felt more like a chore. i forced myself to put more and more decorations up, hoping that it'd swing me back in the spirit, but instead i grew bitter that i was decorating for christmas while it was 80 degrees outside. and it didn't help when i found out that my husband's week long paid holiday vacation, that we all were eagerly anticipating, had been retracted due to his company being bought out by another... and then him being required to work on christmas eve as well. and that he was called into jury duty, smack dab in the middle of the holidays. but it all crawled under my skin, the tiniest hiccups and beyond trivial things were ruining my mood, resulting in me being nothing but a christmas grump, pretending to get in the christmas mode, but inside feeling like an ugly old scrooge.

but then i see my girls.

and my husband.

and our health.

and our home.

and the food in our pantry.

and our family.

and our friends.

and our faith.

and my heart fills.

and my eyes fill.

and i am filled with gratitude that i get to spend this season with loved ones in such honorary circumstances.

and i remember how very, very blessed we are.

how could i forget?