A Grinch-sized revelation?

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.
~ Dr. Seuss

Now, I am no Grinch... as you can probably tell from my post on Christmas tunes , but I think that quote reflects, for me personally, how Christmas can take on a different meaning... even when you think you know what to expect...

I have always loved the holiday season, and Christmas in particular, as you get to enjoy family, food and drink in any amounts you want... oh yeah, and you get some time off work too.

So for me, last year got me really into things, as my wife (6 months pregnant at the time) and I hosted our first Christmas supper for her family and mine, and thankfully, the turkey and everything went off without a hitch...

... and as my wife sat there with her pregnant belly, surrounded by our families, I thought to myself, "man, next year is gonna be different..."

Boy was I right...

With the arrival of our first child, a beautiful baby girl we named Paige, things instantly got a whole lot different. But now as we approach Christmas, and Paige approaches 9 months old, I find myself rediscovering Christmas all over again...

Now, even though Paige is still too young to really grasp the whole concept of Christmas, she still knows that things are different around the house. Gone are the plain, lifeless walls of our home, and here are the twinkly bright lights of Christmas. Shiny wrapping paper lies at her level of play, and pine needles are easily spotted from down on the carpet, which is, her domain... and her's alone...

In fact, here's a pic of Paige running the show on the carpet...

Anyway, like I said earlier, I find myself rediscovering Christmas again this year, and I have that beautiful little girl to thank for it...

I find myself looking forward to Christmas and not for myself... not to see what lies beneath the tree with my name on it... not to get the much needed break from the office... not even for all the food...

Instead I find myself eagerly awaiting Christmas Eve and Day to share it with my family... I cant wait to head over to my in-laws place for our annual Christmas Eve gathering (full of great food, great company, card games and Christmas cheer)... I cant wait to get up on Christmas morning and watch Paige tear open her gifts... I cant wait to see her play with her new toys... I cant wait for my wife to open the gift I got her that is from Paige... I cant wait to see what Paige has gotten me... I cant wait for my family to come over supper and for them to be able to share it with Paige...

I never thought I would feel this way about Christmas... I often thought about my first Christmas as a parent, and I knew it would be different and exciting, but I never knew how much it would be... suddenly, it is totally not about me and it is all about that little girl and my family... I can only imagine how much fun it is going to be when she can actually grasp the whole Santa business...

So I guess this Christmas, and how it has changed for me isn't as drastic as how it did for Mean Old Mr. Grinch, but the underlying message remains the same...

"What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. "