Christmas Eve and Christmas are those days when all the things that money can’t buy come together for me. Which is kind of odd, because there is definitely a tree with a bunch of presents piled under it.

But when I think back over thirty two years of Christmas, I mostly just remember togetherness.

I remember running around my aunt and uncle’s basement with all the other cousins around my age when I was little.

I do remember getting some sort of quiz toy when I was about 4 or 5, but the main reason I remember it was because my parents and my grandparents all sat around the table helping me set it up and then playing it with me. The struggle was real trying to figure out how to insert the quiz cards.

I remember hanging out with my cousins when we were teenagers when all of the much littler cousins would run in and out of the room trying to get our attention and make us play with them.

I remember years and years of delicious Russian meals made by my aunt and some awesome dulce de leche cake my older cousin makes that I can never get right myself.

I remember singing Christmas carols, because this is still a thing my family does. Every single year before we open the Christmas gifts, while the little kids squirm like crazy, we sing for like a half an hour.

And then, when the kids think they can finally stop squirming, my uncle breaks out a Bible and reads the Christmas story.

Finally, there were presents, and while I can’t remember many specific ones I’ve gotten, I do have clear memories of babies toddling around with bows stuck to their heads and elementary school aged little cousins fighting over who gets to be the elf and help give out the presents (once I was past that age and done fighting to help myself).

I remember the drive home from my dad’s side of the family every Christmas morning with the four of us piled in the car, my brother and I half asleep under the blankets in the backseat and Christmas music blaring as we headed up I-95 to my mom’s side of the family.

I remember the sheer torture of waiting to open gifts I’ve already forgotten while my mom put on a pot of coffee and called her parents to come over when we got home. I’ve just realized that the anticipation was actually a lot better than the gifts.

So while money is certainly important and factored into making those memories happens (groceries and gas aren’t free), at the end of the day, the holidays were about family and love. I hope yours are the same.

Merry Christmas!