The holidays...

It seems I've taken yet another blogging break, which is silly because the holidays are always rife with interesting goings on that I could be blogging about. Matt came home from college the Sunday before Christmas. His finals were over at the end of the week, but he stayed in Durango for a few days, partially to do some skiing and hang out with friends, but mostly because all the passes leaving Durango were closed due to snow. I'm always relieved when I know he's made that winter drive safe and sound.

On Monday we went in search of tree... there aren't many left two days before Christmas. We where lucky to find one and happy that the $70 tree was half off. We decorated that night assisted by Sarah's Persian friend who's family doesn't do a tree. Once again the kids claimed we have too many ornaments, and lobbied not to hang them all. Once again I insisted on hanging every last one, after all, how do you choose, when there are memories attached to all of them? Actually, every year I suggest that we skip the pink and white Power Ranger ornaments (or at least hang them in the back), and every year they get hung front and center, along side my most treasured ornament, a shredded wheat wreath that encircles pictures of my kids that was made at day care many years ago.

Despite that my kids are 16 and 19 years old or perhaps because of it, Christmas morning was still magical. First the magic of everyone getting to sleep in until 9:30. Then the magic of my waking up to the giggles of Matt and Sarah opening all the trinkets in their Christmas stockings, from their laughter I could tell they were just as happy as they were when they were 6 and 9. Then there was the magic around the tree. An especially magic moment for me, as the kids priority was to first give me my gift, and then give each other their gifts, before even looking at what lay under the tree. What better gift than to see my kids relishing in the giving, rather than the receiving aspect of the moment! I think I'm truly blessed.