What makes the holidays special for you and your family?

Reflecting on the past . . . proud my family, friends, and colleagues survived yet another year.

Seeing the excitement in my daughter's eyes when we go down to the Elipse and see the National Christmas Tree and the trees of each state. She loves finding Illinois and Virginia and looking at the ornaments. She loves walking by the White House and seeing the decorations. She is so happy it's infectious. Her amazement and wonderment just fills my heart with joy.

Missing five Christmases due to deployment makes every one I get with the kids special.

I remember one Thanksgiving in Afghanistan that thanks to a TDY trip gone awry, I spent away from home and my unit. Sitting there all alone without anything I was thankful for really made the sense of loss more acute.

There are times that I don't even like the hassle and hustle of the holidays, but the joy of my kids on Christmas morning grows 1SG Grinch's heart two sizes every year.