Do you have an elf on your shelf?

We are lucky enough to have an elf that visits our house each year in December. He showed up on our porch one night a few years ago, and he has been coming back each year to check in on us and make sure we are behaving ourselves. He has an important job. He watches us and then flies back to the North Pole each night to report his findings. He ends up in a new spot each morning...the kids like to find him when they wake up... Today I found myself feeling a little overwhelmed with shopping, wrapping, baking and entertaining... I caught the elf looking at me and realized that I needed to take a few deep breaths, relax, and enjoy the magic of the season. If nothing else, the elf is a great reminder that the season isn't about presents and goodies. Most importantly, I hope our elf is able to "report" that we are a family that understand the true meaning of Christmas. As our youngest reminded me today, "The real reason we have Christmas is because Baby Jesus was born."