Precious Gifts...

The children are nestled all snug in their beds, and my husband is cheering on the Trojans down in his lair. Finally, after a couple of weeks of hustle and bustle, I have a few minutes of peace and quiet. Life has been a whirlwind of fun for the last couple of weeks. Once again, there has been little thought or talk of the Big C. The mind is powerful, and mind over matter prevails once again.

There were many beautifully wrapped gifts under the Christmas trees this year. We were all blessed to have such abundance of friends, family, food, and gifts. The gift that I cherish more than anything can not be found in a store, or under the tree. The most precious gift of all is life...and spending time with those I love.

It's moments like watching my little Cookie get all bundled up in her snow gear to keep her Daddy company as he shoveled the 15 inches of powdery, fluffy snow. It's the joy of making O the perfect cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream and sprinkles when he came inside, frozen from within after sledding with his buddies. It's catching up with my neighbor over a latte while our kids played happily. It's holding my new niece for the first time...welcoming her in to our loving family, watching my twin brother beam with pride over his new daughter, and thanking God that she and her mother are healthy. It's spending time with our best friends, and being filled with joy watching our kids grow up together. It's having fun planning a dinner party, setting a beautiful table, and cooking in the kitchen with my darling husband as we ate, drank, and were merry with those we love. It's relishing in the Christmas traditions of our childhoods and creating new ones with our children. It's teaching our kids about the true meaning of Christmas, and holding back tears as the hymns at the Christmas Eve service filled my heart and soul with emotions and memories. It's sitting around the fireplace on Christmas Eve, and laughing out loud at the antics and performances that you can only do with a room full of family. It's the joy of playing Santa with my husband on Christmas Eve, getting the house ready for Christmas morning...and sneaking in a few late night games of arcade hoops after he spent 4 hours putting the game together. It's snuggling in bed with our son on Christmas morning as we patiently waited for Cookie to wake up so we could go downstairs as a family to see what Santa brought. It's the joy of watching their eyes light up at the amazement that Santa knew exactly what they'd love. It's receiving the perfect Christmas card. It's telling people how much you love them, and how much they mean to you. It's letting tears of love and happiness fall as they may. It's catching up on quiet time, TV and movies with my husband. It's the pure joy of loving and being loved. It's flipping through a photo book and realizing that in a year that is dubbed the worst year ever, there has been a lot of fun, great trips, good times, many blessings, and renewed strength. It's hearing exciting, surprising news from friends across the miles, and wishing I could reach through the phone and give them big, huge hugs. It's the excitement of making a list of all the fun things we are going to do in 2010. Life. It's the most precious gift.

Christmas is my favorite time of year. But as much as I love it, I am glad to clean up once it's over. Tomorrow, I will take down the trimmings, get my house all back in order, and get back in to a healthy routine. We all have the next week off and are looking forward to some fun dates and some fun family time, rest, and relaxation. Then, on January 4 as my kids return to school and my husband returns to work, I will head to CW for my fourth and final chemo. And, on January 5, I will start my New Year...cancer free, and no looking back. There is a lot of life to live, and I have peace in my heart that 2010 will be an amazing year filled with good health, a lot of love, loads of fun, many blessings, and a lot of thanksgiving. Peace of mind. Peace in my heart.