Think about it - most people aren't like those of us on this board. Christmas, for most people, is something celebrated from the Friday after Thanksgiving or the first part of December until the 25th. But we do things like listen to Christmas music in July! Unheard of, right? Maybe to some, but not for us.

From the time I was a little boy, I've loved Christmas - everything about it. I remember the excitement, the anticipation of Christmas morning as a child. And even though I'm older now, I still feel it at 50. In fact, every year it seems to get a little stronger.

I guess my love for Christmas comes from my parents and my grandmother. They always made Christmas fun. There were always surprises. I've tried to do that with my wife and daughters as an adult. There is always a surprise gift for each one of them every year. It may not be much, but there's always something. And the older I get, the more "unsuspecting" things I try to do around Christmas. Things like baking and cooking, which I've never done much of until the past few years. Every year there's some new kind of decoration around the house. And trust me, I'm no interior decorator! But when it comes to Christmas, I try my best.

And even though they think I try to hurry the season every year (I'd have the trees up as soon as the last trick-or-treater is leaving our front porch if it was up to me), I try to make sure they know that the reason I do what I do is not just for me - it's for them. I hope my daughters pass this on to our grandchildren one day. But if for whatever reason they don't, they'll always know where to come find it!

What about you? What makes you love Christmas like you do?