It is official - our Christmas break has begun!
I wanted to post one last update before Christmas and the big break hit. MaryKatherine is home for a visit, Dom and I have the week off together, our friends are in from out of town (and out of country in some cases) and I want to soak up as much time together as possible!
We had many office holiday parties before we left, and I managed to remember to bring my camera to the big one.
Everyone got together to celebrate the year's achievements, and our bosses shared wonderful words of encouragement.
Our student workers Jen and Kabita...not entirely sure of how to react to their bosses drinking.
The gals reading the "12 Days Before Holiday Break" - our personalized rendition of a Christmas favorite. Academic humor...gotta love it!
Milagros absconding with her Caribbean Egg Nog...from the quality of the photo, you can tell that I had been sampling!
Milagros is both a wonderful colleague and one of our neighbors - she is one of those women that says more with one hug than I could hope to communicate with an entire essay.
The only ones that didn't scatter when the camera came out...
And holiday parties at work mean decorations and wrapping at home!
And holiday parties at work mean decorations and wrapping at home!
(And, yes, Tugger was yelled at for climbing on the table right after that photo was taken!)
It means the smell of spices, sugarplums and pine...
It means the sound of carols filling our home, and the sweet glow of our Christmas tree....each ornament telling a different story or symbolizing a different memory
It means welcoming people into our home to celebrate the season of birth and renewal...feeding one another delicious family treats and feeding one another's souls with love
It means time with girlfriends and people that are part of your extended family...again I could have used a "designated photographer"
It means Santa Claus visiting our street, and filling our neighbors' children with hope and excitement....
But most of all: it means that in the evening, just before bedtime, we spend time reflecting on how much each of you mean to us. We acknowledge how the gift of Christmas is celebrated in our lives all throughout the year. We are so thankful for the many blessings that God has brought to us - and we remember that the real gifts in this life can't be gift wrapped or stuffed into a stocking. The gift giving is the fun part - the meaningful part is the opportunity that the gift exchanging brings with it....the opportunity to thank people for the incredible value that they add to our lives.
This year, we especially remember the people that we love who will be spending their first Christmas in heaven. In so many ways, the loved ones that we lost this year personified the spirit of Christmas: the fun, the magic, the generosity. We know that they are with us in spirit, as we are with all of you.
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