Merry Christmas!

To those of you who are celebrating today, “To kids from one to ninety-two,”
Wishing a very Merry Christmas to you!

Our holidays, so far

These days leading up to Christmas have been an odd mix—the magic of these two little children in our home and the sadness that tinges every thought about the world beyond. But if watching the news these past weeks (years!) has shown me anything, it’s that I should hold onto these precious moments and these precious loves tightly and appreciate the pure joy these two have about their (very lucky) lives. The kids are both so wide-eyed about Santa Claus, and they love singing Christmas songs and looking at holiday lights. “Kiss-mas lights!” Skyler calls out every evening as we drive through town.

They have school right up until Christmas eve this year (the 23rd is the last day in our district), so it feels especially nice to look back and appreciate all that’s already happened.

So thank you for indulging me; I love looking back at these posts! Here are some of the highlights, so far…

Keep Reading >

Thinking About: Holiday traditions

What are your holiday traditions? Where do they come from?

This was something that came up a lot in conversation when I was doing the interview for the Sunset magazine article. As a young family, we are still getting to pick and choose some elements of our holiday. Which things will we keep from our childhoods? How do they mix? Are there things that our friends are doing that would make sense or be particularly fun for us?

I was recalling that, at Christmas dinner at my Aunt’s and Uncle’s house, my family would hold hands and sing “Silent Night” instead of saying grace. As a very young child, I would try not to giggle. When I was 12, it felt interminable. And as a teenager, I was self-conscious about my voice and about holding hands. But, looking back, it was such a nice tradition. I have nothing but fondness for it now. And I wonder, is this something we should implement?

Keep Reading >