Every year Christmas goes by with ever increasing speed and this year was no exception. Anna and I made the rounds visiting my parents for Christmas eve and then Christmas day at her parents. I really enjoyed seeing the little ones (aka the short people) so energetic at 7 am. Reuben even awoke at the early hour of 4 am in sheer anticipation of the presents to come. I remember the early mornings spent with Jared pondering the loot which we were about to acquire. Unfortunately, life has a way of removing such moments and blending events into a mellow haze. The little one could care less about the money which was spent to purchase each gift, or the food required for the feasts to come, or work the next morning. Innocence allows them to live in the moment unaffected by life. Their enthusiasm is a drug which adults thrive on. Parents may be tired, hungry, or poor but they are happy when they get the priceless gift of a child's squeal of delight. May we all be so lucky to experience that feeling this year.

Christmas is quickly coming upon us and I still have two people left on my gift list. One is my brother who is being really weird about giving any gift ideas. He refuses to offer any help in terms of what he wants. He maintains that he will be happy with whatever he gets. Now I am stuck trying to find a great gift for someone who wont even give you a starting point. I have 4 days to find that one gift so we shall see what I find.

Anna has left me all alone in Philadelphia as she jumped at the chance to tour NYC with her sisters and Uncle Jim. Rather then stay at home and fend for myself, I relocated down to my parents house to spend time with my family including my brother who is home from Christmas break. The feeling is definitely weird being at home without Anna. However, my mom's stuffed green peppers temporarily subdued those feelings. My work schedule does not premit spending much time preparing a complex dinner so such a meal was a welcomed change. My mom relishes the return of two large eaters (especially Jared) as we ,above everyone else, appreciate a great meal. I am eagerly awaiting other favorites my mom has in store.

The Christmas season is now in full swing and I am enjoying every chaotic moment. The time constraints are so tight this year that I am forced to use my last day of paid vacation to simply go Christmas shopping. Gift giving is the most stress element of the entire season. Driving hundreds of miles to see that one crazy aunt in her festive red sweater is perfectly natural. Or packing around a crowded dinner table eating dried out meat and overcooked vegetables is nothing new. The hardest part is finding that perfect gift which lights up the eyes and heart. I will beat my brains out as the expression goes attempting to uncover the gift which allodes me. One of the best recent memories from Christmas was Jared and my gift for my mom 3 years ago. We purchased a few albums of various sizes and then filled each album to the brim with pictures of our youth we found in an old box. The sight of my mom's tears brought the greatest feeling in the world. I admit not all of my gifts are received in such a manner but such is my intention. Once I have found the right gift, I hate waiting to give it to them. I guess it only heightens the joy of Christmas but it still make it hard. I only hope people enjoy my gifts nearly as much as I enjoyed finding them.