Holidaze

A few photos from the holidays... which were nice, but mostly uneventful. I suppose that's what happens when you don't leave the house for days at a time. Hailey had her 21st birthday– We celebrated at home. This year, as opposed to most, we had her celebration right on Christmas Day instead of making her do the moving over. Tempura for Christmas dinner is a bit unexpected, but not half bad. Eden might dispute this... she's the one kid who hasn't looked kindly on our recent disregard for culinary holiday traditions. Prime rib for Thanksgiving, Fried shrimp for Christmas. What's the problem? Maybe it will just make next year all the better... I think we were overdue for a shake-up.

I never thought I'd say this... at least not in my 40s, but I'm actually looking a bit forward to being a grandparent someday. I suspect it might re-inject some life back into these events. Our kids are great, but they're not full of the same enthusiasm they once were. It's not their fault, they're just older now. They know what they want, they know what they're getting and they know where it comes from. Ignorance or whatever it was, is bliss. It was also contagious... for everyone.

There were plenty of good moments... but maybe my favorite was on Christmas morning... watching Tracy laugh at the way Hailey was wearing her new hat. (both pictured below) Tracy laughs easily, but she only really laughs like this once in a while. The last time might have involved a video that included dancing and an ill conceived hot-dog suit. Ask any of the kids about it. Anyway, these moments are one of our absolute favorite things to see.

January has acted a lot like January. Endlessly cold with a glorious bright spot right around my birthday. Not really. I had planned to take the day off and completely enjoy spending time with Tracy. Instead I worked till six. At least I just put in a half day. It was still nice. Tracy has a way of making things that way.