Merry, Merry

What do you call the opposite of a Charlie Brown tree? This year Derek found a stunning evergreen - full and soft, an eight-foot masterpiece that we filled with handmade trinkets and relics from vacations.

Carson didn't bother the ornaments, other than the occasional gazing at himself in the glass orbs. "Hi!" he'd say with his biggest smile as if the little guy inside that ball would answer.

Christmas morning was a blast. The kiddos were thrilled about the empty cookie plate and note from Santa. Ella scored a new keyboard from the Grandparents and Us. Like everything else she owns, Carson's cruddy little fingers were all over it.


We celebrated at Klines, Bernards, and Sands - it was great to see family and to hear Marvin do his annual reading of the story of Jesus' birth.