December 24

Christmas Eve. The day before one of the most important days of the year. After running a few errands and watching Brady experience a snow flurry in a Target parking lot, we headed back to my grandma's house to do a little last minute decorating. Grandma hadn't put up a tree for a number of years, so I borrowed a little artificial one from my mom. And it's not just anytree; it was mine when I was a kid. When I was very young, it made its home in my bedroom, and as I got older, it sat in a front window of my mom's house.

I set it up in the living room while Adam and the kiddos played in the back yard, and then we all convened to decorate. We did a nice job of adorning the miniature wire branches with little angels and cats and Santas and year-specific animals, and after we'd finished, I happened to catch Adam and the Little Boys admiring our handiwork:

Although we miss Logan more than I can communicate, this is the kind of stolen moment he would've loved joining in on: A brother dog pile, twinkling lights and the promise of good things to come.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good --and very blessed-- night.