The merriest Christmas of all

I had always heard that seeing Christmas through the eyes of your child makes an already perfect day all the more magical. Though my little munchkin isn’t quite old enough to fully understand the festivities, I can already appreciate the sentiment.

Jacob is still too small to open presents, but he loves the brightly colored paper, and though he’s still too young to help decorate the tree, he loves watching the sparkling lights.

Even before Jacob was born, Tom and I began talking about beginning our own family traditions at the holidays. We agreed we’d include some of our favorites from our own years growing up and some new ones, too. For me as a kid, it wasn’t Christmas until I heard Johnny Cash’s Christmas album crackling away on our old phonograph and watched Danny Kaye dance with Vera Ellen in White Christmas. To this day, those things still mean Christmas to me.

It’s so special to think that the holiday traditions that Tom and I begin now will stick with Jacob his whole life through.

Although it remains to be seen what Christmases in the future will hold for us three, I know one thing for sure: As long as we’re together, they will be wonderful. As for this Christmas, there will be hot cocoa to sip, Hallmark movies to watch (the Christmas Card gets me every time), and presents to open.

And, speaking of presents, no matter what wonderful surprises are awaiting underneath the Christmas tree, I know that I already got the best gift I could ever ask for a few months early. He has big blue eyes and a smile that could melt the world’s biggest snowman. And, though he can’t talk quite yet, if he could, I’m sure he would join Tom and I in wishing you all a “very merry Christmas from the Palmers!”