wonderful, wonderful

this really is my favorite time of year. as a wee lass it was all about watching the snow fall from my bedroom window and counting the days until i got to run downstairs at waytooearlyo'clock and open presents, twice! but a steady change has been happening over the last few years. i still love to watch the snow fall, but it's instead from the kitchen or living room. i now open my presents at normalpeopletimeo'clock (much to my mom's chagrin, now that she gets up at 5am) and my favorite part is seeing the looks on other people's faces when they open my gifts. and yeah, i like to open them too. more to see what reminded people of me (pink suede suitcase with black patent leather trim? oh yeah) and to make them smile too. but the most important part is really just spending time with the people you love, and loving the people you can't spend time with. it's about laughing at old jokes and making new memories. teasing your baby sister and realizing she herself has developed quite the rapier wit, all in good fun of course. but really, it's just about getting that warm, fuzzy, "i had a glass of wine feeling," without even having to have a glass of wine, but you do anyways. so, i have to agree, this is the most wonderful time of the year.