Oh, the excitement of planning and preparing for the celebration of the birth of Jesus! The shopping list, the holiday caroling throughout the neighborhood, the rehearsals for the Christmas play – shopping for the delicious Christmas Day dinner that brings everyone to the beautifully set dining room table. Families traveling from near and far to gather and enjoy family togetherness. You put on your Sunday best for the Christmas Eve Service, and then hurry back home to surround the Christmas Tree – glistening with festive ornaments, sparkling lights and beautifully wrapped gifts. After the traditional reading of the Christmas Story, presents are shared, and we eat pecan pie and drink hot spiced cider. The children are over-the-moon excited for Christmas morning as they slip into their new flannel pj’s and snuggle up in their warm bed.