The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I can't believe it, but Christmas is coming soon.
It seems like just yesterday i was packing the car full of presents to deliver to the many stops my wife and I must make during the 36 hour stretch of late December 24th through December 25th. It seems like time has moved so fast in the days, weeks, and moths following the last time i sang "Frosty the Snowman" or "Angels we have heard on high."
But it's already September and i have begun to get emails that are all about the holiday plans my family have. My family is unique that we try to cram in at least six-to-eight days worth of Christmas fun into the six-to eight hours that we all spend together on our traditional "family Christmas. I don't hate it, in fact I love it but It's very overwhelming. Before my wife and I were married i even made her sit and watch a DVD my sister had put together of previous Christmas spectaculars. By the end she was shell-shocked. I kind of was too, it was overwhelming watching all the Christmas's in one concentrated package. It was sort of like drinking Chocolate syrup instead of pouring it into milk and having chocolate milk.
Even though i was overwhelmed, I also realized how much i love the holiday. All my family is together and we are all happy, bad things are forgotten and we all focus on giving each other happy memories in those brightly wrapped gifts. As time goes on and family members pass away, I realize that we must all enjoy what we have when its there, because things change and people who you expect to always be around aren't.
Last year my Dad was in the hospital and missed Christmas. This year he'll be home and I am not going to take it for granted. i am going to enjoy every second of the day, every overwhelming, shell-shocking, crazy second.
I know that I don't want it any other way.
Happy Christmas to you and all your family.