Holiday Season in Full Swing

It's December and that means the holiday season is upon us. With that in mind, I spent the weekend decorating around the house. I put up our Christmas tree, along with garland and lights, but haven't put any ornaments on it yet. I also went outside and hung Christmas lights from gutters and put up our blow-up snowman on the front yard. The lights and snowman are on a timer so they come on when it gets dark and turn off around 10pm.

It's strange to think it's only been a year since my mom and dad moved into the house with us. It seems like it's been much longer, as it's been a year full of contradictions and mixed emotions. It feels like has been 4 or 5 years since last December. It's strange to think this will be the first Christmas without my dad. That he won't be helping with Christmas dinner, that he won't be making fun of the Christmas gifts and he won't be smiling with that mischevious glint in his eye, playing with his grand kids.

So much has happened this year and yet, I find it very difficult to write my annual Christmas letter. I've got to talk about loss as well as happiness, pain as well as elation, ill health as well as youthful enthusiasm. Although as a family we've traveled far and wide, this year marks the first year I haven't traveled for work.

The holiday season is full of memories of years past, and hopes for future years. I look at Lauren and I see the promise of all the future years. I look at my mom and remember all the wonderful years of Christmas pasts.

But it is Christmas present, and this year like in years past, we'll be hosting Christmas Eve dinner at our home, with our traditional present exchange afterwards. We hope all of our family can make it, but I understand if you must be elsewhere this Christmas.