'Twas the Night Before Christmas

So quickly the season comes and goes, and I can't help but feel that I was standing on the sidelines for much of this one.  Christmas is still tomorrow, I know, but I have this strange detachment since I'm not at home wrapped up in the coziness and familiarity of my family.  I have my Washington family here, no doubt, but it's just never the same.  My sweet groom, however, has made Christmas so special for me; he never fails to cheer me up.  Last night he surprised me with tickets to the Pacific Northwest Ballet's Nutcracker.  We got all dressed up and drove into Seattle for the most wonderful performance ever.  That was my Christmas.  I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, wishing every moment that I was a ballerina.  The dancers floated on air, and the symphony moved me to tears.  In attendance there were many beautiful little girls dressed in their Christmas best, holding their mother's hands and tip-toeing like the ballerinas.   Little boys in suits and ties were equally adorable, and I imagined one day holding my own children's hands on our way to that magical show.  It was truly the perfect Christmas gift, and as we walked through the snow among white-twinkling trees through downtown Seattle, I couldn't help but feel that this was one of those sweet moments that Brandon and I will cherish when we think of our first Christmas together as husband and wife.