I love everything Christmas. The meaning, the traditions, music, festivities, food, the 'mushy' feeling i get. Everything! Somehow it holds that which makes me a child again, and with no fail. It transforms me, my being, and my joy is raised to a higher crescendo. And so, early as it seems, this hub comes. My Christmas, like every other year, begins, the moment the 'ber' months unfolds. If i can have it, i want everyday to be just that. Christmas!

Christmas will forever remind me of mom and dad and how they would transform our home into something almost 'magical'. At least for me. I remember as a child, being woken up from sleep on Christmas eve, carried in my father's arms, and taken to our living room to be surprised by mom's signature holiday extravaganza. She was fabulous, and was in every detail. If there is one thing i wished that had been recorded of my young life, it would be been those years and priceless moments. Christmas was always special for our family, filled with so much love and happiness. Nothing was left unturned, and my folks were planners par excellance. It must have been quite a feat, especially for mom. Imagine shopping for seven children, and carefully wrapping boxes, putting up a tree where these gifts would sit. It was one of the highlights of Christmas eve, when we would gather around the bedecked pine tree (i can still smell it), and how laughter filled the halls of our home as we opened and were delighted by our parents well thought and well picked gifts. Nothing was done in a flimsy manner, and with their thoughtfulness, every child felt the valuing by doting and generous parents . I remember vividly the singing along we did, with the Christmas carols played either the sound system or moms' piano. There was a lot of running crazy, dancing, thanks to the sugar high we got, chomping chocolates we grabbed from our Christmas tree. Things would settle as we were called to the large table that sat all nine of us. We would be told to close our eyes and Dad would say a prayer, and give honor to the Reason for the season, the Christ of Christmas. We would then feast on our traditional Noche Buena, of everything yummy and nice, all cooked and baked by mom.

This tradition continues in our homes despite mom and dad both being gone now. The precious memories remain intact, and embedded in our very hearts. Through the years i have been fascinated by Christmas trees, which, to me, will always be representative of my love for our family's Christmas tradition. Here are just a few i have 'shot', which I hope you will enjoy.

As an artist, my love for colors is childlike and undeniable, and perhaps, this could also be one reason i love Christmas.

Robert Fulghum said, "We should develop a Crayola bomb as our next secret weapon. A happiness weapon. A beauty bomb. And every time a crisis developed, we would launch one. It would explode high in the air - explode softly - and send thousands, millions, of little parachutes into the air. Floating down to earth - boxes of Crayolas. And we wouldn't go cheap, either - not little boxes of eight. Boxes of sixty-four, with the sharpener built right in. With silver and gold and copper, magenta and peach and lime, amber and umber and all the rest. And people would smile and get a little funny look on their faces and cover the world with imagination".