Christmas Eve

As Cam walked around the house singing "One More Sleep 'til Christmas" I thought about how precious Christmas Eve has been to the Heinisch family.  From making Christmas cookies with Doug to Children's Mass to opening gifts from Godparents and watching "It's a Wonderful Life," not much has changed at our home on this blessed Eve in over a decade.  I appreciate this year that all of the Heinisch children participated in each and every one of these activities.  I realize that in years to come our family dynamics will probably change.  That is why each time Doug cooked with Meg and Cam or Cal started a sentence with "Hey, Dad, did you know . . ." I smiled.  Brett will more than likely be in a new home next year and Cal's adventure in adulthood will have just begun.  Christmas Eve may be spent with others, but I won't worry about that just yet.  I believe that the memories that we have created on Christmas Eve will stay with the Heinisch children forever.  Even if all they can talk about in years to come is Brett face planting at Children's mass, Cam splitting his pants while taking the picture around the tree, Meg's years of putting Baby Jesus in the manger or Cal giving Brett his favorite Christmas movie - "Christmas with the Kranks" it has been a wonderful life and I will forever smile when I think of Christmas Eve.