2017: Paige reminded us that this was the last year that we were all together for Christmas. I think I had steeled myself to the idea of not having everyone around, so I hadn’t kept track. In 2017, there were 6 of us, and now there are 8. 🙂
As we opened gifts together, I enjoyed seeing how thoughtful everyone was. Some had created handmade gifts, and others had shopped to find perfectly matched gifts for a sibling or parent.
Whenever I remember that Mark will be on a mission for the next two Christmases, I stop myself. Why rob from the joy of this moment? Plus, having a missionary is another kind of joy. But mostly, I am avoiding all thoughts about this. Mark is my baking buddy, and he has faithfully helped me decorate the house, inside and out. He is a wonderful companion to me.
It has taken some time to draw Tim back into our family dynamic. The transition from missionary to everyday Latter-day Saint is not an easy one, but we saw more sparkle in his eyes during the past week. Don’t worry, he is fine, he is just adjusting to a huge change in his life. I remember Daniel’s post-mission life, and reminding him that it was worthy work to spend time with family. Tim has introduced us to enjoying seafood and a game called Bang. He also gets a funny happy expression whenever we serve rice at dinnertime. 😁 Mostly, we enjoy his humor and his light.
Daniel and McKenna are fun company. Daniel also plays background piano music as often as he can, and McKenna cracks jokes all the time. Mark and McKenna, being youngest siblings, really speak a similar language, and get along really well.
Paige has always been our traditions keeper, gently reminding us of things we do. One evening while people wrapped gifts in private corners of the house, she and Mike watched year after year of our annual home movies. Paige gave gifts of her art, including two children’s books and this precious portrait of Sparky:
Richard and I are behind in our tradition of preparing the annual Christmas video. This is our 20th year making one. Our show is shorter this year because of less family time, but the events are much more exciting and span the world. Richard and I enjoy the time working on this together and remembering the year. 2023 was full of important events, and we anticipate 2024 will be another big year.