The joy and cheer of the holiday season is upon us once again. Our homes are filled with the scrumptious aroma of baking cookies, stockings are hung, holiday dinner and party plans are in place, big city lights and New Year glitz hold us spellbound, while candles illuminate windows of tiny villages, hearkening back to days of yore. It paints a beautiful picture in our minds, yet too often we forget about our Texas veterans, the people who sacrificed to ensure we have the freedom for such things.