Christmas Eve is my favorite day.  The day before.  The day when my son can barely stand the anticipation anymore.  I can barely stand it either to be fair – I choose his gifts with a lot of thought and can’t wait to see him open them.

But I can wait.  That day before – is when all the magic is still hanging in the air.  The ‘unknown’ is still unknown.  The wrapping is still holding in its secrets.

I absolutely adore having something to be excited about.

The meaning of Christmas aside – after the gifts have been opened and the boxes revealed – feels (to me anyway) like it’s all over.

I love the build up.  The spirit of the approaching holiday.

Today was special too.  No matter what the gifts under the tree that my son went out to buy are (one is labeled ‘to the lady who lives with me’, the other, ‘A.K.A. my mom’)  I feel like I already had my big gift today.

It was a busy day – after my Sunday morning job, we came home and collected laundry to do at my moms, then took Nic’s friend home.  Lots of driving – lots of ‘busy’.

Came home and lay on the couch enjoying a burger we salvated over every time we saw it on a mouth-watering commercial.

Ice Age 2 was on … it was just Nic and I.

After he ate, he indicated he wanted a spot next to me on the couch.

We curled up together and watched the animated flick.  Wasn’t long before he was asleep – my arms around him.

You know that sound pets make when they’re falling asleep and totally comfortable?  That content exhale?

He made that little noise.  A sigh.  And my heart filled.

I daren’t move – even when my arm fell asleep.

For that moment – I had my ‘little boy’ back.  If only for a snippet of time.

That is all I needed for Christmas.

Because really it’s about telling people we love them, spending time with family and a rare Season when strangers are nicer to each other.

I had my moment.  And tomorrow – I’ll be baking and looking forward to Santa filling Nic’s stocking and arranging the base of the tree. 😉

So very blessed.  So very grateful.  And as my son continues to sleep on the couch, I glance over at my boy who is becoming a man and so thankful for that contented sigh while he was in my arms.