Things I LOVE about this time of year:

• Pulling out all the ornaments and recalling the fond memories attached to each one


• Salvation Army bellringers. God bless those men and women.


• Opening the mailbox and finding stacks of cards instead of bills and ads


• 24 hours of Christmas songs on the local radio station


• Seeing all those precious pre-school decorations the boys made over the years and being thankful I kept every one of them.


• The kindness and generosity of people who "just know" that this is a season of giving even if they don't believe in Jesus.


• Opening the family Christmas album, reading last year's letter and adding the current one.

Enjoy these next 22 days of Advent.